The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-06-28

SULA-{By WlrelesS)-For cou-
pie of days rode around the
Cherbourg peninsula with Bert
Brandt, war photographer for Ac-
me newspictures.
You may have seen by now some
Of the pictures Bert took during
that time, so I would like to tell
you how they came about.
Picture No. /: This showed a
large crowd Of French people, led
by the mayor of their town, ad-
vdncing toward az. American SOL
der with outstretched hands OF wei
come.
Well, that was taken in Barnc-
vile. The people really did Wei
ecme us, but Of course the act1sl
picture had to be staged.
The people were very pleased
ard eager. The solder Bert picea
out to receive the throng was Sgt
Max Monsorno of Woodhaven,
Long Island. He was one Of the
Ninth division men left to guard
the town after the others had pass
ed through.
Bert instructed the crowd in its
act, through the only Barneville
woman who spoke English. She
told them how they should advance
toward the sergeant, all smiling
and be sure to look at the SER
geant and not at the camera. Then
Bert yelled Co.. The mayor walk
ed toward Sergeant Monsorno with
his hand out. The crowd surged
up behind him, Bert snapped a pic
ture, and then shouted at them to
do it again. 1t seemed the mayor
wasn't smiling big enough to suit
Bert.
More instructions. More interpre
tations. A little girl jumped up and
down with delight. The older peo-
Die got more excited. Sergeant
Monsorno gave the mayor colos
sal stage smile, to show him how
Then Bert yelled Co. Again,
the mayor almost cut his head II
two with his smile, and the little
girls threw their flowers, and the
whole crowd waved their arms
Everybody was very happy, includ
ing Bert. And we hope we made
you very happy too.
Picture No. 2: Dead horses enc
wrecked German vehicles along the
roadside. The circumstances were
these:
We had caught the Germans try
ing to retreat down the road from
Bricuouebec to Barneville, n
plastered them with artillery. Thu
devastation along that road wa!
immense.
The Germans were moving will
many horse drawn vehicles as vel
as trucks. They were in two
wheeled French work carts, in fan
cy passenger buggies, in light wag'
ons along the style OF our owl
wild west covered wagons.
At spots the wreckage was pilet
so high that traffic couldn't ge
through until our own engineer!
dragged the debris off the road
Hundreds of carts and guns ant
dead horses Uttered the road, Ger
man bodies lay sprawling, big hole
pockmarked the macadam, burned
out trucks lay dead by the road
sides. masses of broken and en-
twining telephone wire snarled thu
highway. That was the scene whel
Bert Brandt took Picture No. 2
The picture was of bulldoze
methodically pushing dead horse.
and spattered trucks, all in t h
same scoopful, off the road int
an orchard The dozer driver wen
after his job with grim got-to-do
it look on his face.
There were scores of pitifully
dead horses within a space of ,
few yards. Some of them lay a!
1t asleep. Others were in distorted
gnarled positions. Their leg bone!
cracked and broke as the BULLDOG
er pushed. A little bunch of French
people stood looking on.
Bert took his pictures while
standing on the hood Of a com
mand car in which we had beer
riding. sat in the back seat call