Liberation of Buchenwald; VE Day in Paris

Arthur Mainzer (1923-) was a cameraman in the 4th Combat Camera Unit of the 9th Air Force. The Combat Camera Unit was tasked with creating Air Force training films at Hal Roach Studios. After completing training at the Air Force Photo Technical School in Denver, CO and the First Motion Picture Unit in Culver, City, CA, Mainzer was deployed to Europe. He was filming bomb damage by the Allied Air Forces with Captain Ellis Carter when they heard about Buchenwald and drove there by jeep on April 13, 1945. Mainzer and Carter filmed conditions at the camp on Kodak color film stock using two handheld 16mm film cameras. The footage was then sent to headquarters in London for processing. Video clips compiled for screening at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Days of Remembrance activities in April 2010 commemorating the role of liberators. The videos were displayed in the classrooms on the concourse level of the Museum during the Collections Open House activities. Contents include films taken by cameraman Arthur Mainzer: Liberation of Buchenwald, April 16, 1945 in color (USHMM Film ID 849, 07:01:12 to 07:04:00) Soldiers near Torgau and Buchenwald in color (USHMM Film ID 850, 08:07:59 to 08:10:16) VE celebration in Paris on May 8, 1945 in b/w (USHMM Film ID 2513, 04:13:41 to 04:17:34) Arthur Mainzer (1923- ) was a cameraman in the 4th Combat Camera Unit of the 9th Air Force. The Combat Camera Unit was tasked with creating Air Force training films at Hal Roach Studios. After completing training at the Air Force Photo Technical School in Denver, CO and the First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, CA, Mainzer was deployed to Europe. He was filming bomb damage by the Allied Air Forces with Captain Ellis Carter when they heard about Buchenwald and drove there by jeep on April 13, 1945. Mainzer and Carter filmed conditions at the camp on Kodak color film stock using two handheld 16mm film cameras. The footage was then sent to headquarters in London for processing.