Army Talks was a series of short works published for GIs in the European theater of World War II “to help them become better-informed men and women and therefore better soldiers.”
Army Talks began publication in 1943, and continued through the end of the war in Europe. Issues were usually published on a weekly or biweekly basis, and each had its own title and topic. The pamphlets contained articles, combat tips, proclamations, maps, drawings, cartoons, news, updates, and other general information.
Some links download from this site while other links go to my dropbox account. If DropBox gives you errors or cannot connect, please try clearing your browser’s cache, and cookies and disable any third-party plugins (such as adblocker or Privacy Badger) as they may interfere with the ability of DropBox to render the pdfs. Special thanks to the 90th ID for making some of these available.
If you would like purchase copies you can do so through Wartime Press. I’m not sure if the copies are exact reproductions. If they are, it would be very neat to see these in the field.
The Rank and file in combat, What they are doing, How they are doing it. The suggestions in Combat Lessons are drawn from the experience of the World War II American Soldiers in both Europe and the Pacific.
Lesson Plans World History II SOL 12a: Start of World War II, Events, Leaders
Standard: SOL 12a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War II
Objective: explain economic and political causes, describing major events, and identifying leaders of the war, with emphasis on Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall, Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Hideki Tojo, and Hirohito.
Essential Knowledge: Economic and political causes of World War II
• Aggression by the totalitarian powers of Germany, Italy, Japan
• Nationalism
• Failures of the Treaty of Versailles
• Weakness of the League of Nations
• Appeasement
• Tendencies towards isolationism and pacifism in Europe and the United States
Major events of the war (1939–1945)
• German invasion of Poland
• Fall of France
• Battle of Britain
• German invasion of the Soviet Union
• Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
• D-Day (Allied invasion of Europe)
• Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Major leaders of the war
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: U.S. president
• Harry Truman: U.S. president after death of President Roosevelt
• Dwight D. Eisenhower: Allied commander in Europe
• Douglas MacArthur: U.S. general
• George C. Marshall: U.S. general
• Winston Churchill: British prime minister
• Joseph Stalin: Soviet dictator
• Adolf Hitler: Nazi dictator of Germany
• Hideki Tojo: Japanese general
• Hirohito: Emperor of Japan
The Challenge record label was a budget label for Sears. It was produced from 1926-1930. It was pressed by the Starr Piano Company and would duplicate recordings found on Gennett and Champion records. Most were of anonymous recordings.
The Challenge Label sold for 24 cents and is generally of inferior quality. Starr struggled to produce records and, in its final years, Sears used The Scranton Button Company to press the records using master records from Plaza Music Company.
Music Genres: Waltz, orchestra, race records, blues, country, popular, reprints of Gennett and Champion records.
Pre-WW2 Label: This was the only label design for the record production: 1926-1930. Green and Gold with a Knight in Armor imagery. Note: Wikipedia for some reason has the record below but in black and white which is inaccurate.
1939-1945 Label: None by Sears
Post-WW2 Label: None by Sears.
Numbers from start to 1945: 101-810 The Challenge Label has an unknown number of recordings but the series consists of 3 digits.
101–271, 301–431, 501–506 = Gennett
532–698, 763–793, 811–999 = Plaza and successor American Record Corporation;
700–760 and 801–810 = Miscellaneous sources
Note: Many of the country artists were pseudonyms.
Armed Forces Edition Books: A Reenactor’s Perspective and Analysis
One of things I like to do at reenactments is read. Once, after digging a slit trench with a fellow reenactor, I dug out a book I had on 1940s science from my pack and began to read it. We soon broke out into a wonderful discussion on the merits of of what-was-then 1940s science and technology. Fortunately, the Germans attacked way down at the other end of the line.
For the bibliophile reenactor there was not many options in terms of reading material.
You can use period printed books such as Purple Heart Valley, Guadalcanal Diary, or any other WW2 era book. However, you run the risk of damaging these books. Indeed, the paper they are made with is of a lighter material (due to a War Production Board ruling in 1944) and more prone to tearing.
Original magazines such as Yank or Saturday Evening Post are also an option. Again, same problem. These were printed on cheap and non-durable newsprint. Therefore, they are not designed to last and taking them out in the field is asking for trouble though soldiers at the time did use it for a variety of shall-we-say “hygiene solutions”. Reenactors have access to more modern cleanliness solutions.
For the soldier who had access to travel material or likes to sing there are city guides and army song books. Again same problem. All original, all cheaply printed, all designed not to last.
Alternatively, you could brush up on your language skills. Though you run into the same problem. Cheap books, not durable, and very limited copies produced compared to others.
Finally, one could read your copy of FM 21-100 for the dozenths time. Though, this manual was printed by the millions and there enough copies around that you mightactually be able to take this into the field, destroy it, and be able to find another one cheaply.
However, there are some reenactors who do want to take out original copies to trash in the mud, dirt, and rain. Indeed, some individuals have reproduced newspapers and magazines but those are very costly to print especially in small numbers.
