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Motion Picture MP2011-7

24th Evacuation Hospital

Administrative Information

Original Format(s)
Motion Picture
Footage
1152 feet
2124 feet
Running Time
31 minutes 40 seconds
58 minutes 48 seconds
Film Gauge
16mm
Sound
silent
Color
Mixed
Produced by
Unknown
Restrictions
Unrestricted
Description

World War II experiences of Dr. Wallace Graham (later President Truman's personal physician) with the 24th Evacuation Hospital, including training in Mississippi, travel to England, France, and other areas in Europe, scenes of the military hospital camp, military nurses, views of the devastated countryside and cities, military officers, and some military action.

Date(s)
August 1943 - April 1945

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Moving Image Type
Motion Picture

Shot List

Reel 1

00:15   Title card: “In August 1943 the 24th Evacuation Hospital was really begun as far as many of us late members were concerned and here the first part of this film finds us, somewhere in the great maneuvering state of Tennessee.”
00:32   Two officers outside of Perkins Hall, Chaplain School.
00:37   Night views – footage not visible.
00:56   Numerous nurses lined up for photograph in front of brick building.
01:05   Military marching in formation.
02:02   Bus at Camp McCain, Mississippi.
02:10   Quarters at Camp McCain. Man standing in front of door. Sign “#57 Dr. Derwood I. Newhart” visible.
02:45   Dr. Wallace Graham near quarters.
02:55   Newhart family playing horseshoes.
03:04   Title card: “Here we rambled and groveled and ate dust in the vicinities of Cookeville, Lebanon and Gallatin; and very shortly we will reveal ourselves at the latter encampment, Gallatin.”
03:20   Soldiers marching on paved road.
03:38   Soldiers seated under sign “24 Evac. Hosp.” with arrow pointing in its direction.
03:50   Soldiers setting up camp.
04:35   Camp tents being set up.
04:44   Title card: “We had a camouflaged setting here and our tents were set in the protection of the scattered large trees.”
04:54   Dr. Wallace Graham and two other officers in front of tent under trees.
05:25   Views from tent.
05:50   Tent with sign “Chaplain”. Officer departs tent, and hands a citation to Dr. Wallace Graham.
06:25   Night images. Footage not visible.
06:48   Unknown military wife (possibly Mrs. Graham?) with young daughter and baby.
07:00   Two young nurses and two civilians standing near wooden crates containing soft drinks.
07:38   Two military officers.
08:16   Title card: “After the maneuvers we were sent to Camp Tyson at Paris, Tennessee. There we stayed from September 19th until January 10, 1944. Here we prepared for our removal overseas. We ran the obstacle course, took hikes, set up and tore down our hospital indefinitely.”
08:40   Military officers climbing in back of truck.
08:48   Title card: “January 10, 1944 we departed to place unknown; via rail to Camp Kilmer; from thence by the Queen Mary to Glasgow; and from there to Cheddar, Somerset, England, where we bided our time until the invasion of Normandy which occurred on June 6th.
09:09   Train departing in darkness.
09:22   Title card: “Cheddar was a quaint old town. It was the home of Cheddar cheese, without any of it; it was near the site of the Rock of Ages; it was close to Wells with its historic cathedral and to Bath with its very old Roman baths still somewhat in existence. Cheddar itself boasted beautiful caverns and a terrific gorge and a high stone mountain range. Here we dwelt from January 28 until June 8.”
09:50   Exterior views from truck of countryside near Cheddar.
10:25   Nurses in military uniform on truck.
10:32   Military plane in distance.
10:35   Road on Cheddar countryside.
11:00   Military group touring “Rock of Ages” near Cheddar, England.
11:15   Views of road and countryside near Cheddar.
11:30   Views of town of Cheddar.
12:00   Military personnel depart via trucks at Cheddar.
12:22   Wells Cathedral.
12:40   Views of countryside.
13:45   Military in large group near Wells.
14:22   Touring a Roman bath.
15:29   Title card: “During our stay in Cheddar we went to London to visit the Queen and were fed some ‘It’s very fine goat, I assure you, Sir.’ This cost us $4.50 per. However, we saw Madame Toussard’s [sic], London Tower, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Thames River, and several London Bridges.”
15:39   Military vehicles (not trucks) on way to London.
16:10   Views of London, double-decker buses, bridges, etc.
17:18   Wallace Graham near ruins.
17:35   Views of London.
18:27   Title card: “About the middle of June we found ourselves winding and groveling up Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, and locating about six miles inland at La Cambe.”
18:33   Black and white footage of La Cambe.
19:15   Views of military camp and vehicles.
19:45   Military trucks.
19:55   Color footage of military camp. Helicopter and planes are visible.
20:50   Military Camp near river, with trucks nearby.
21:13   Town views.
21:18   Views of Military Camp.
22:00   Town views.
22:25   Views of Military Camp.
22:47   Black and white footage of camp scenes.
23:07   Title card: “Our second location about three weeks later, almost in the shadow of St Lo, was L’Epinay. Here we had many casualties and operated in this spot until after St Lo had fallen. Monty paid us a visit here.”
23:15   Street scenes – St. Lo, France, showing devastation from artillery attacks.
23:50   Views of Military Camp.
24:15   Title card: “To reach Percy, our third stand, we had to pass through St. Lo, the ghost city of the war. Observe that not a building is intact; also the high old rock fortress and the large German pillbox reached hitherto unknown heights.”
27:20   Color and black & white footage of scenes in Paris.
30:45   Views of Military Camp – black and white footage.
31:40   End of Reel 1.
     
