How to Destroy Your Precious Camera

[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]

Or, simply hand it off to a graduate of a Jimmy Petula training program.

 

R,

[Guest Billy Furnett]

With the cameras made these days, I think it would say: ?If it isn?t already broken, just drop it, it?s obsolete anyways.?

Edited May 7, 2008 by Billy Furnett

[James Steven Beverly]

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!

 

Actually, I don't think this was a joke guys. I think they were deadass serious about destroying movie cameras before allowing them to be captured. Suppose you're a soldier and you've been filming American troops and instillations or equipment when your front lines suddenly and unexpectedly get over ran, The enemy finds your camera, develops the film and uses the information you've documented to plan an attack OR picks up your camera from the field and uses it to secretly film your troops and encampments then brings it back to his command where the film is developed and the information is again used against you. The Army would rather destroy equipment than let it fall into enemy hands, that's basic military strategy. Scorched earth, never let your enemy have something they can use against you. It's how the Russians defeated Napoleon by burning their fields and food stocks as they retreated. The Russian winter did the rest. B)

Edited May 7, 2008 by James Steven Beverly

[Freya Black]

Actually, I don't think this was a joke guys. I think they were deadass serious about destroying movie cameras before allowing them to be captured. Suppose you're a soldier and you've been filming American troops and instillations or equipment when your front lines suddenly and unexpectedly get over ran, The enemy finds your camera, develops the film and uses the information you've documented to plan an attack OR picks up your camera from the field and uses it to secretly film your troops and encampments then brings it back to his command where the film is developed and the information is again used against you. The Army would rather destroy equipment than let it fall into enemy hands, that's basic military strategy. Scorched earth, never let your enemy have something they can use against you. It's how the Russians defeated Napoleon by burning their fields and food stocks as they retreated. The Russian winter did the rest. B)

 

I think people know it's serious but they are having some amusement about the way it is written or perhaps even the whole idea of it!

 

The thing is tho, they could just destroy the film really. I mean the russians would have fantastic problems getting hold of any more film and without the film, the camera is just a rather large metal club, or maybe that is what the concern was about! I expect the Russians had plenty of cameras of their own anyway, probably more than they could use.

 

Knowing the russians they might be able to salvage the metal from the camera and build a tank or something tho, so maybe that would have been a cause for concern.

 

love

 

Freya

Edited May 7, 2008 by Freya Black

[Patrick Neary]

Actually, I don't think this was a joke guys.

 

It's in the technical manual, not a publication known for rampant silliness...

 

I worked for a photo editor once who had watched dozens of brand new Nikon-F cameras and lenses get bulldozed into a mud pit right before he left Vietnam.

[Leo Anthony Vale]

It's in the technical manual, not a publication known for rampant silliness...

 

I worked for a photo editor once who had watched dozens of brand new Nikon-F cameras and lenses get bulldozed into a mud pit right before he left Vietnam.

 

I knew someone, who while in the Air Force, watched screw drivers hammered though Leica lenses.

 

This was not a wartime situation, the cameras were simply being decommissioned.

[Guest Billy Furnett]

Ohhh it wasn?t a joke? Great, there goes the 3rd grade reading comprehension I thought I had finally gained a foothold on!

 

In other misinterpreted scenarios of knee slapping hilarity, I?ve been told that in Viet Nam (Coincidentally, a conflict that has provided me with a lifetime of amusement since my father never really came back from it.) destruction of excess and civilian items at times was also employed so the enemy couldn?t use it against ?us? by way of familiar, valuable or desecrated objects serving as enticing landmine or pungee stick bait. ?This must be my lucky d- ?, has to be a hell of a last thought.

[Joe Christofori]

Excellent, Thats the one.

 

It was no joke, the version I saw was a standing order from the War Department.

It all had to do with the stuff not falling into enemy hands a very standard order for many things, back then.

 

I just thought it was a riot, it is the Anti-Christ of Fauer manuals.