World War 2 guidelines for destroying a camera

[Joe Christofori]

Can anyone tell me which Camera handbook had the list of ways to destroy camera gear in the back?

 

It was there kind of as a joke obviously, but it was genuine.

 

It had a list of ways to render gear useles so it wouldnt end up in enemy hands.

[Mitch Gross]

I'm pretty sure that was the old Verne Carlson book.

[John Sprung]

There are basically three different levels to which you might want to destroy your own stuff during a war:

 

1. Make it unusable so the enemy can't use it against you.

2. Make it impossible to reverse engineer and use the design against you.

3. Make it so unrecognizable that they don't even find out that you have a secret technology.

 

The early radar IFF's were only flown over Britain and the channel for reason #3, and the German U-boat crews were supposed to destroy their Enigma machines and code books.

 

But camera gear? The Germans had Eyemo's before the war, Reifenstahl used them for the Olympics. They also by 1938 had the Arri Model I, which was a better camera. Perhaps it was mostly a concern in the Pacific. I don't know what kind of cameras the Japanese used.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Joe Christofori]

I understand why it was there, it was just a great descriptive list of things to do that goes against everything a camera person should do, and I found it very amusing and have been trying to find a copy for a couple of years now, it finally occurred to ask here.

 

thanks guys

 

 

There are basically three different levels to which you might want to destroy your own stuff during a war:

 

1. Make it unusable so the enemy can't use it against you.

2. Make it impossible to reverse engineer and use the design against you.

3. Make it so unrecognizable that they don't even find out that you have a secret technology.

 

The early radar IFF's were only flown over Britain and the channel for reason #3, and the German U-boat crews were supposed to destroy their Enigma machines and code books.

 

But camera gear? The Germans had Eyemo's before the war, Reifenstahl used them for the Olympics. They also by 1938 had the Arri Model I, which was a better camera. Perhaps it was mostly a concern in the Pacific. I don't know what kind of cameras the Japanese used.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

Edited May 5, 2008 by Joe Christofori

[Patrick Neary]

Hi-

 

I don't see any reference in the Carlson book, but page V of the manual for my Mitchell GC has a list of horrible things you can do to the camera if things go to hell in a handbasket, including the use of explosives... When I have a few more minutes, I'll copy it down and post here as a public service :)

[Paul Bruening]

I don't know, guys. These Mitchells are pretty tough. I don't think explosives will be enough. What volcanoes are still active?

[Guest Glen Alexander]

Sometimes gear is intentionally left on the battlefield for the others to find, other times if it is too sensitive, the spooks will go and track it down or they will send in air strike, missile, or B52 to obliterate it. This wouldn't necessarily stop someone from putting pieces backtogether, but take much longer to piece together and/or change codes.

 

Best way to get rid of a camera, just like on that set with the Anton, run over it with a tank. :lol:

[Mitch Gross]

Sometimes gear is intentionally left on the battlefield for the others to find, other times if it is too sensitive, the spooks will go and track it down or they will send in air strike, missile, or B52 to obliterate it. This wouldn't necessarily stop someone from putting pieces backtogether, but take much longer to piece together and/or change codes.

 

Best way to get rid of a camera, just like on that set with the Anton, run over it with a tank. :lol:

Somewhere I have a photo of the A-minima that was run over by the tank on "Iron Man." It was just, well, it looked exactly what you would think an A-minima run over by a tank would look like.

 

I have the book at home which has the destroy camera instructions. I'm on the road right now but will try to locate it when I get back. If it wasn't the Carlson book then it must have been the Samuelson book. Very long time ago.

[Karel Bata]

Motion Picture Camera and Lighting Equipment (Media Manuals) (Paperback)

by David W. Samuelson (Author)

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motion-Picture-Lig...1113&sr=8-8

 

 

;)

[Joe Christofori]

Special Thanks to Patrick Neary

 

Hi Everyone-

 

Riffing on a previous post: Here, provided as a public service, are verbatim instructions on how to destroy your gear (what was in this case probably a really nice Mitchell GC)

 

War Department Technical Manual TM 11-2386

CAMERA

PH-274

[Mitchell GC]

 

DESTRUCTION NOTICE

 

WHY- To prevent the enemy from using or salvaging this equipment for his benefit.