    Reel 2
     
00:05   General Graham and other officer in front of building marked “Paedologisch Instituut St Jozef”
00:14   Truck departing.
00:18   Title card: “After Senoches we were deviated to the north into Belgium where we were to serve under the Ninth Army and in a few weeks under the British 21st Army Group. Our first stand in this new sector was Anhee where we dwelt under the carelessness of the Maquis and in the vicinity of the very beautiful Meuse River Valley.”
00:45   Truck arrives. Civilians and two officers walking on brick road.
00:57   General Graham and others walk to back of truck, which is open for unloading.
01:23   Officer surveying railing of building. Camera surveys the area.
01:45   General Graham poses for photograph with nurse and other officer.
01:50   Officers and nurse (from 1:45) pose by swimming pool and whirlpool bath in building (from 1:23)
02:30   View of locker room.
02:35   Officers walking into brick building (a military headquarters?)
02:40   (Color sequence) Photographic survey of damage to unknown building from recent military conflict. Basement and grounds are surveyed by camera, and bullet holes are shown in ceiling.
03:45   Exterior views of building showing broken windows.
04:35   Trucks outside building.
05:10   (black and white sequence) Officers outside tents in camp.
05:18   Unknown nurse.
05:30   Fighter plane flies overhead.
05:45   Army tank traveling.
06:07   Unknown officer standing as tank passes by.
06:14   Unknown officer.
06:23   (Color sequence) Three civilian children in hospital camp with officers.
06:27   View of unknown city, officers and civilians walking on street. Streetcars and movie posters are visible.
07:20   Title card: “Then we trekked northward to the Belgian-Holland border to play our role in the airborne invasion and were established at Bourg-Leopold. At this place the wind howled and blew fiercely and the patients poured in. Here we found the place of execution for non-collaborators, and graves without names.”
07:40   [Indistinguishable images due to film deterioration]
08:14   Exterior views of grass and vegetation.
08:20   [Indistinguishable images due to film deterioration]
08:27   Man standing on hay stacks – camera pans to large hole in the ground recently dug.
08:32   Primitive log fence, civilians on bike approach officer standing near fence.
08:48   Dr. Graham points to bullet holes in log fence.
08:53   Sign in Dutch: “Aan onze helden / Velke hun leven gaven voor het vaderland” above grave with cross and floral wreath. (Translation: “Our heroes who gave their lives for our country.”)
09:02   Wooded area, showing grave (from 8:53), and another grave. An officer points to field and camera pans to other grave markers.
09:18   Three children with officer. (One little girl may be same from 6:23.)
09:22   Milk wagon. Large container of milk on cart. A German shepherd can be seen under the cart.
09:26   Overturned truck, tires are on fire.
09:31   Officers pose near downed planes.
09:40   Flight lines in sky formed by passing aircraft.
10:05   Views of airfield. Camera pans to parked planes and planes damaged by combat.
10:37   Title card: “As soon as possible we were taken north into Holland, then more so until we reached the hill at Nijmegen. Here we operated from October to December 1944. Just 1.45 miles from the German border, we were under constant shell fire and were hit on several occasions.”
11:07   Camp scenes. Views of officers and nurses. Grenades/Artillery shells piled in heap.
11:30   Trucks in camp.
11:36   Sign nailed to tree near road “24 Evac Hosp.” with arrow pointing direction.
11:45   View of tents near trenches.
11:51   Jeeps departing.
12:00   Title card: “December 2, 1944, we moved to St. Trond, Belgium (Buzz Bomb alley) for a 15 day respite which was quite unrestful.”
12:20   Traveling military vehicles on road.
12:58   View of approaching town from vehicles.
13:04   Delivering ammunition.
13:23   Military directs traffic.
