The Swing Shift Shuffle is a radio program of swing, big band, jazz, boogie woogie and other popular music from the 1930's and 40's that airs every Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (US Central Time) on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis, Tennessee, with a live webcast at wevl.org. In addition to the radio show, this blog is dedicated to all aspects of the Swing Era, including art, automobiles, cartoons, comics, history, movies, music, news, science, technology, and anything else that happened during that time. It also includes announcements about events in the Memphis/Mid-South area related to the Swing Era, such as classic movies, concerts, dances, lectures, etc. If you see something that fits the description, send it to me at tim@wevl.org. If you would like more information about the radio show, just go to the Radio Show FAQ page.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Life Working On Der Atlantik Wall

Continuing our tour of the German defenses along the North Atlantic coast of Europe, as depicted in the Nazi propaganda filmstrip, Der Atlantik Wall, we now see scenes of the life supposedly enjoyed by those working on the wall.  These men appear to be members of Organization Todt, who were construction workers, but who also served as a military unit.  In the first photo, an "Org. Todt" armband is clear on the central figure.  The fact that their uniforms are not actually uniform suggests that they were not regular military.  The second picture shows a scene of "barracks life," while the third may have been intended to demonstrate the good care workers received if they were injured on the job.  I cannot think of another likely purpose for that photograph considering the context.
 

No comments: