This book is Vol .IX of the 12th Army Groups Report of Operations (final after-action report). It describes the actions of the Headquarters Commandant Section and Special Troops.
What I find neat about the report is that it describes units typically attached to higher-echelon units and outlines (briefly) what they did. It’s a lot of units you would never think about but would be needed to help make the 1.3 million men in the group function.
For example, the 18th Finance Disbursing Section made between Feb 3rd, 1944 to June 30th, 1945 140,751 payments totaling $7,887,428.59. Also noted…they never had a case of VD or court martial.
And the 114th Signal Radio Intelligence Company which listened for lower-level German Army radio traffic and was able to locate a gas dump that US Army tanks were able to capture and use to gas up.
Of course, they also had the Office of the Chaplain who oversaw religious services for the men. It looks like the Chaplains were mostly Catholic or Protestant but also gave sermons to those of the Hebrew Faith, Mormon, and Christian Science faiths. It’s noted that:
“A listing of all the locations in which services were held would in itself give some insight into the variety which belongs to the experiences of Special Troops Chaplains. Apple orchards, world famous cathedrals and well known shrines garages, moving picture houses, and stables, historic court churches, day rooms, and mess halls: magnificent private chapels, dingy billets, and in the bombed out ruins of what had once been churches, are just half the story of where our men knelt or stood with their heads bowed. The services were held in times of fair weather and bitter cold, in times of quiet and in times when gunfire could be plainly heard.”
And the 585th Army Postal Unit which was bombed on March 14th and the men worked through the night fixing and salvaging so they could be open for business the next day.
The book also contains a neat map of their movement. You can download it as a pdf here or look at the image below.
In 1943 to find a wider audience, he turned to Jazz. Dinah Washington‘s recording debut was with Keynote at the end of 1943.
In 1947 the label made an attempt to manufacture its own records that didn’t go as planned, resulting in the business being acquired by Mercury Records in 1948.
One popular record by Keynote was Songs of the Lincoln Brigade. It was produced in 1937. It is a collection of songs praising the soldiers who went to fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War.
Eric Bernay, died on Nov 5th, 1968 , according to his obituary in the New York Times –
Many years ago I was traveling along the I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia when I stopped at an antique store. Not sure of the town but I think it was North of New Market. I found a neat 78 record set, in mint condition. As well as a few single records.
The 78 record set was The Red Army Chorus of the USSR conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. It is Keynote Records Album number 103.
Opening it up showed the lyrics of the songs. It was four 78 records (so 8 songs total)
From Border to Border
The Young Birch Tree
Cossack Song
If Tomorrow Brings War
Snowstorm
Song of the Tachanka
Meadowland
Along the Vales and Hills
One interesting thing is on the back cover. It has a Restricted Use Notice saying that the record is for non-commerical use on phonographs in homes and cannot be resold for any other use.
It took a while but I was eventually able to digitize the songs below as an MP3. If you would like the .wav version of the songs, feel free to contact me and I can send you a copy. Enjoy!
From Border to Border
This song is number K209-A in the set and looks like it was composed by Ivan Ivanovich Dzerzhinsky. The song runs about a minute and 50 seconds. You can download the mp3 here or listen to it below. Sung by the Red Army Choir of the USSR.
The Young Birch Tree
The Young Birch Tree is song number K210-B. Music is adapted and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Soloist is V. Pankov. You can download the MP3 or listen to it below.
Along the Vales and Hills
Along the Vales and Hills sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted (and composed) by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Also looks like C. Alimov helped to create it too. Number K208-A. You can download the MP3 here or listen to it below.
Cossack’s Song
Cossack Song (or Cossack’s Song) sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Composed by Ivan Ivanovich Dzerzhinsky. Song number K209-B. You can download the MP3 here or listen to it below.
If War Breaks out Tomorrow
If War Breaks out Tomorrow (or If Tomorrow Brings War). Song number 201-A. sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Composed by Dmitry Pokrass and Daniil Pokrass (they were brothers) as well as Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.
The lyrics note that the Red Army Chorus of the USSR was created in 1928 with 12 performers. It has won many awards and now has 200 performers coming from both the Red Army and the Red Navy.
Meadowland (Song of the Plains) is number K208-A. Sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Song was composed by Viktor Gusev and Lev Knipper.
You can download the MP3 here or listen to it below.
Snowstorm
Snowstorm is number K210-A. Sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and adapted and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Soloist is V. Pankov.
Tachanka is number K201-B. Sang by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov. Lyrics by Mikhail Ruderman and composed by Konstantin Listov. A tachanka is a horse-drawn machine gun, mounted on a peasant cart.
Tachanka was used in WW1 (and the Russian Civil War)
This is a single record that I also bought at the same time. It is number K213-B and is sung by the Ukrainian State Choral Ensemble. I’m not sure of the lyrics, though it appears to be a Ukrainian Folk song.
