Too Much to Lug

The difficulties in recording the actual sounds of battle were discussed last week by WOR-Mutual's Warcaster Dave Driscoll. He went to the Mediterranean with a portable recording outfit, intending to get the pandemonium of war on disks for rebroadcasting to the U.S. home front. But, said he last week:

"I went ashore with the Commandos at Taranto, and I would hate to tell you how long I lasted lugging equipment weighing 75 lb., 40 on my back and 35 in my hand. The 40 on the back wasn't so bad, but the 35 in the hand was something else. I think we can all remember when we have to run for a train with a bag weighing something like that. Well, running with a tough bunch of Commandos or Rangers makes running for a train seem like a cakewalk. When the troops go past you and on out ahead like so many gazelles you suddenly find yourself very alone and without much to record."

Further Driscoll observations on front line recording:

> His portable recorder had no battery of its own, had to be plugged into the battery of a truck or a jeep. These vehicles are usually not available for such purposes during a battle.

> Front-line air raids usually happen too fast for recording.

> Two large mobile units of Canadian Broadcasting Corp. had only one documentary recording to show for a year's work at the front.

Driscoll's conclusion: "The recording equipment which can be operated by one man, carrying it on his back or in his hand, under [battle] conditions hasn't been built yet."

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