USAAF Combat Camera Units

[rononeal36]

First of all, I would like to say hello to all the forum members. I was excited to find this site with so many knowledgeable members.
I was born in 1936 and I remember the war from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender. It made a large impression on me. I had four family members who participated in it. All four were in the U.S. Army Air Force. My father and cousin were aerial photographers in 8th air for force in England. My uncle was a mess sgt with the 303rdBG at Molesworth, England. My brother was an aircraft mechanic with the 12th and 15th air force in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy.
My interest at the moment is in finding out more about the Combat Camera Units. My father worked for Warner Brothers just prior to the U.S. involvement in WW2. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he volunteered for the First Motion Picture Unit (FMPU) started by Jack Warner. The volunteers trained in Culver City, California at the old Hal Roach studio. They were then assigned to Combat Camera Units. He went from there to Barksdale Air Field in Louisiana for additional training. He arrived in England on or about 1 June 1943.
I've been trying to find out what Bomb Squadron or Squadrons he was assigned to. My problem is I'm not really sure how the whole process worked. Did the aerial photographers become part of the Bomb Squadron? Or did they belong to a separate group and just assigned to fly with various squadrons? I suspect it is the later. I now they trained to fire side turret guns and did so when necessary, because my cousin was injured on a mission while doing just that. My father and cousin were stationed somewhere near Dunmow and Braintree, Essex, England. I know there where at least five airfields in Essex County, but I'm not sure to which one they were assigned. I know when they first arrived in England they were quartered temporarily at the Hurst Park Race Track. Sorry to be so long winded. I hope someone can help shed some light on the Combat Camera Units. Thank you.

[Slipdigit]

Long winded? Heavens no! That's a lot better than the one sentence "Can you help me find my daddy, he fought in Europe" questions we sometimes get.

This is an interesting set of questions you have posed and I don't know the answer to them myself, but I am willing to bet someone here does or can find what you are looking for.

Do you have any other information, pictures, etc?

Did you do a Google search for any of the phrases (First Motion Picture Unit, Combat Camera Units)? I did and found several web pages that looked to have a good deal of information in them.

[Erich]

Greetings and welcome ! there are a couple of sites dedicated to the PRU blue P-38 recon units on the web, but before a google search please check this site and the links within, join up and you will be most glad you did, as several members of the photo units plus the reps of the units frequent the board on a regular basis.

ArmyAirForces.com

Erich ♫

[krieg]

welcome aboard ron
you will find this a grand place and great people with vast wisdom on ww2
enjoy your stay.. best krieg...

[macrusk]

Welcome to the forum. I look forward to hearing more about your family members experiences as you learn about them.

[Tomcat]

G'day mate oand welcome, the more the merrier.

[Skipper]

Welcome onboard. I'm sure you"ll find some interesting information here.

[Otto]

Welcome Ron, and please never feel as if you are being long winded! We already have a great number of windbags who will out blow you anyday! Good luck in your searches.

[rononeal36]

My thanks to all for the welcome. I appreciate your suggestions. I did try Google, and found some information prior to posting here. I found some information on the FMPU and Combat Camera Units. The CCU portion is pretty sketchy. I've been trying to read my father's WW2 diary. His hand writing was difficult to read. He had to write small due to the page size. He wrote in hurry for obvious reasons. I'm not complaining, I'm proud to have the diary. What a terrific asset. However, it takes some time to decipher. The other problem is that he doesn't mention any outfit information. I assume that service men were admonished not to reveal certain information in letters and diaries. In July 43, he did mention the following places: Earls Colne, Marks Hall, Andrews Airfield, besides Dunmow and Braintree which I mentioned previously. I believe all are in Essex County, England. He mentioned that on July 17, 1943, he photographed an airfield that was being turned over by the 8th AAF to the 9th AAF. This is a clue I haven't pursued yet. It will eliminate an airfield that he might have been stationed at. He always seemed to be going to these places from somewhere else, but never mentions were the somewhere was. Oh, when they first arrived in Essex County they set up shop in the basement of a castle. I don't know how many of those were around. They eventually moved several more times to tents, quonset huts, and trailers. It appears from his writing that the Combat Camera Units were a separate unit that supported a bomb group, maybe more than one. My research indicates that the 381st Bomb Group was stationed at Andrews. Also reading ahead a little, my father went to France in June of 1944 to help photograph what I assume was the invasion of France. That would further indicate that the CCU's were a separate entity. My father, born in 1900, was a WW1 vet and enlisted at age 42 for WW2. He died at age 69, almost 40 years ago. I'm just now trying to figure all this out. Slow, huh? Ron

[Martin Bull]

Hello Ron - and a very warm welcome to the forums !

That's a very interesting and worthwhile project you're doing....

I've only had a little time to go back to my books, but here's what I can come up with so far ( plus a little guesswork ).

Firstly, the places in Essex ( BTW, ''over here" we always just refer to the name, we never say 'Essex County' ) :-

Great Dunmow, Earls Colne and Andrewsfield were actual airfields, Braintree is a nearby medium-sized town and Marks Hall a smaller village. The last two almost certainly would have housed USAAF administrative units.

