Gotta watch this: US Army Salvage Teams at work

U.S Armed Forces salvage and reclamation activities during World War II. This film shows the lengths that the US Army went to, to recover, salvage and recycle it’s war machines, clothing and equipment. Everything they could recover was recycled in some shape or form. B-24′s were made in to mess tins, tents were recycled, tanks were rebuilt and sent back to the front lines. Clothing that was too damaged to be repaired was shredded and was made again into yarn in France.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GUo5VD3DThc#!

 

Have never seen that particular film, thanks. Was aware of salvage, just not the extent it was carried out . Salvaged Abrams tanks are stripped down at Anniston , Alabama , USA, prior to being upgraded and rebuilt and a train carrying hulls and turrets came through our town a few years ago, cannot figure out why through here.

Gaines

 

Great vid.

I wonder how much material was left behind when they wrapped up operations and where these salvage depots were located.

 

There was one depot...storage and salvage, left on an old RAF base near me...RAF Honeybourne...Now a Unipart parts and other small industrial warehouse type place....Lots of it still there into fiftiees....Utility type stuff rather than Tanks or aircraft...Fridges, freezes...Houseware and that kind of stuff....Big case in the News of the world at the time when guards turned a blind eye to stealing and a small industry came out of smuggling the stuff out. Some British officers and American counterparts lost their careers over it i believe.