13:30   Horse and cart.
13:45   Buildings in town.
13:55   Military surveying trenches and broken pipe lines.
14:23   Title card: “Along came another respite at Straelen whilst the Rhine was conquered. Here we found interesting German fortifications and saw much materiel [sic] going forward.”
14:40   Open field, soldiers in trenches.
15:10   General Graham and others surveying small building (possibly ice house or chicken coop.)
15:24   View of open field.
15:35   Officers surveying trenches and broken pipes.
15:55   Officers enter concrete building.
16:10   Officers survey trenches.
16:20   Views of open field.
16:25   Officers surveying concrete building.
16:35   Gravesites.
16:42   Storm drain (or entrance to tunnel in ground).
17:02   View of planes flying overhead.
17:13   Military in trenches by road.
17:25   Military vehicles pass by sign to 24th Evacuation Hospital.
18:11   Nurses.
18:22   Caravan of military vehicles lined up. “C 283” or “C 28 B” marked on one of the vehicles.
19:15   Soldiers on tanks.
19:20   Title card: “One week before Easter we crossed the Rhine at Wesel. Traffic was like New York. We located at Peddenburg, ten miles East.”
19:42   Views of road from military vehicle.
19:47   Town and farm house views.
19:57   Railroad tracks, view of trucks carrying large pipes or logs.
20:33   Military vehicles moving on road.
20:55   Parked military vehicles.
21:20   Military vehicles near river. Sign visible: “Corps of Engineers U. S. Army”
21:50   Vehicles cross bridge. Views of river from bridge.
22:27   Crossing wooden bridge.
22:32   Views of town, civilians, trolley, tall buildings. (Peddenburg?)
23:05   Soldiers seated at base of equestrian statue.
23:18   French flag flying on flagpole.
23:33   General Graham standing at edge of Rhine river.
23:56   Views of Rhine river valley.
24:15   [Film partly disintegrated and indistinguishable.]
25:09   Views of civilians in city, taken through wire fence.
25:23   Civilians in café. City scenes in background.
25:42   Clock in center of town building.
25:50   Mountains.
26:06   Civilians walking in town at base of mountains.
26:25   Town view at base of mountains. “Pharmacie” sign. American and International Red Cross flags flying.
26:33   U. S. Military officers walking in town, with General Graham.
26:56   Civilians in café. Sign visible across street “Pharmacie du Mont-Blanc”
27:05   Military officers and civilians at table.
27:15   View of bridge and scenery from automobile.
28:06   View of industrial buildings and utility poles.
28:30   Entry into town.
29:00   Scenic views from automobile.
29:30   Mountains.
29:46   Industrial building with indistinguishable sign.
29:58   Town at base of mountains.
30:27   Title: “Stetterdorf was another wait for us. We were expecting to cross the Elbe which was thirty miles forward. While we were camping in a meadow here, ‘VE’ Day happened so gloriously. Then we thought we might go home—but we frittered along throughout Germany.”
31:00   Views of road from automobile.
31:15   Military nurses traveling in back of truck.
31:30   Bridge in distance, with views of officers and nurses traveling in military vehicle.
31:56   Town view (Stettendorf?), with large building and views of civilians and military.
32:14   Military officers (male and female) walking in town.
32:33   Planes flying and parachutists emerging in sky.
33:00   Parachutes landing.
33:20   Plane taking off.
33:27   Hundreds of parachutists disembarking plane and landing in field.
35:54   Title card: “Next came Bremen way up north, and a renewal of contact with the 29th Division of Normandy fellowship. Here we visited the North Sea, Wesermunde and Bremerhaven, and saw much destruction.”
36:23   Views of Bremen from vehicle.
37:12   Civilians walking near windmill. Scenic views of area.
37:34   Town views. Allied military vehicles visible.
38:00   Views of battle destruction in town.
38:45   Civilians walking amidst destruction.