When I attend a reenactment I bring a copy of of FM 21-100 and some “trashed” magazines. These are magazines that have covers ripped off, pages missing, and are in a general state of disrepair. In other words, perfect for getting destroyed. I rationalize the possibility of destroying these artifacts of history as:
“They made millions of these magazines and enough are still around that preserving a WW2 magazine with a defect makes no sense when others can still be bought cheaply and in much better condition”
The current option that blends an economical advantage with historical accuracy are the books produced by The Legacy Project. The Legacy project is a non-profit that seeks to distribute stylized-Armed Forces Edition books to soldiers stationed overseas. Obtaining the books can be a bit tricky. I would suggest three places: Amazon Ebay Shop Goodwill
I was able to find my copy: Man in the Arena on Amazon. The books prices can range anywhere between 8-14 dollars (without shipping). Compared to trashing a mint condition original book the price is worth it. The book looks like this:
Similarities between Original Armed Forces Edition and Legacy Project’s Armed Forces Edition
1. Hip-sized style still the same
2. Cheap pulp paper
3. Back of the book is similar
4. Similar in a side-by-side comparison Note: The War Time Production Board limited the the margin of books to conserve materials and space. Books produced by the Legacy product do not need to adhere to such rulings and hence there books are longer and thinner.
Differences between Original Armed Forces Edition Books and Legacy Project’s Books
Note: The reason, I would guess, has more to do with modern printing costs and technology.
1. The Legacy Project Armed Forces edition books have a glossy cover. The original ones do not.
2. The size of the Legacy Project’s books are not 100% accurate when compared to originals.
3. Included in the Legacy Project’s books are facets of modern publishing such as Web address, modern printing dates, and modern addresses.
4. Originals had staples that kept the binding together. Staples were along the binding and either included the the books cover in the staple punch OR skipped the cover and started at the first interior page. The books cover would then be glued. The Legacy Project’s books lack the staple and it appears that the binding is glue only.
5. Original books included on the first interior page an outline of the books title in dotted, solid, or double-solid line.
6. Original books have a listing of other Armed Forces Editions on the back interior page.
7. Original books have an Armed Forces Edition statement on the back of the front cover.
As a reenactor I value historical accuracy but realize that we are not living in the past and must strike a balance between what is practical and what is ideal. The Legacy Project’s Armed Forces Editions look very good close-up and are within the unofficial reenactor rule of 3-feet. Though there are some things that can be done to help “de-farb” the book. More on that later.
A collaborative effort between historical reenactors of how to use the SCR-300 Radio for World War Two Reenactments.
The SCR-300 Radio is a backpack (or manpacked) FM radio designed during WW2 as an inter-company or regiment radio. I purchased several in the late 1990s during the heyday of Cold War surplus sales.
Several years ago I worked with a buddy of mine to make available a resource that World War Two SCR-300 enthusiasts could use to analyze and learn about the radio. The article is posted on his website:
BC-1000 Control Panel Fasteners – This is a pdf that covers how to add new washers, seals, nuts, and screws to the front panel. Looks to be about 8 different screw assemblies.
NOTES from TM 11-242 on the SCR-300 Wired Loops and Battery Case Catches
The SCR-300 originally came with wired clips. This is according to TM 11-242, 1943. See below
A work order was made in Nov of 1944 for spring catches
This was then replaced with a New Latch Directive in Jan 1945. The wired loops would fail to hold down the clip so a spring catch was added.
SCR-300 Radio Set: The Development, Operational Employment, and Details of the Famous “Walkie-Talkie”
Mike Roof, SGM, USA (ret.) wrote a 200-page guide on the development of the radio set which includes great discussions of some of the early war development and post-war variants. As well as new images of the SCR-300 in WW2. Worth checking out to learn a bit more about the unit. He originally posted it in the G503 forum but it looks like space might be an issue for him so I re-posted it here.
Below are some nuggets of information regarding Radio Security and Lessons Learned while using Radios in World War Two. It was taken from Hardscrabble Farm and reposted here.
Combat Lessons 3: The snippets below come from this guide. You can find the full guide via a pdf which contains a variety of information at my Combat Lessons and Army Talks Post.
Common Violations of Radio Security Brigadier General Richard B. Moran, Chief Signal Officer, Fifth Army, Italy: “Use of proper names, Christian names, nicknames, etc. to refer to an officer or enlisted man defeats the object of daily changing code signs and helps to identify groups. The authorized code or codex must be used.
“Use of unauthorized code names or codewords may cause confusion. Units may not allot them without permission.
“Long transmissions give the enemy plenty of time to tune in and increases his chances of gleaning information. Keep ‘off the air’ if possible. Keep transmissions short.
“An encoded map reference must not be accompanied by a description of the place referred to.
“Administrative reports must not be sent in the clear. The enemy can often obtain valuable information from them.
“Codex is more secure than the reference-point code and its use should be encouraged.”
Disclosed by Your CodeOfficial Report, Signal Operations, Sicily: “The continued use by an organization of a code of their own making will easily identify that unit wherever and whenever it moves. Members of a unit captured by the enemy disclose the unit designation. As long as the unit uses its special-type code its identification is certain.”
