ISU Library Shelley Collection: Box 8, Reel 8

NBC that was the first of my two formative record house number two will come up in ten seconds from now this is Jeff Shelly WH OHS war correspondent broadcasting again from somewhere in Holland there's a sort of fight Showalter here the clearly suffered from and yet directly related to the band and shell that's the war propaganda which both fires away John soothingly but which very rarely making a hotline the chief object of the war propaganda as it's played on up in the frontline areas of the Western Front it's a great it's not a suction among the troops of the enemy to lower their morale to persuade them to surrender instead of siding with all their strength both the Germans and the Allies devote a great deal of time and forth to this sort of effort propaganda leaflets are coward over the enemy lines on 320 kg from low-flying planes or from artillery shells which have been loaded with templates instead of explosives and both sides on some occasions have brought up loudspeakers to the very far angel at the enemy line and bombarded the opposition combat troops with broadcast urging them to give up the Germans officially tried to sweeten up these loudspeaker broadcasts with recordings of American popular music you'll retire the public support not too long ago along with the American singer Dinah Shore sang by loudspeaker the German troops as part of the same time to differ but the propaganda leaflets are still the most widely employed efforts and one of the most common techniques of the Germany is an attempt to Swift Elias that of course has always been a cardinal objective of monkey propaganda the make America Britain and Russia distrust each other and start quarreling among themselves with all her examples of this sort of thing but I ran into one of the most interesting cases the other day I call copy of German propaganda leaflets printed in the Russian language and obviously intended for use on the Eastern Front but somehow the Nazis add up in their signal switch and these Russian language leaflets were dropped over the American line incidentally that was a double mistake American troops not only couldn't read them but got a tremendous kick out of making jokes about how the Germans must be expecting the Russians to be clear over on the Western Front and joining up with us any day now but iPhone in mistranslation of one of these Nazi propaganda leaflets president Russian it was interesting to see how the Germans tried a frightening the Soviets with bogey tales about Griffin and America just as much as dr. Goebbels tries to Sanger his stories about the horrible Menace of Russian Bolshevism addressed to Russian soldier leaders declared Britain and America were just using Russia as a tool that as soon as we cleaned up Japan in the Pacific we might come home Russia and show what the German propaganda called our capitalistic desires but to show how Nazi propaganda riders fell another stroyed of British and American troops here's an example from the leaflet recently dropped over our lines on one side of the page was a very well reproduced photograph of three members of the American Olympic team which competed in Berlin before the war the caption asked do you remember the Olympic Games in Berlin on the other side there was a long harangue charging that while all the other leading nations took part in the Olympic Games the Russians were too busy building up their army this tide of thought from the Germans who were secretly forming a new army of conquest long before the diplomats of the world has a vision to see it is about the last thing in the world that would make any impression on Allied poop but in spite of that the second great keynote of German propaganda leaflets these days and a note they play louder and louder as complete defeat gets closer is the old old story that the Germans are peace-loving people who never met anybody any harm and didn't want the sample war at all many of the Panthers go to great lengths to tell American troops they're guilty of unscrupulous bombing and artillery showing this from the people who massacred Belgian civilians it's tavolo and who killed in cold blood more than a hundred American prisoners near mama D but I think the most shameless piece of hypocritical propaganda I've yet seen is the Lisa that picked up the other day on the 9th army front in Germany a great twenty copies had been scattered in the town of Brooklyn just before our troops marched in to find the Germans that fled without a fight this propaganda sheet was entitled a prayer for soldiers and the tide had been set up in the form of a cross I want you to hear some of the word but not the author of that prayer tried to put into the mouths of American soldiers I beg of thee to judge my soul with mercy the so called prayer rung I know I am just about to sin against thy most sacred cement man thou shalt not kill then it goes on as follows I was always opposed to war I didn't even want to become a soldier but I was too weak to resist the murderous pall of my government I am merely a victim of those who willfully betrayed