Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-06-30

bomblngs on the Island of Pantel-
1eria, gave a performance in an
underground airplane hangar.
Another camp show troupe actually
gave a show in a submarine.
Returning from an 11-month tour,
members of one camp show unit an
nounced that they had become
authorities on the sands of the
world. They had played in yellow
sandstorms in Egypt; in red sand
storms in Tunisia that had dyed
their hair, face and clothes bright
red; and in white sandstorms in
Iran that made brunettes look like
platinum blondes. While up in snow
covered mountains, they suffered
sub-zero cold; down in the valleys,
they had to wrap themselves in
wet sheets in order to sleep in the
145-degree heat.
Travel Through Mine Fields.
Another troupe that spent months
with fliers at advanced air-felds
never took a trip to a nearby
encampment when they didn't have
to pick their way through mine
fields. Once they parked their trailer
truck two feet from a live land
mine. 1t was the heartbreaking ex-
perience of this troupe of getting to
know some of the boys who were
destined not to return from their
missions. Once the troupe went
miles In their truck to give an I'M
scheduled show when they learned
that a certain squadron's COM
mandlng officer had been shot down
that day.
Another camp show unit that
started a North African show with
an audience of $500 soldiers, had
the disconcerting experience of see
ing ten men leave, then ten more,
then another ten, until finally they
were playing to a mere handful of
restless soldiers. Afterward, they
learned that a landing by enemy
commanders had been reported and
their audience had been called out
to track them down.
Camp show performances are
often attended by hazards and
perils as well as discomforts and
Inconvenience. One troupe played
seven weeks at road camps in the
Iran mountains that were main
tanned to keep open the route over
which supplies and arms were 60
ing to Russia. Bandits were in the
neighborhood, and the troupers
couldn't leave the camps without
armed guards.
Air Raid Halts Show.
Sometimes sudden enemy action
makes it necessary to halt a per-
Torrance in the middle of its most
dramatic or interesting moment. In
Italy where the players are fire.
quently close behind the front
lines, such Interruptions are not in
frequent. In one instance when
enemy planes reared over during a
performance, the audience and the
troupers sat in darkness for hours
until the alarm passed and the show
could continue.
One troupe touring the Iran valley
outposts had to travel 40 miles,
through mountains, in a caboose.
There were 1876 tunnels, and every
time the train went through a tun-
mel it was like going into an oven.
AT a mountain stop in Iran, the
players learned that the boys sta
toned there hadn't had fresh meat
in weeks. They organized a hunt
ing expedition and, armed with
army pistols, shot II wild bears.
Their show was great hit that
night. I'VE gave them ham, and
fed them ham, too" they said.
Thus, day in and day out, the
show goes on-making every stop
on the '1cicle Circuit" along the AL
can highway in Alaska; the COX
hole Circuit in the South Pacific;
the Desert Circuit" in Egypt,
Africa, Iran, Lydia and Arabia. And
as rapidly as our fighters advance,
USO-camp shows are ordered up to
entertain the battle-weary combat
troops and provide an antidote for
operational fatigue.