Errors in Military Documentaries

[PZIV]

I just laugh when fellow students bring up some "fact" they hear on TV. I'm by no means an expert yet (age 18; haven't had the time), but I do know exactly what you mean. The worst part is when they try to tell you something is true that is an absurd notion from a movie!

Glad you're emailing the writers of the show. It's tragic to see someones name dragged through the mud.

[Lloyd I.]

Jody - I am glad I am not the only one who has experienced a fair share of frustration with what I consider lazy productions and researchers. Growing up I used to get fairly pissed off at every caption in a US book stating 'Nazi' to anyone from the III.R - "Nazi captain smiles after giving order to kill prisoners" for a Kriegsmarine Leutnant zur See on a Uboat smiling. It's the same level of apathy and laziness. Every tanks a Tiger types.


I have footage posted on youtube of Peiper both at Kursk and during the Malmedy trial to include his examination on the stand. The shot of him at Kursk decorating a young grenadier with the EK II was from the History Channel series on The Hitler Youth but was unused on their Kursk Series. Case in point. This is from the same roll featuring Werner Wolff at Kursk. Yet, the History Channel production on the "Battle of the Bulge" presented no film footage of Peiper other than still photos, including the crossroads scene. NARA and the Russians have the film from the trial at Dachau where it was extensively covered. The Bulge episode did however give me footage of Meyer, Wünsche, Dietrich and Mohnke in Normandy for Mohnke's award of the RK.

Please dont tell anyone the W-SS were anything other than fanatics. Otherwise they will prove the Stars & Stripes and Sgt. Rock wrong. You want to know where it started, look no further than that. The S&S started Tiger mania and they fostered the whole fanatic mantra to the SS. It was to gussy up the troops. Well, what's better. The enemy is human or he is a bastard? Pulp sells or gets results. So do poor productions but then anyone with an off the shelf camera, hand held stedicam from Ebay and off the shelf editor can make a film these days.

[Mark C. Yerger]

If there is one thing I've learned from writing books on the SS and occassionally dealing with the topic in conversation with a layman/TV viewer mentaility:

You can't fix stupid.

[Jan7]

Dear friends:

I'm Juan, from Spain. All you are very lucky in view original versions of documentaries. The translated versions offers in my country in TV by sattelite are in ocassions very poor.....




Jan.

[Jonathan M]

If there is one thing I've learned from writing books on the SS and occassionally dealing with the topic in conversation with a layman/TV viewer mentaility:

You can't fix stupid.

Believe you me Mark, we try very hard at school to do that but some people are beyond redemption

Jonathan

[McCulloh]

What happened to the DDR First World War film footage?

[Jan7]

What happened to the DDR First World War film footage?

Perhaps is here: http://www.deutsche-wochenschau.de/r...&end_year=1944






Jan.

[Paul B]

What happened to the DDR First World War film footage?

About three years ago there was a documentary shown in the UK on the BBC2 channel which outlined the making of "The Great War" in 1964. From memory I recall one of the producers -could have been Tony Essex, or even the historian Corelli Barnett, who cut his teeth writing for the series- talking about how they travelled to East Germany and employed some unorthadox means (money changed hands) to view a particular film archive.

Most of the footage appears in the earlier episodes -I seem to remember a military band wearing M1916 helmets, and some behind-the-lines stuff as well as "life in the trenches" type footage. Anyway, they concluded their reminiscence by saying that since the collapse of communism they'd tried to revisit this archive but "the footage was now lost for good".

Whether this means that the archive still exists, but this film has gone, or both film and archive are no longer in existence, wasn't made clear. Either way, it does show how much WWI footage has potentially been lost over the years.

All the best

Paul.

[Jody]

Errors

Glad you're emailing the writers of the show. It's tragic to see someones name dragged through the mud.

Hi Mansal,
Well in this case the man is dead, but was no saint and I am sure is paying for it in his afterlife. The point is, it is not the man in the picture.

Regards,
Jody

[paddywhack]

I saw that doc on the photo album and they must have updated it as they explained away the rank by saying and get this,that it was common for officer and ncos to swop tunics!i nearly split my tea on that one!can you imagine that! I think not!

[Jody]

The film

I saw that doc on the photo album and they must have updated it as they explained away the rank by saying and get this,that it was common for officer and ncos to swop tunics!i nearly split my tea on that one!can you imagine that! I think not!

Hello,
After I brought up this issue (almost a year ago) they now change the documentary. How nice. I guess I will be sending another e-mail to them tonight.

When did you see this?

Jody

[Norman LaBarge]

1st: When it comes to errors in documentaries the onus should be on the producer of the piece. Many of which, with all there errors, know little or nothing and have just a fascination or interest in the subject they cover. If they are not, or even if they are, experts in the field, having another outside expert review their production has got to be performed and demanded by the public. Or they will not change.

2nd: Any legitimate broadcast of a documentary should also be held to the same high standards. If the History Channel, the Discovery channel, the Military Channel, or any other entity that airs a crap documentary lowers their own legitimacy by doing so.

3rd: Movies are not documentaries. Movies are entertainment. Most of us can knit pick apart most or all historic or war films. I do not expect them to be perfect or even close. It is just nice to see German vehicles and tanks at least looking somewhat German. Even if the treads of the tanks reek Russian.

If we do not hold the producers and broadcasters of bad documentaries accountable then they will keep doing what they do. Too many of them are in it to make money or a name for themselves. Write or email the broadcasters in particular and hold them to task for airing such crap. The power of the pen still exists. Personally I prefer to write a letter, as opposed to sending an email, it shows how much you are concerned and emails are too easy to just delete.

[paddywhack]

Hello,
After I brought up this issue (almost a year ago) they now change the documentary. How nice. I guess I will be sending another e-mail to them tonight.

When did you see this?

Jody

It was about 2/3 months that i watched but they repeat it all the time here!