me and by name and then in his closing passage this Nazi propaganda prayer intended for American soldiers closes with this tear-jerking praised I reproach myself for having murdered innocent German people who never had the intention of invading my country or doing me or my folks any harm on board when American soldiers in rockland the other day picked up those leaflets and read that sentence they thought of Belgium and Poland and France and Holland in Norway and Greece and Yugoslavia and all the rest then they threw the Nazi scraps of paper away and moved on deeper into Germany the men who write that stuff may not be safe much longer this is Jack Shelley with the 9th US Army in Holland I return you to Des Moines okay now I didn't mean to rush you but I can't hear more than about one word out of every three you say so I had to kind of guess what the situation was oh I'm going ahead now if it's okay with you in ten seconds from now hello WH oh this is Jack Kelly reporting again from somewhere in the holidays down on the snow-covered ridges of the Ardennes where the whole world seems composed of nothing but white slow and silent cold forces of the Empire towards the Siegfried line the 1st Infantry Division the famous fighting 1st and other infantry elements are switching to snow this often up to the width of the foot soldiers vlogging ahead toward the German border international signalizes the end of the famous battle of the bows between the struggle in which the live troops first halt of the great German breakthrough drive in 2000 and then slowly pushed it back in some of the most difficult winter fighting any war has ever seen now to all intents and purposes the Bose has been wiped out and ahead of us lies a part of Germany which has never been penetrated that meets with any force were talking about by American troops now First Division Headquarters the other day I talked to Brigadier General Chris Andres the new commander of the 1st only a few years ago was stationed at Fort Des Moines Iowa and who indicated station waho was an old familiar voice to him I also talked to other staff officers in the 1st division and they gave me a picture of the recent operations which brought them to their present positions a picture in other words the water mothers of the final wiping out of the Nazi bows in the northern sector the 5th division has been putting steadily down in that area rustling north and east and fan miss Belgium for the last two weeks and they started pushing after they had spent the earlier weeks of the Battle of the VOAD in holding the followed the against German attack that tried to break through northern defense line it's been a long hard city's fight but the first division is used to that in the approximately eight months three days the first has been completely out of the line only about each please during last two weeks the division has advanced about eight miles through the snow in the same amount of time it's taken 1700 German prisoners killed about 2,000 Nazis and loaded another thousand at least since d-day the first has now taken a total of almost 34,000 enemy prisoners and it's normal okay a secret the such a figure is over twice as large as the divisions own strength and in the early stages of the last two weeks of fighting the first had to crash through a strong Nazi line carefully established on high ground the Germans had taken their time about during this line while their breakthrough drive was at its height it seems pretty clear they intended to make it the point where they would stop any American powder drive from the north they set up the elaborate defences a barbed wire they dug into the frozen earth and made large powerful strong points they did everything they could to make the line too tough to break but the first division broken since then they've switched on steadily not in spectacular rushes because you don't make quitting games when you have to struggle through snow or so deep but every few minutes the lead man in a column has to fall back and let somebody else take up the exhausting work of breaking a trail through the drift nobody's in the particle limited they buy they advances the other day when I was down there for example they took four more town and gained up to 3,000 yards with moderate chocolate maybe those figures being puny compared to the story from the Russian armies nowadays but if you add up these small advances over a period of days they evolved to something and they keep the pressure on the German at a time what is much more many of these first division games have been made by a night attack but then jump off under cover of darkness without any advanced artillery bombardment most of the time because the artillery would alert the Germans to the fact the infantry was coming the foot soldiers many of them clad in white move silently through the snow into a German citizen and many times they're virtually on top of the enemy before he knows they've come then there's a hard savage man-to-man fight with plenty of bayonet work and the jury doesn't like to feel as for the infantry of the first division they prefer