All three airfields in early 1943 were operating B-26 Marauders under 8th AF control ( Dunmow : 386th BG, Earls Colne : 323rd BG, Andrewsfield : 322nd BG ). Although all three airfields and units were passed to 9th AF during October 1943, on the very date you mention ( July 17th, 1943 ) the 322nd resumed operations from Andrewsfield following a lengthy period of intensive training for medium-level formation attacks.

After transfer to the 9th, these Groups were heavily involved in pre-D-Day precision bombing, as well as post-D-Day attacks on German forces. I've taken the above info from various works by Roger A Freeman and Michael JF Bowyer.

Personally, I think that any research in this area is very worthwhile. The wonderful efforts of the B-17 Groups have really taken the spotlight away from the activities of the B-26 Marauder units ; very little firm information is available.

[Martin Bull]

Just one more thought, re-reading your post. The 'basement of a castle' sounds interesting, but on reflection there are very few 'castles' in Essex and those that remain have been ruined for Centuries.

However, there are many 'stately homes' ( and there were even more in the 1940s ). Most of these were requisitioned by the Armed Forces in WWII and I'd think that your father means one of these. To someone newly-arrived from the USA, these huge old buildings would certainly look like a 'castle'.....

[bigfun]

Hey Ron!!

Welcome! I'll be following this story!! Good to have you here! Thanks for sharing with us!

[rononeal36]

In July of 43, it appears that Marks Hall, Essex, was the HQ for the Eighth AAF. The 9th AAF started its build up about this time and received most of its assets from the 8th army air force. The 9th eventually took over Marks Hall for its HQ's, maybe as early as the end of 1943. The 8th had responsibility for the bombardment of Germany. The 9th was building up to support the Normandy invasion, but assisted the 8th in some ways. In my father's diary, he talks about going to Marks Hall from an airfield where he was working to pick up his mail and equipment. I'm thinking this was his base of operations. From here, he had assignments that took him to various airfields. I expect to find a reference later in my father's diary about having to move his shop to another location. Anyway, in July 43, newly arrived, he talked about setting up shop in the basement of a castle (mansion). My question is would Marks Hall have a castle or mansion at that time? Am I right about the 8th and 9th? Thanks for reading my ramblings. Ron

[rononeal36]

Hi Martin - Most of the actual aircraft activity I've read about so far (Jul & Aug 43) in my father's diary seems to center around Andrews Airfield. He talks about the machine shop making camera mounts for a B-26 stationed at Andrews. Apparently he would install and uninstall the camera mounts in at least two different aircraft as necessary. So based on your input that the 322nd BG flew B-26's, and they were stationed at Andrews, it appears my father flew with 322nd BG. Thank your for comments. Ron

[Martin Bull]

Originally Posted by rononeal36

My question is would Marks Hall have a castle or mansion at that time? Am I right about the 8th and 9th?

Well, even I learn something every day .... take a virtual stroll through this website !

Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum

[rononeal36]

Hi Martin,
the link you provided was indeed interesting. Thank you for that. I guess I should have known the word “Hall” in Marks Hall indicated it was a mansion. This must have been the building in which my father’s unit set up their basement shop. As an aside, it was interesting to read about Flight Officer Rosemary Britton who stowed away on a glider and became the only female participant of the ‘crossing of the Rhine’. Good for her. It would be interesting to know more about her. She probably paid a big price for this distinction.
I’ve learned a little bit more about Combat Camera Units. In Feb 1942, the Adjutant General of the Army issued a directive proposing a motion picture unit using the best talent Hollywood had to offer. An idea apparently suggested by Henry “Hap” Arnold, the first and only General of the USAAF. This unit was to exclusively support the USAAF. Jack Warner and Owen Crump (a film writer) flew to Washington, DC, at the request of Hap Arnold. Warner returned a Lt. Colonel and Crump a Captain. The unit was to make recruitment, training, public relations, documentary, propaganda, and combat films. Crump’s first assignment was to make the recruitment movie Winning Your Wings. It was completed in just 18 days and was apparently a huge success. Warner then gave Crump the job of bringing the First Motion Picture Unit (FMPU) up to strength. Men were recruited from all the major motion picture studios. My father worked at Warner Bros.
The FMPU, also known as the 18th Air Force Base Unit of the USAAF, was first housed in the old Vitagraph Studio in East Hollywood, California. It rapidly became over crowded and was moved into the larger, but still overcrowded, Hal Roach Studio in Culver City. The Hal Roach Studio, later known as Fort Roach, was were films were made and men trained. Eventually, some of the men were broken up into Combat Camera Units. In my father’s case, he was assigned to Combat Camera Unit “F”. This was later to become the 8th Combat Camera Unit. This unit was detached from the FMPU and sent to England were they arrived on 31 May 1943. It appears that Combat Camera Units were dispatched to various theaters of operation.
I’m now researching their exploits in England.

[dgmitchell]

Ron -- You might also try exploring the website for the International Combat Camera Association (link below) or contacting them. They appear to be a well organized group.

International Combat Camera Association