This looks like regimental-level radio traffic as the operator interacts with different units such as Nudge, Notorious, Red, Blue, Nomad etc. Many have a numbered suffix at the end like “Nutmeg 3” or “Blue 3” suggesting they are part of the same radio traffic net and are either a specific person or unit (like a battalion or company) within the said net.
In looking at it I think when the mention Nutmeg Red or Nutmeg White or Nutmeg Blue (etc) it’s likely the regimental or battalion and Nutmeg Blue 2 (for example) is some additional subdivision like battalion or company?
The 84th Infantry Division Signal Operation Instructions for Radio and Telephone standard operating procedures goes into a bit more detail about how call signs work on both radio and telephone. It approximates the radio log of the 60th. Namely, the Signal Officer assigns the code names, frequencies, and effective dates, and provides for the radio and telephone equipment. If a subdivision is needed they refer to it as a color and if an additional subdivision is needed, they use a letter.
So if I’m using an SCR-536 at the regimental level and I want to contact the D company of the 1st battalion of the 334th Infantry Regiment I could tune to the frequency and say something like ” This is Chow contacting Chisel Blue D”
Note that telephone would be utilized over radio (but uses a similar communication style) unless the officer thinks radio warrants it or they need it for an emergency.
For a listing of Military Code Names in Europe see: Military Code Names for the full listing or this Excel sheet for a breakdown by division. I’m not sure if it’s all of them or if these were dynamic and changed but it’s a piece of paperwork someone would’ve had. These codenames were likely at an Army or Corps level echelon as opposed to a division or regiment or battalion or company.
They also describe the various positions of the units as they move forward clearing out bunkers and pill-boxes. At one point they make mention of losing the slidex which is a handheld encryption device.
For reference the following units are
Nutmeg = 60th Infantry Regiment
Nostrum = 9th Medical Battalion
Notorious = 9th Infantry Division
Noxema = 15th Engineer Battalion
Nudge = 39th Infantry Regiment
Nuptial = 60th Field Artillery Battalion
Nostril = 47th Infanry Regiment
Omaha = 3rd Armored Division
Jacket = 4th Cav Group
Jingle = 438th AAA AW Bn M. Meaning it’s the 438th Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Auto-Weapon Battalion, Mobile. I’m not sure what the “auto-weapon” the unit had is supposed to be.
Jungle = ?
Batteries
Hardscrabble Farm has a write-up on Batteries: BA-23 and BA-30. These aren’t used in the SCR300 but I posted them here as they are commonly used with various Signal Corps telephone and radio equipment. BA-30 is the equivalent of a D battery.
Crystals
Radios in WW2 and in some post-war models like the PRC6 used crystals. CR is the Army nomenclature for the crystal. Several different kinds existed such as CR-18U and CR-23U. The numbers at the end likely refer to the type of crystal structure.
The crystal structure would give an indication of how well the drive, power, ohm level, and oscillation of the crystal would perform. For a complete breakdown of the science behind it, you can refer to: HANDBOOK OF PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALS FOR RADIO EQUIPMENT DESIGNERS by John P. Buchanan, Philco Corporation, October 1956. It’s a 700-page tome!
The crystals were then cut to oscillate at certain frequencies. They were then stored in signal corp metal cases typically starting with CS or CY.
The video below discusses How Crystals Go to War and shows the manufacturing process.
For an excellent short history of the crystal industry in the US up to the end of the Korean War see: A History of the Quartz Crystal Industry in the USA published by the UFFC the organizing body to set standards for crystals today.
Where to Purchase
I’m occasionally asked where to purchase the radios. Ebay is a good online place to find it. You could also look around on Facebook Marketplace or use an older one like Craigslist.
PRC68 is a website that lists military communication equipment and has loads of links for surplus dealers. A lot go to a 404 but you might get lucky and stumble across a website that has one for sale. International Military Antiques is another place but you’re likely to pay above market value for it.
Online forums like the G503 is a place to find equipment. You’ll need to make an account.
You can visit surplus dealers either brick and mortar (the US Militaria forum has an active list) or follow a bunch of online-only stores on Facebook and hope one shows up.
Lastly, you can visit shows such as your local militaria show or the larger ones like Show of Shows or The Max.
This article originated after observing a disagreement between two reenactors. One was arguing that the buddy system did in fact exist in World War Two. Another reenactor argued the exact opposite, that such a system was yet another example of a modern military concept grafted onto the World War Two hobby. After all, this individual pointed out, the buddy system is not mentioned in FM 21-100. The truth of the matter is somewhere in the middle.
Unlike today, voting for the World War Two serviceman was not such a straight forwarded affair. That isn’t to say voting for modern American Servicemen and Women isn’t easy only that things have objectively improved since WWII. Soldier’s attempting to vote encountered numerous obstacles to make absentee voting difficult or non-existent. It took a series of changes, each building incrementally to loosen-up the restrictions in time for the armed forces to vote in the Presidential election of 1944. One of the biggest changes was the political shift of the Republicans to allow (or at least not inhibit the Democrats) a federal presence in what is to be considered an area of state’s rights.