“STORY OF A TRANSPORT“ WWII U.S. NAVY / COAST GUARD TROOP TRANSPORT USS WAKEFIELD FILM 24994

Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website “Story of A Transport” (1944) is a black-and-white World War II-era promotional film made to encourage the sale of War Bonds. Composed of a combination of footage by the U.S. Coast Guard cameraman and newsreel records, the film takes a look at troop transport ship the USS Wakefield as well as the Coast Guard’s role of coordinating and ensuring the safety of troops aboard. Additionally, the film discusses the history of the USS Wakefield which began its career as a luxury liner, the SS Manhattan. Opening -- film has a “soundie“ at the start that promotes women war workers (0:08). Young woman stands before crowd of factory workers and sings ’The Girl Who Works The Thingummybob [That’s Going To Win The War]’ (1942) (0:12). Women workers inside factory at different machines (0:57). Another title page (1:37). Fleet of US Naval vessels (1:49). US military supplies, weapons, artillery at ports around United States; Equipment loaded onto cargo ships: Perhaps US Army Chevrolet Truck, Lightning Lockheed F-5B (1:59). USS Wakefield: prepared for another outbound voyage: men in uniform sweep, paint upper decks; Mail loaded onto ship (2:21). Army and Coast Guard Transportation Officers discuss logistics (3:42). Ship prepares for departure; Untied from dock, tugboat directs ship into the open harbor (4:20). Shadow of Navy blimp seen in water as it guards ship along coastal waters; Zoomed out aerial shot of blimp leaving ship’s side (4:50). Inner workings of the ship: Interior engine room, radio room and communication systems (5:10). Barracks and troop lodging aboard ship: Hundreds of troops crammed in tight quarters; Troops smoke and play cards; Group of 10 crowd around sinks in bathroom for mirror space to get clean shave (6:00). Bugle Call played on trumpet over loud speaker; Troops jump into action for drill rushing into defense positions: Perhaps Bofors 40 mm L/60 anti-aircraft gun; Perhaps Mark 12 5“/38 caliber gun (6:56). More scenes of troop life aboard vessel: Reading, napping, Coast Guard band play on upper deck other troops dance jive in dance circle, boxing match; Exercise drills; Ship kitchen and meal prep, cafeteria (7:55). Archival photos of Wakefield in pre-war times as ​​luxury ocean liner SS Manhattan (10:07). Edith Roosevelt christens SS Manhattan (10:30). Passengers board vessel for maiden voyage across Atlantic to Ireland, England, France, Germany (10:52). Passengers slow dance on ship’s upper deck, young woman poses for photo (11:16). Celebrities aboard the ship: Babe Ruth, Jimmy Walker, Douglas Carrigan (11:38). US olympic team (Glenn Cunningham, Jesse Owens) aboard ship on way to Summer Olympics Berlin 1936; Team disembarks in Hamburg and are welcomed by German officials (11:50). Journalists, politicians return from Europe aboard ship; Returning US ambassador to Germany William E. Dodd makes statement warning against fascism (12:19). Americans fleeing war torn Europe crowd upper decks of ship as it pulls into New York City Harbor, Statue of Liberty in the background (12:50). Neutrality Act reroutes ship: SS Manhattan stuck on sandbar off coast of Florida; Coast Guard rescue passengers (13:21). Conversion of luxury liner to Navy ship (13:51). Shots of Singapore’s Keppel Harbor; Troops walk off USS Wakefield as Japanese planes attack harbor causing damage to ship and death to 5 troops (14:18). Smoke billows from ship as fire rages aboard ship just off coast of New England (15:00). Workers at shipyard work tirelessly to ready USS Wakefield for waters again; Improvements to optimize safety and troop transport (15:25). 40mm guns prepare for firing aboard USS Wakefield (17:18). Group prayer and communion as troops near land and realities of conflict become real (17:34). K-rations are distributed to soldiers (18:06). Coast Guard Skipper speaks over last speaker to GIs in final address; GIs disembark ship at port (18:28). Scenes of Nazi POWs on ship returning to the US (19:24). Montage scenes of shipyards and soldiers in battle; buy War Bonds (21:24). “The Thing-ummy-Bob [That’s Going To Win The War]“ is a 1942 song, written by Gordon Thompson with music by David Heneker, which celebrates the female production-line workers of World War II. Its chorus is: I’m the girl that makes the thing / That drills the hole that holds the ring / That drives the rod that turns the knob /That works the thing-ummy-bob This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit