On 12 December, 1944, at an airport in Naples, Italy, British General Sir Henry Nathan Wilson inspects an honor guard of American Military Policemen in formation. (Narrator states he is en route to replace the late Field Marshal Sir John Dill, in Washington, DC, USA) A contingent of British troops is also present as part of the honor guard, on the wet airport tarmac. (Narrator states that Wilson will head the British Joint Staff Mission and be personal military representative for Prime Minister Winston Churchill.) He approaches a line of U.S. military officers who salute him. Closeup of General Wilson With U.S. Army Air Forces Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, next to U.S. Vice Admiral Kent Hewitt. Also with them (back to camera) is British Admiral Sir John Henry Dacres Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet. Next, General Wilson and his party are seen boarding a British Avro York four-engine Heavy Transport aircraft. View from the ground, of the aircraft cockpit and the engines running as it taxis out for takeoff. Change of scene shows troops gathered in open air battlefield environment. General Mark Clark, now Commander-in-Chief of the Allied 15th Army Group, decorates some members of the 5th Army, as General Lucian King Truscott Jr. (new 5th Army Commander) stands by his side. General Clark says farewell to members of the 5th Army and shakes hands with many of them. (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
Invasion of Italy by the United States during World War II. U.S. troops pull down damaged buildings as they advance. Wounded and injured U.S. soldiers on stretchers are taken to field hospitals for treatment. A U.S. Army doctor treats a patient. A U.S. nurse sitting with a soldiers. U.S. Army Air Force B-26 Marauder bombers en route to Naples drop bombs. Smoke billows up from bomb explosions.
1962 Irpinia earthquake in Ariano Irpino, Italy. Damaged buildings and deserted streets after a series of earthquakes. Collapsed façade of a Southern Italian house. Disturbances centered in Ariano Irpino, near Naples. Homeless civilians gathered on streets. Dilapidated sign reads “Montecalvo”. Italian woman holding a child. Italian Premier Amintore Fanfani makes a survey of the affected area. Damaged belltower of a church. International relief agency crew start rescue work.
A film titled: 'Through Oil Lands of Europe and Africa' on oil fields in several countries. A map locates Naples, Italy. Ships in a harbor. Mountains and buildings in the background. View of the oil field Villeja. The other oil field is Montechino. Another oil field Cento Pozzi. View of Salsomaggiore, an oil producing district. Houses in the district.
A U.S. Navy training film titled 'Medicine in action: Head injury of a battle casualty' about the treatment and recovery of a soldier wounded during World War II. Private Wilmer of the U.S. 6th Army. A map of Casino Italy where Wilmer was injured during the battle of World War II. Aerial views of an evacuation hospital where Wilmer was given initial medical assistance after being injured. Wilmer with bandage on his scalp at a general hospital in Italy. Doctors clean the wound on the scalp. They try to control the bleeding. Blood clot being removed and wound being checked for infection. Bone fragments being removed from the wound. Wound being stitched. After six days wound being examined. Private Wilmer arrives in Naples in an ambulance. He boards a hospital ship in England and leaves for North Africa. At a camp he talks to other injured patients. Private Wilmer gets off a jeep and boards U.S. Army hospital ship Acadia to leave for United States. At Walter Ridge hospital he moves his hands and legs to demonstrate physical normality after being injured. Doctors administer anesthesia on his scalp and work on the wound. After treating the wound the scalp being closed and bandaged. Private Wilmer after recovering from the injury. He walks out of the hospital after being discharged.
Opening scene shows some Italian statesmen and naval officers boarding the Italian royal yacht Trinacria, anchored in the harbor, at Gaeta, Italy. Next, British King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and daughter, Princess Victoria, are seen posing on the Trinacria's deck, with Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, who is engaged in conversation with the British monarch. Princess Victoria is the center of attention of a group of Italian naval officers. King Edward VII lights a cigarette, throws his match overboard, and smokes while the group continues posing for pictures. He shakes hands with an elder Italian statesman. The two kings converse and Victor Emmanuel III speaks to one of his officials, as Edward VII continues to meet members of the Italian party. (Reportedly, lunch was served in the saloon of the Trinacria, after which King Edward,Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria returned to the British Royal Yacht, HMY Victoria and Albert III, and sailed to Naples.)
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