WHEN- When ordered by your commander.

HOW-

1. Smash- Use sledges, axes, handaxes, pickaxes, hammers, crowbars,heavy tools.

2. Cut- Use axes, handaxes, machetes.

3. Burn- Use gasoline, kerosene, oil, flame throwers, incendiary grenades.

4. Explosives- Use firearms, grenades, TNT.

5. Disposal- Bury in slit trenches, fox holes, other holes. Throw in streams, scatter.

 

USE ANYTHING IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR DESTRUCTION OF THIS EQUIPMENT.

 

WHAT-

1. Smash- All lenses, batteries, sunshade and matte box, viewfinder, cases, magazines, and the motor.

2. Cut- All cords and connections, straps, and belts.

3. Burn- All film, tripods, triangle, barney, fabric cover, changing bag, and this manual.

4. Bend- All reels and cans.

5. Bury or scatter- All that remains.

 

DESTROY EVERYTHING

 

OK now go to it!

[Guest Glen Alexander]

Somewhere I have a photo of the A-minima that was run over by the tank on "Iron Man." It was just, well, it looked exactly what you would think an A-minima run over by a tank would look like.

 

I have the book at home which has the destroy camera instructions. I'm on the road right now but will try to locate it when I get back. If it wasn't the Carlson book then it must have been the Samuelson book. Very long time ago.

 

 

I'd like to see that photo :lol:

[Leo Anthony Vale]

I'd like to see that photo :lol:

 

I've seen photos of a BNC and a Mk II that were run over by a train that jumped the tracks in 'The Train'. It was in a book about Frankenheimer, can't recall which.

 

The train wasn't suppossed to jump the tracks. All of the cameras, except for an Arri buried under the tracks, were wiped out. The Arri was placed there as an after thought because it was an extra camera.

So that's the shot that was used in the film. A german in a caboose opens the door and sees another train about to smash into him.

[Mitch Gross]

For years Birns & Sawyer (a camera house in LA) had an Eyemo on display from WW2. The story was that the camera had taken a bullet, saving the cameraman's life. It sure looked like a bullet hole, and those Eyemos were built like tanks. I love the little a-minima, but I don't think it would save me from much more than a BB-gun!

[Roger Hawkins]

For years Birns & Sawyer (a camera house in LA) had an Eyemo on display from WW2. The story was that the camera had taken a bullet, saving the cameraman's life. It sure looked like a bullet hole, and those Eyemos were built like tanks. I love the little a-minima, but I don't think it would save me from much more than a BB-gun!

 

Cpl William Perkins USMC was the only cameraman up to the end of the Vietnam war to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He threw himself on a grenade while holding his Bell and Howell 16mm Filmo. Neither survived. The Eyemo was still being used during the early part of the war.

 

I used a filmo in Vietnam to shoot footage later used in the History Channel Suicide Missions series: MACV/SOG Vietnam and Mike Force Vietnam. Also Discovery Channel Wings: Dustoff - Helicopter Ambulances over Vietnam

[Jim Hyslop]

Can anyone tell me which Camera handbook had the list of ways to destroy camera gear in the back?

Well, I don't know about that, but I do know for my first production class, we used Bell & Howell 16mm cameras. Rumour had it that the model was used in WWII, and the combat soldiers' instructions were that if they ran out of ammo, they were supposed to throw the camera at the enemy.

 

--

Jim

[Simon Wyss]

Best way to destroy a camera is to leave it to the public for a week at an exposition

[John Sprung]

I used a filmo in Vietnam to shoot footage later used in the History Channel Suicide Missions series: MACV/SOG Vietnam and Mike Force Vietnam. Also Discovery Channel Wings: Dustoff - Helicopter Ambulances over Vietnam

 

I remember Daniel Martinez on the History channel saying that there's only one 100 ft. roll of film of D-Day morning on Omaha beach. What happened is that they gathered up all the exposed film, and the guy taking it out to a ship lost it all overboard -- all except for one roll that was shot by a Sgt. Taylor. Taylor was wounded and later evacuated, but never let go of his eyemo.

 

 

 

-- J.S.