WarCos Colorado Presents:
Bert Brandt: War Correspondent, United Press
Part One: Bert Brandt Biography
Born Dec. 11th, 1915 in Winnipeg, Bert joined United Press in Kansas City in 1939 upon graduation from the University of Kansas. In 1943 he joined ACME Newspictures/U.P.'s World War II coverage in North Africa, covering campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Mr. Brandt was with the first wave of the assault troopson D‐Day. Bert had seen plenty of action in Italy, but Omaha Beach was something else entirely. "It was hotter than hell over there. I was at Anzio but Anzio was nothing like this," Brandt told United Press correspondent James McGlincy the following day in London. The 28-year-old managed to deliver the first
pictures of action on the ground in France, including a shot looking down the ramp of a landing craft seen here:
Brandt went ashore with one of the later waves, with elements of the 29th Infantry Division, landing in the early afternoon and spending about 30 minutes on the beach. He caught a ride back to a transport on a craft ferrying the wounded out for treatment, and then on to England from there. “The courier service broke down completely because of the hard fighting, and the only pictures that got back at all were those that three of us took back ourselves,” Brandt said in a speaking engagement in Pittsburgh months later.
“I didn’t know whether mine would be first or last, but I bent every effort to get them in as soon as possible.”
Brandt quickly returned to Normandy to cover the advance to Cherbourg and was in Paris for the liberation in August. He finally returned home to the U.S. in November for a brief break before heading back to Europe to see out the rest of the fighting there. He continued with combat coverage through France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Mr. Brandt was named picture manager for Europe after the war. Later he
became chief roving correspondent for U.P.I. with headquarters in New York. He died Dec 9th 1975, of a heart attack two days before his 60th birthday.
Part Two: Bert Brandt’s Uniform
Bert began his time as a WarCo in 1943 heading to North Africa, then Sicily, Anzio etc. attached to the 5th Army. Here he is in 1943:
Three Acme Newspictures, Inc. photographers, who covered
front-line action in Italy, hold a reunion at a captured German
gun position. They are (left to right): Bert Brandt, attached
to the 5th Army Ground Forces; Charlie Corte, also with the
5th Army Ground Forces, and Charlie Seawood, attached
to the 12th Air Support Command. (Dated October 24, 1943.)
Here we see Bert in an Officer’s field wool shirt with “War Correspondent” Patch, wool pants, some sort of tanker style wrist watch, and what look like low quarters with leggings.
Starting just before D-Day, Bert’s uniform was quite unusual, as seen here:
We can see from these pictures that Bert is wearing what looks like an Officer’s wool shirt, A2 Jacket with “War Correspondent” Chest patch, Mustard wool trousers, Jump Boots, a PAL RH36 Knife on what is probably a pistol belt, Canteen, and Entrenching tool. There may also be a first aid kit, but we cannot see that in these pictures. Also of note is the leather camera bag on the right side of the second picture that Bert seemed to carry everywhere as we will see in later pictures. Also, the Camera Bert appears to be wearing around his neck is a Rolleiflex RF111A. Bert would have also traveled with a bedroll, as well as a musette bag, and probably M36 Suspenders.
On D-Day, Bert loaded up with the 29th Infantry Division, C Company, 116th Infantry Regiment. They put him in what appears to be some additional uniform items seen here:
Here we see Bert has added what looks like HBT pants, a lifebelt, and an Invasion vest worn by assault troops on D-Day. Bert seems to have forgone the M36 Suspenders instead carrying his Mussette Bag on his side. He is still wearing jump boots and a plain helmet.
Here is a shot of Bert just after landing on the beaches trying to dry out his equipment:
Here we can more plainly see his HBT pants (most likely worn over his wools), the assault vest has been dropped on the ground, his leather camera bag on the ground, and what appears to be an M6 Gas Mask Bag. He also now appears to be without a bedroll.
Shortly after this photo, Bert hitched a ride to England to deliver pictures of D-Day.
When Bert Arrived back in Normandy, he came with General Eisehower aboard the USS
Apollo. Sometime between June 10-15, (but most likely June 12th) This Photo of Bert
walking with Ike was taken by a fellow Photographer:
Pictured is his leather camera bag, what looks to be his Graphlex, Jump Boots, hes wearing a sweater vest under his A2 with pen clipped on it, and hes sporting a new cap with a WarCo Patch sewn on it. He also appears to have a new and different Rolleiflex camera around his neck, perhaps meaning the one he took in the initial invasion was broken and replaced.
Moving toward the front near Cherbourg, we now see Bert still sporting his cool look:
