Liberation of Czechoslovakia; refugees

George Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer. During World War II, Stevens joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and headed a film unit from 1943 to 1946 under General Eisenhower. His unit shot footage documenting D-Day — including the only Allied European Front color film of the war — the liberation of Paris and the meeting of American and Soviet forces at the Elbe River, as well as horrific scenes from the Duben labor camp and the Dachau concentration camp. Stevens also helped prepare the Duben and Dachau footage and other material for presentation during the Nuremberg Trials. In 2008, his footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress as an "essential visual record" of World War II. The Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) was placed under the control of the Supreme Headquarters' Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). The SPECOU consists of 45 people: writers like Ivan Moffat, William Saroyan and Irwin Shaw; cameramen like Dick Hoar, Ken Marthey, William Mellor, Jack Muth; sound operators as Bill Hamilton, who comes from Columbia, assistant directors, as Holly Morse, who has worked with Hal Roach. Red Cross workers on roadside with civilians. Shot of city from high angle. Sign, in English and Russian reads: "Welcome the American Heroic Army." Another part of the sign reads: "Welcome the Soviet Army." Pan to jeep Toluca. Sign in Czech reads: "Vplzni...Skodovy Zavody." LS from balcony to train station. Sign reads: "You are entering Pilsen by courtesy of CCB 16th Armd. Div." Another sign reads: "What you see on the street don't blame on the pigeons." VS of truckload of women and children holding red flags with hammer and sickle on them. They drive off and what appears to be a Russian officer waves to them. Slavic women in red scarves and white scarves. Numerous shots of Russians. Pan of bombed out bridges to FG, city in BG. HAS and other coverage of caravan of people in trucks drawn across a bridge. Red flag and platoon of men carrying what appears to be all their belongings. CU of officers. VS of refugees taking their children and belongings through town and across the bridge (returning home?).