this type of night attack they say it seems American lie as many times because by the time the German knows what's up it's too late for him to spray our columns with artillery and mortar fire and as one of staff officers our first said in that kind of action the fight becomes a matter of one infantryman against another and there's never been any question in our minds he said calmly about who is the better man the first division is salt that way all through this war from Africa to friends Belgium and Germany every day with precious little wrists they keep on proving they are the better men this is Jack Kelly saying goodbye again from Holland I return you to Des Moines all right in DC that was number one of these two recordings if you're still okay at that end I'll come up with number two in ten seconds from now this is Jeff Kelly calling WH o again from somewhere in Holland the grief dominating feature of war on the Western Front for the last month or more has been the weather without question this winter must be the most severe this part of Europe is seen for a good many years Belgians tell me the snow that's blanketed their country mounting up to staggering drifts in the battle area to the our den is the heaviest they'd seen with in recent memory over in Britain published report safe than the coldest winter in 50 years indeed the situation must be almost global in scope or I understand you back in the seat I've had plenty of real weather too certainly you can't escape noticing the weather when you put out of the yard in fighting fraud in Belgium I wrote the other day for three hours when open beep on my way to visit the First Division getting over slippery roads between banks of snow almost as high as a man's head every few miles a tank or a truck will be partially blocking the road after sliding into the ditch it's fun in literally fairies with snow wrecker trucks with powerful winches or other tanks with tow cables would have to pull the moat while the traffic piled up and waited to the forest north of Saint Vyas there's no hunger so heavily on the pine trees that it almost looked as though someone had poured tons of marshmallow clip on their branches it seemed almost semi-liquid as if it is gripped slowly and huge white blobs from branch to branch for many of the trees the weight of the smothering snow was too much to bear they were bent over under the burden it snow laden peaks at some of the pines were nodding the silently they reminded you of a woman all in the white her head bowed in prayer when I got to the front I saw some cleat me frozen my feet were like lumps of ice and yet out there that wasted snow Americans or boys have been living for weeks without being inside a building so much is a few minutes at a time not all a living but having to fight as well you wonder what was that NBC I didn't get it that's the end of my two reporting's NBC did you get them and are they usable please yes fine fine it's the doggone hard to hear you at this end but I can't imagine how you could have gotten this but they're all right up fine many thanks and goodbye hello wh oh this is Jack Shelley broadcasting once again from a b-29 bomber base somewhere on Guam once again I'm interviewing several high-level members of the 314 Bomb Wing men who have taken part in many flights over Japanese territory and they're going to start talking to them right away with first men to be heard from being flight officer Cecil our Western reservoir Iowa after Western what's your particular job on the b-29 when you're going on a mission you're a navigator and how many missions you get had over Japan only six I'm pretty new at you're pretty new at it well I think if I'd had six missions over Japan I'd feel like I'd had quite a few and I know that the only reason you don't feel so is that there are perhaps a number of others around here who have had quite a few more how do you find those missions over Japan the opposition is still pretty heavy Wow we've only had a couple of targets where the opposition was just fair to medium ID have you encountered any particular number of Japanese fighter planes in any of those six missions of yours I've seen some but no made passes at it okay do you find that that's a pretty hard navigation is problem a long flight of that kind yes 15 hours is a long time 15 hours on the average flight to a Japanese target right and I suppose that quite a bit of responsibility falls on your shoulders and seeing to it that you come back and get this little pinpoint Wow they've made things very thoughtful but it's still a lot of ways still a lot of work by the way what are your parents names back there in Iowa mr. and mrs. John Hay Westerner griswold how long has it been since you've seen them I seen him in May in there well I know that they're going to be listening to this broadcast and I know also that they'll be mighty happy to hear your voice again and to hear me say the same thing about you that's true of all these boys I'm interviewing that you look fine and you're mighty good spirit all right thanks to you flight officer Cecil our Western of wizard Iowa next