- Land
and Live in Extreme Environments for World War 2 Airmen
- Digitally Restored audio and Video The
complete three film series on survival training for air crew,
produced by the Army Air Force Film Production Laboratory at Wright
Field.
Land
and Live in the Desert (1944, B&W, 36 minutes)
This
remarkable film dramatization was used in World War 2 to train US
aircrew on how to survive a crash landing in the desert. After
getting shot up, Army Air Force B-24 Liberator "Pippin"
lands 400 miles from their nearest base, 60 miles from the nearest
watering hole, on the desolate sands of North Africa. Two of the crew
are wounded and temperatures hit 130 degrees F during the day. Their
radio is out and they forgot to bring critical emergency supplies,
figuring they wouldn't need them. What follows is a text book case on
how to make it out of the desert. You'll see how to turn a B-24 into
a liveable survival shelter, strip your aircraft of useful parts,set
up and maintain beacon fires day and at night, learn from the Arabs
on how to dress and drink in the desert, build and mark a rescue
landing strip, ration food, water and supplies, deal with the hot sun
& dehydration and a lot more. You shoukld stay with your ship for three
days, but if you're not spotted by then, it may be a good idea to
send a couple of guys for water and help, so you'll learn how to trek
across the desert through sand storms and blistering heat. All this
is shown in dramatic 1940s "film noire" fashion, featuring
a cast of notable character actors including Craig "Peter Gunn"
Stevens, also to be seen in "How to fly the B-26" and
"Recognition of the Japanese Zero."
Land
and Live in the Jungle (1943 B&W, 60-minutes)
Five
crewmen from a stricken B-25 bomber parachute into a dense tropical
jungle, many miles from their nearest base. The dramatic story of how
they make it out is fascinating and informative viewing. Four of the
crew land together & get just about everything right. Rather than
fighting the jungle, they learn to make use of its many resources. On the other hand, the planes pilot, Captain Harris, played
by Academy Award winning actor Van Heflin, is separated from the
others, panics and does just about everything wrong -- and pays a
heavy price for his ignorance. From their examples, here's just some of what you'll learn: how to use your parachute
for everything from making a hammock to catching fish - and more,
avoiding large predators and snakes, treating scrapes & wounds to
avoid jungle rot, plants and fruits to use and avoid for food and
water, what fish and animals are safe to eat. using Halazone &
Atabrine tablets to purify water and fight malaria, setting traps and
snares to catch small animals and birds, dealing with and preventing
insect bites, getting rid of leeches, setting up a jungle kitchen and
preparing food, building and piloting a river raft, dealing with crocodiles, building temporary
shelters and long term camps, using signal mirrors and fires to aid
search planes, dealing with the local natives and a whole lot more.
Land
and live in the Arctic (1943 B&W, 60-minutes
A
young P-40 pilot, Lt Hardy, flying "Tail End Charlie" on a
bomber escort mission has engine trouble and a radio malfunction at
the same time. He's forced to make a crash landing in deep snow
among the trees and scrub in "the frozen North." He's been
briefed about what to take along in case of emergency -- only some of
which he did. Gradually, he remembers what he was taught to survive
in the Arctic, or figures it out for himself -- the hard way. Just
some of what you'll learn along with Lt Hardy: the right way to
crash land in the snow, using your parachute for bedding, shelter
and to make 'mukluks" to keep your feet warm & dry,
cannibalizing your aircraft for useful parts & petroleum
products, building and maintaining a fire in snow, building a "wiki-up"
to shelter from a storm, snaring rabbits, ice fishing and preparing
food, making snow shoes, avoiding snow blindness, effectively
managing layers of clothing to keep from freezing, edible trees &
plants, avoiding frost bite, setting up signal fires and fur branch
SOS messages, clearing a landing strip & a lot more!
