I was reading my new "National D-Day Museum Newsletter" today and found a great little article on a guy named Rueben Weiner who jumped with the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day as a combat photographer.
Below is most of the articles text as it was written...
After Pearl Harbor he decided to enlist with the U.S. Army and because of his pre-war professional photography skills he volunteered to work for the Signal Corps.
He was sent to basic training at Camp Crowder in Missouri where he was taught the same basic training as any infantry rifleman. After completing basic, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston, TX. with the 165th Signal Company as a photographer.
In 1944, the 165th received orders to transfer to England to join in the build-up for D-Day. It was here that Mr. Weiner volunteered to be attached to the 82nd Airborne Division for the upcoming Normandy invasion. He attended accelerated jump school and learned the basics of being an Army parachutist. He was then attached to the 508th Parachute Reg./82nd Airborne Division.
During the pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944, Weiner jumped from a C-47 as part of a stick of paratroopers from Regimental Headquarters Company of the 508th PIR. He carried with him a still camera and a motion picture camera in two large canvas bags. Although his planeload of paratroopers was suppose to land near Picauville, they landed instead far north of the village of Ste.-Mere-Eglise. Shortly after sunrise on D-Day, they entered a little town called St. Marcouf, at which time Mr. Weiner shot some of the most amazing photographs of the Normandy cammpaign. In the days that followed he shot both stills and motion picture at such places as Utah Beach and Chef du Pont. On June 10th (D+4), he filmed the hulks of three knocked-out German tanks at La Fiere.
Thanks to Mr. Weiner and other cameramen of the 165th Signal Company, we have images today of D-Day and some of the other historically signficant battles fought in Europe during WWII.
I never new any combat photographers jumped during the D-Day invasion. Pretty cool little article I thought y'all might enjoy. Could be a bash in the making if I can find one of these motion picture cameras.
Kyle
Below is most of the articles text as it was written...
After Pearl Harbor he decided to enlist with the U.S. Army and because of his pre-war professional photography skills he volunteered to work for the Signal Corps.
He was sent to basic training at Camp Crowder in Missouri where he was taught the same basic training as any infantry rifleman. After completing basic, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston, TX. with the 165th Signal Company as a photographer.
In 1944, the 165th received orders to transfer to England to join in the build-up for D-Day. It was here that Mr. Weiner volunteered to be attached to the 82nd Airborne Division for the upcoming Normandy invasion. He attended accelerated jump school and learned the basics of being an Army parachutist. He was then attached to the 508th Parachute Reg./82nd Airborne Division.
During the pre-dawn hours of June 6, 1944, Weiner jumped from a C-47 as part of a stick of paratroopers from Regimental Headquarters Company of the 508th PIR. He carried with him a still camera and a motion picture camera in two large canvas bags. Although his planeload of paratroopers was suppose to land near Picauville, they landed instead far north of the village of Ste.-Mere-Eglise. Shortly after sunrise on D-Day, they entered a little town called St. Marcouf, at which time Mr. Weiner shot some of the most amazing photographs of the Normandy cammpaign. In the days that followed he shot both stills and motion picture at such places as Utah Beach and Chef du Pont. On June 10th (D+4), he filmed the hulks of three knocked-out German tanks at La Fiere.
Thanks to Mr. Weiner and other cameramen of the 165th Signal Company, we have images today of D-Day and some of the other historically signficant battles fought in Europe during WWII.
I never new any combat photographers jumped during the D-Day invasion. Pretty cool little article I thought y'all might enjoy. Could be a bash in the making if I can find one of these motion picture cameras.
Kyle