39:00   Title card: “About the middle of July we were trucked 250 miles south and plunked way up in the back hills at a place called Erda.”
39:24   Sunset views of military camp. Medical unit markings visible.
39:47   Parked military vehicles. U. S. flag flying.
40:00   Scenic views.
40:55   Soldiers marching in formation.
41:16   Military camp views. Large medical symbols visible on two tents.
41:37   Military officer in camp pointing to hill in distance.
41:47   General Graham and two other military officers pointing to hillside in distance.
42:10   Military officer standing on army tank.
42:16   Nurse and two officers on horse driven wagon. Civilians are seen walking and are in other horse driven wagon.
42:40   Partially destroyed building at top of hill.
42:46   Military officers overlooking battlefield.
42:58   Views of town.
43:28   View of valley. Marker visible marking every 10 feet of area.
43:44   Military officers observing area – fence marking every ten feet visible.
43:55   (Color) Views of town.
44:10   Military officers pose in front of building.
44:20   (black and white) Planes flying overhead.
44:30   (color) Civilians talking with military officers.
44:50   Officers and civilians pose near menorah-like plant (ivy?) growth on side of building.
45:09   Building used by the Third Reich. Reich symbol and eagle visible.
45:33   US Army nurses.
45:35   Winter view of town and abandoned military camp.
45:55   Winter view of US Army officers at abandoned military camp showing military destruction that had recently occurred.
46:15   Close-up of sign: “Here’s No. 1 The First Nazi Plane in 1945 shot down of ________ 1 January 1945 by A & D Batteries 24th AAA Gun BM. The First Enemy aircraft destroyed in ’45 by units under 55th AAA Brigade [rest of sign indistinguishable]”
46:23   Officers inspect downed enemy plane. Third Reich symbol visible on exterior.
46:40   Title card: “Christmas found us on the outskirts of Anchen, Germany, at Brand, in some large army barracks.”
46:55   Title card: “The middle of January 1945 found us operating in a large Germany hospital at Bardenburg about 15 miles east of Aachen. Here we awaited the crossing of the River.”
47:22   (color) Winter views of Aachen, military destruction visible.
48:20   Nurse poses for camera in Aachen, military destruction visible.
48:38   Views of U. S. military in Aachen.
48:50   Views of Aachen.
49:00   Nurses pose near tents in Aachen, military destruction visible.
49:25   Title card: “April 1945 found us amongst the hills close to the Weser River, not far from Hamelin, the Pied Piper’s town. Here we began to receive our own men who were recently liberated from the Germans. This place was called Esperde and was a beautiful setting.”
49:47   Views from automobile of Weser River and environs near Esperde.
50:30   Views of US military hospital camp and various officers.
50:56   Dr. Wallace Graham poses near tent.
51:35   Doctors and nurses pose near tent.
51:40   Views of US military hospital camp.
52:21   Soldiers line up near tent at US military hospital.
52:35   Nurses in line near tent at US military hospital.
52:50   Views of US military hospital camp.
53:00   Nurses at US military hospital camp.
53:30   Views of US military hospital camp.
54:00   Planes flying overhead and parachutes descending from sky.
54:25   Views of US military hospital camp.
54:50   Dr. Wallace Graham pointing at military trucks.
55:05   Views from automobile of military vehicles and horse drawn carts on road.
55:30   Soldiers lined up on edge of hill at roadside, some with shovels.
55:55   View of large tower in distance.
56:00   Soldiers and nurses on field at Erda.
56:35   Title card: “After Erda, we camped in the fields at Ober-Morlen, near Bad Nauheim, and not far from Frankfurt. Naturally we saw the latter place quite often.”
56:58   Camp views from Ober-Morlin. Dr. Wallace Graham poses with three other officers near American flag.
57:45   Views of US military hospital camp, and officers and nurses.
58:48   Title card: “The End”