us-005578-irn1002785
type: RecordSet
biographical history: Major Sydney L. Burr of New York City, NY was stationed northeast of London in Suffolk, England at Knettishall Air Force Base from 1943 to 1945. He served with the 388th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force. His formal function was to debrief bombing missions over Germany. It is unclear how he made his way to Germany to film the liberation of Dachau, but since he was very close to those soldiers and celebrated their returns from successful missions, it is likely they slipped him on board one of their flights after VE-Day. In May 1945, the 388th flew into Austria and flew French POWs back to France (otherwise they would have had to walk). They also flew ground support troops of the 388th around Europe for an aerial tour; Major Burr was a passenger on one of these flights. See http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=388-I-BUR18-01&dataType=Person.
date: April-May 1945
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 2
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: Silent
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn1002785
note: Original title on film can:"Nuremberg, Stuttgart - Bombed Out - Spring 45 #" Transferred at 24 FPS
scope and content: Man drives Army vehicle up into an airplane. MS, soldier. Airplane. Soldier kneeling on the ground folding a map. Pan of massive postwar destruction in Nuremberg(?). Buildings are piles of rubble, houses have been burnt and destroyed. Soldiers walk amongst the destruction. Frames of buildings stand. MS, church with half-walls, piles of debris from bombs inside. Smoke rising in the distance. LAS reveals the battered skyline of Nuremberg(?); roofs are torn and missing huge chunks. LS, group of soldiers march in formation into the town square. Tanks amidst the debris. 01:02:26 Very unclear, grainy (ferrotyping of film) shots of destroyed buildings, soldiers standing together, ceremoniously raising a flagpole and a flag. Better quality footage of the flag raising ceremony with U.S. military tanks and soldiers. Raising the American flag on a flagpole in front of a church. Troops march out together. Military orchestra. Street scenes of Nuremberg(?), civilians meandering around the rubble and building ruins.
title: Ruins of Nuremberg; Flag-raising