• Short Summary

    American cameraman, Damien Barer's, personal account of 'reconquest' of Guam.

  • Description

    Title reads: "I was there. Guam - a cameraman's narrative".

    Animation of section of globe, showing South Pacific. A C/U of American cameraman Damien Barer is superimposed over globe. An arrow points towards Guam. Barer is the narrator, telling us of his experiences as a war correspondent in South East Asia.

    L/S of shells bursting in sea. Various shots of men of the U.S. 3rd Marine Division on beach at Guam, already wounded are being carried or stretchered off. Various good shots of marines in action on Guam, they advance through jungle behind tanks and using automatic weapons. We see group of soldiers carrying dead body in blanket.

    Various shots of mortar fire on Sumai village, ramshackle shacks are blown up to exterminate any Japanese snipers. The marines move in and take village. Various shots of marines ankle deep in Japanese corpses. C/U of marines relaxing, one lights cigarette. L/S of the American flag being raised over burnt out U.S. Marine Barracks Naval Station - "I was wishing some of us who had not come so far has lived to see this scene. This is the reconquest of Guam".

    Note: commentary more subjective and personal than usual. Less glorified and more gritty piece about war in Asia. AH 2001.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    1123.16
    Media URN:
    39130
    Group:
    Pathe newsreels
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    04/09/1944
    Sound:
    Sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Black & White
    Duration:
    00:02:44:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:33:57:00 / 01:36:41:00
    Canister:
    44/71

Comments (1)

  1. Unknown user says

    The cameraman's name is wrongly recorded in both the text and tags. His name was not Damien Barer, but Damien Parer. (3 changes from Barer to Parer are required in all).

    Sadly Parer was killed just weeks after recording this clip, on 17 September 1944, in Palau. More information on his life and work can be found here.....

    http://www.awm.gov.au/people/78005.asp

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