man is right officer radon e Simpson seater for an hour now I wonder if right officer Simpson if you'd tell me what is your job in the b-29 flights over Japan engineer just what is a job of a flight engineer on a mission of that kind well his job is to detect the airplane and weight and balance before takeoff and then would you cereal consumption setup powers and so forth make sure you got enough gas when you get back to Guam little bit important isn't it to know that you've got enough gas when you get back here well it is we have a photo station Midway no we didn't used to have but nevertheless while we don't like to stop much we have to when you refer to that place I suppose you're referring to one of the islands we've recently taken in the Pacific that is right and which one would that be I mean that would be evil Iwo Jima and good money b-29s of fun but a mighty helpful spot on the way back from Tokyo or some other Japanese target haven't they that's right good many of them believe that you had a job back there in Iowa before you came into the air forces which was connected with Iowa State Teachers College is that right that's right what was your particular duties there all right take care of the rough like field sergeant a polite field at the college how long did you work unless the passive had about three years you're pretty clear that or a State Teachers College ascetic oh my shoes last I'm not the last the last four years I've been able to keep track of the way the teams are doing that's right do you have a family back there and I'll I have a wife and where is she living at Cedar Falls Roxy I think I know that you'd be glad to hear from you by the way I think it's not out of place to tell our listeners that just let officer Simpson most of the other b-29 boys we've been talking to and you've been married quite a lot longer than most of them how long have you been married Oh twenty years coming up in March twenty years coming up in March well I know that your route for in Cedar Falls is gonna be grant to be able to hear your voice through this interviews and we want to say it thanks a lot to you flight officer rate in East Simpson of Peter Falls and now coming up to the microphone next is staff sergeant Reyes McCaslin who lives in Des Moines Iowa what's your speed of life they're in demand 614 driver 600 Fulton Drive what's your job were to be 29 I'm a goner sir you're a gunner and how many flights have you had over Japanese territory when I fell under Baker 27 and you've only got about eight my missions to do that's right sir how do you find these missions in the last few weeks are they getting a little easier definitely much easier much fighter playing opposition not a whole lot now I think as a gunner have you a half an opportunity to take a crack at some of the company's fighters I don't give us too much time at all you don't with another word see very many more right we generally gonna look at them but most of the phone they're not very there to come and close to us have you had a chance to shoot down any yourself I had a chance but I didn't get him that well he is a little bit too fast there was an old attack and I only had a fraction of a second before at him I mean Holly come anomie got the 20 in there us and went on by before I could get land up on him I think if you got back alright didn't do it after least you're here and looking very healthy on the occasion this interview I believe so sergeant McLoughlin that you've got a family barber in Des Moines haven't you yeah sir my wife and daughter there and they are living at the address that you gave at 600 fill them Drive yeah sure that's right and I know that you're quite eager to let them know that you're feeling around sir I am or I can tell them that he certainly looks fine and we're mighty glad to have had the opportunity to bring his voice into this interview our thanks to You sergeant Reyes McCaslin of 615 drive in Des Moines and our thanks for her sort of a lot of the Iowa men at the front of this interview this is Josh ollie returning you once again to WH ol in Des Moines hello wh Oh this is Jack Shelly broadcasting once again from a b-29 bomber base somewhere on Guam once again I'm interviewing several viable members of the 314 Bomb Wing men who have taken part in many flights over Japanese territory and they're going to start talking to them right away with first men to be heard from being flight officer Cecil our western Iowa right after Westen what's your particulars Rob on the b-29 when you're going on a mission navigator do a navigator and how many missions you get had over Japan only six I'm pretty new at you're pretty new at it well I think if I had had six missions over Japan I feel like I'd had quite a few and I know that the only reason you don't feel so is that there are perhaps a number of others around here who have had quite a few more how do you find those missions over Japan the opposition is still pretty heavy Wow we've only had a couple of targets where the opposition was just fair to medium I see have you encountered any particular number of Japanese fighter planes