New WWII oral history youtube channel: 509th, 517th, 551st, FSSF in southern France.

[Jean-Loup]

In 2014, I published an oral history book called "Autopsy of a Battle", about the liberation of the French Riviera by US paratrooper units and the FSSF in August 1944. I interviewed many veterans for the book, and recorded their stories on audio tapes that were sitting in a cupboard for all these years. I have recently found out how to digitilize the audio tapes, so in the next months will be putting them all online on a new youtube channel I opened for the purpose called "CrocodileTear Oral History Bank".

I will put online the full unedited interviews, and also some "short" videos and edited versions of more interesting interviews. I will put the very best interviews on my regular youtube channel as well. 

Here are some of the interviews I have put online so far.

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

This is an example of edited interview that is very good, so I have put it on my normal channel

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

And here an example of "short" video, based on a particularly interesting statement made during an interview: in this case, the famous lack of "knock down power" of the M1 carbine

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

Also very interesting to hear veterans talk about doing things that "no soldier would ever do", such as throwing away his rifle in combat.

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

I have about 150 tapes in English, French and German that I will be digitilazing over the next months/years and adding to this new channel.

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

 

[Jean-Loup]

 

[Jean-Loup]

 

[Jean-Loup]

Thomas McAvoy, of the 517th PIR, broke his back on landing, and spent 5 days being hidding behind the lines, being taken care of by the local French.

 

 

 

John DeVanie was a Pathfinder with the 509th PIB, but they were dropped completely off target so never had a chance to complete their mission. He was severely wounded after 6 days in action and spent 13 months in hospital.

 

 

 

 

Lt Justin McCarthy was in the 509th and led the troops into St Tropez, where they had been misdropped.

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

Also a few short extracts:

 

 

 

 

[Jean-Loup]

Here is a short one from the graves registrations