The Internationale is a left-wing song used by various social and communist movements. It was composed by Pierre De Geyter. This is number K213-A and is sung by the Bolshoi Theatre Chorus and Orchestra. Looks like the group associated with the Bolshoi Theatre at the time sang it.
You can download the MP3 here or listen to it below.
Forward to Victory (Charge of the Tanks)
This was also part of the collection I purchased. Though this doesn’t appear to be Keynote Records. Instead, it is Forward to Victory (Charge of the Tanks). Number 6309B. Taken from the film The Red Tanks and sung by the Moscow Military Chorus (courtesy of Artkino Pictures). The Pokrass brothers composed it. It’s essentially a single from the movie’s soundtrack.
Artkino pictures were the official distributor of Soviet media (like movies and music etc) in North America between 1950 to 1980.
Song of the Fatherland, number 6309-A. Sung by the Moscow Military Chorus (courtesy of Artkino Pictures). A single from the film, One Day in Soviet Russia, was produced in 1941. The film is essentially a propaganda piece to help garner pro-soviet sympathy after Germany invaded it. It was narrated by Quentin Reynolds, a journalist, who would be very much anti-communist in the 1950s.
The archive also includes other Keynote Record songs like The Clouds Fly High and Blue Night. All were sung by The Red Army Choir of the USSR and conducted by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov.
This link here http://www.questmasters.us/Crates_Page_3.html does a pretty good job at covering cigarettes during World War II. It focuses mostly on Lucky Strikes but includes others like Chesterfield + more.
I really like how it broke down the nuances of the packages and brands so the discerning collector knows what’s period correct and what isn’t.
The information contained below is for historical and educational purposes. Unless you have the right local, state, and federal requirements and licenses you should not build a mortar that launches real shells filled with TNT.
The Poor Man’s Armorer a “…Magazine of Improvised Weaponry” was a magazine that was created in 1978 or 1979 by Bonnie and Clyde Barrow (likely a pseudonym for Kurt Saxon). The magazine was essentially a hobbyist magazine appealing to folks interested in shooting, hunting, exotic weapons development, and survivalist types. It was published for a couple of years and had several editions. Finding a complete physical book is difficult, however, there are E-editions online where one can find a complete book or at least a complete edition such as the one at Archive.org: The Poor Man’s Armorer Vol 2.
Kurt’s politics aside (which if I am being generous are incoherent), he did publish a chapter in one of the editions on how to make a 60mm Mortar. Considering that real 60mm mortars can command thousands of dollars those reenactors with an interest, time, skills (or skill development), and perhaps a knowledgeable friend could build a 60mm mortar for use at reenactments or public displays.
The chapter goes into detail on how to build out the actual mortar shells along with the baseplate, tripod, and collar assembly. It includes actual blueprints and design specs. This requires access to machinery and metalworking tools required to create it.
Part One: The Mortar
Part one is the design specs for how to build the mortar shell. Kurt discusses the chemicals in the TNT but doesn’t explain how to make those chemicals. You can download How to Build a 60mm Mortar part 1 here. He also suggests one could obtain practice mortar shells if you don’t want to build the actual shell yourself.
Part Two: Baseplate, Bipod, Tube, and Collar Assembly
Part two goes into detail with the blueprints and design specs for building the mortar tube, bipod, baseplate, and collar assembly. You can download How to Build a 60mm Mortar Part 2 here.
Mortar Accessories
While Kurt does not explain how to build the accessories he does diagram out the M-4 sight and explain where one can possible find it. However, he doesn’t include blueprints on how to build the sight or other accessories like the canvas tube cover, the M2 Ammunition Vest, Binoculars, Compass, Asbestos Mitten, cleaning staff, and the M2 shoulder pad. These will all likely need to be purchased online or at Military shows.
Using the Mortar in Reenacting
While using the mortar in reenacting is beyond the scope of this article, the 90th ID published a document called: Tableau Number 1 The 81mm Mortar Squad which while it focuses on the 81mm mortar is similar in usage as the 60mm. It is a good article to read over.
Oftentimes different units would create service menus for special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Years. These are some examples
35th Replacement Battalion Service Menu, 1946. From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
443rd Fighter Squadron 1943 Christmas Menu Front From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
443rd Fighter Squadron 1943 Christmas Page 1 From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
443rd Fighter Squadron 1943 Christmas Menu Page 2 From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
443rd Fighter Squadron 1943 Christmas Menu Page 3 From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
443rd Fighter Squadron 1943 Christmas Menu Back From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
Travel Base Brochure
Below is base brochure handed out to personnel when they arrived at base and are expecting to stay awhile. This one is from Harmon Field in Stephenville, Newfoundland. Dated Feb, 1945
Harmon Field 1945 From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN
Harmon Field 1945 From the Estate of Ray and Anita Sexton, Oneida, TN