George Stevens and the Special Coverage Unit

"The Hollywood irregulars"

In February 1943, George Stevens joins the "Signal Corps", the communication support service for the U.S. army. It covers the North African campaign, then moves to London, where General Eisenhower requests to gather a team of 45 people and to prepare the filming of the Normandy landings. The Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) will be placed under the control of the Supreme Headquarters' Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF).

The SPECOU consists of 45 people: writers like Ivan Moffat, William Saroyan and Irwin Shaw; cameramen like Dick Hoar, Ken Marthey, William Mellor, Jack Muth; sound operators as Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, as Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach.

Very precise instructions

In view of the Normandy landings and the advance in Germany, operators of the OSS get very precise instructions on what to do if they happen to find out "evidence of war crimes and atrocities".

The procedure for recording the evidence of atrocities committed, takes explicitly into account the possible presentation of collected evidence, whether written, oral or filmed as proof before the court.