OSS Agents Behind the Lines
 

The recent posting about OSS Railroad sabotage testing got me looking around for more of their work.

On the archive.org site I found a couple of films that are a fascinating look into the challenges of working behind the lines in Europe.

The first is a training film for agents preparing to work under deep cover. It's done using actors in Hollywood style of the time. Watch for the appearance of Lugers...

http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.39979


The second is a record of the testimony of an American OSS officer that worked with a British SAS team just after D-Day preparing for sabotage and insurrection in Brittany, France. His recall of detail is riveting...

http://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.4713777

Marc

Thanks. That was outstanding in many ways, talk about kill conditioning. Excellent prep work and execution.

Coincidentally, Alan Ladd made a film (Titled "O.S.S") in 1946...Pretty fascinating, considering it's Hollywood... :thumbup:

I have it on DVD, of course... :D

Several Lugers in it...And a train scene, with an excellent explosion...

Edit: BTW, if you love train films (I do!), 1964's "The Train" with Burt Lancaster is excellent... ;)

Own both films. Both are excellent!

For another great period film, look for William Holden's "Counterfeit Traitor", where he plays an actual Swedish Businessman who cozied up to the Nazis prewar and spied on them the entire time. The ending scenes, filmed in the late 40's in the actual ruins of bombed out Berlin are fascinating. It is the first film I ever saw where the Germans are carrying MP44s.

And, Frank Sinatra in "Von Ryan's Express"... another train film of note!

Marc