in any of those six missions of yours but made passes at it okay do you find that that's a pretty hard navigation is problem a long flight about time yes 15 hours is a long time 15 hours on the average flight to a Japanese target right and I suppose that quite a bit of responsibility falls on your shoulders and seeing to it that you come back and it's the citizens right Wow they've made things very thoughtful but it's still a lot of ways do a lot of work by the way what are your parents names back there in Iowa mr. and mrs. John Hay Weston knew Griswold how long has it been since you've seen them I've seen him in May in there well I know that there are going to be listening to this broadcast and I know or so that they'll be mighty happy to hear your voice again and to hear me say the same thing about you that's true of all these boys I'm interviewing that you look fine and you're mighty good spirits are thanks to you flight officer Cecil our Western a grizzled Iowa now the next man is flight officer radon e Simpson a seater for over an hour now I wonder if right officer Simpson if you'd tell me what is your job in the b-29 flights over Japan engineer just what is the job of a flight engineer on a mission of that kind well his job is to detect the airplane and white balance before takeoff and then GT and consumption setup powers and so forth make sure you got enough gas when you get back to Guam little bit important isn't it to know that you've got enough gas when you get back here well it is we have a photo station Midway now we didn't used to have but nevertheless while we don't like to stop must we have to when you refer to that place I suppose you're referring to one of the islands we've recently taken in the Pacific that is right and which one would that be I mean that would be evil Iwo Jima and good many b-29s of fun but mighty helpful spot on the way back from Tokyo or some other Japanese target haven't they that's right many of them believe that you had a job back there in Iowa before you came into the air forces which was connected with Iowa State Teachers College is that right that's right what was your particular duties there all right take care of athletic field charge the athletic field at the college how long did you work and that's the fact of had about three years does result you're pretty clear that or a State Teachers College Athletic well mostly it was last out not the last last two or three years I've been able to keep track of the way the teams are doing that's right do you have a family back there at Iowa I have a wife and where is she living Cedar Falls Rafi I think I know that you'd be glad to hear from you by the way I think it's not out of place to tell our listeners that threat officer Simpson just a little bit older than most of the other b-29 boys we've been talking to and you've been married quite a lot longer than most of them how long have you been married Wow twenty years coming up in March twenty years coming up in March well I know that you're a lifer in Cedar Falls is going to be glad to be able to hear your voice through this interview and we want to say thanks a lot to you flight officer Raylan East Simpson of Peter Falls and now coming up to the microphone next is Staff Sergeant ray s McCaslin who lives in Des Moines Iowa what's your feet of death there and demand 604 contractor 600 Fulton Drive what's your job with the b-29 I'm a goner sir you're a gunner and how many flights have you had over Japanese territory 27 to nature 27 and you've only got about eight more missions to do that's right sir how do you find these missions in the last few weeks are they getting a little easier definitely much easier much fighter plane opposition not a whole lot now I see as a gunner have you an opportunity to take a crack at some of the companies fighters I don't give us too much chance at all you don't with another word see very many more all right we gently got a look at them but most of the phone they're not very eager to come and close to us have you had a chance to shoot down into yourself oh I have a tank but I didn't get in that well Holly is a little bit too fast there was a nose attacked and I only had a fraction of a second a fire at him I mean Holly come in on me drop the twenty in the US and went on by before I could get land up on it I think if you got back all I didn't do after least you're here and looking very healthy on the occasion this interview I believe fair sergeant McLoughlin that you've got a family barber in Des Moines haven't you yeah sir my wife and daughter there and they are living at the address that you gave at 600 for them drive laughter that's right and I know that you're quite eager to let them know if you're feeling all around yes sir I am well I can tell them that he certainly looks fine and we're mighty glad to have had the opportunity to bring his voice into this interview thanks to You staff sergeant Reyes McCaslin of 615 drives in Des Moines and our thanks for her so to the left of the aisle men at the front of this interview this is Josh olive returning you once again to WH o in Des Moines