George Stevens and the Special Coverage Unit

"The Hollywood irregulars"

In February 1943, George Stevens joined the 'Signal Corps', the communication support service for the U.S. army. It covers the North African campaign, then moves to London, where the 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 like Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, like Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach.
Passeport militaire de George Stevens, 1943<br /> � Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, Californie
George Stevens' military passeport, 1943

George Stevens military passport, 1943
Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, California		 World War II Color Footage George Stevens, USA, 1944 1945 Footage courtesy of the George Stevens Collection at the Library of Congress, Washington

Very precise instructions

In view of the Normandy landings and the advance in Germany, the operators of the OSS receive very precise instructions sur ce qu’il faut faire s’ils découvrent des "preuves de crimes de guerre et d’atrocités".

The procedure for recording the evidence of atrocities committed, explicitly takes into account the possible presentation of collected evidence, whether written, oral or filmed as proof before the court.
Stevens et son �quipe en tournage en France, s.d.
Stevens and his crew filming in France 		Stevens and his crew filming in France, s.d Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills, California