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American officers/POWs in Mauthausen

Film | Digitized | Accession Number: 1994.119.1 | RG Number: RG-60.2008 | Film ID: 838

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    American officers/POWs in Mauthausen
    Transcript
    [CHATTER]
    Scene one, take one.
    [CLAP]
    OK, Jack, go ahead.
    I'm Lieutenant Senior Grade Jack H. Taylor, US Navy,
    from Hollywood, California.
    Believe it or not, this is the first time
    I've ever been in the movies.
    I've been working overseas in occupied countries
    in the Balkans for 18 months.
    I was the first Allied officer to come into Austria
    in October, 1944.
    I was captured in December by the Gestapo here in Vienna
    and beaten severely, my arm broken,
    and put in Vienna prison for four months, where
    I lived on nothing but a tiny bit of soup
    and a crust of bread a day.
    When the Russians neared Vienna, we
    were sent to this concentration lager,
    the worst in all of Germany.
    I have seen and heard terrible stories here in this lager.
    I have found out in the last few days
    that I, also, was condemned to death.
    I have found out in the last few days that an American Naval
    officer--
    here is part of his uniform--
    was executed here by gas in April the 12th of this year.
    Another-- these are the dog tags of an Army
    officer, which was executed here in April of this year.
    Approximately 1,100 men a day have died here--
    have been killed or starved to death
    during April of this year.
    The Nazis were trying to remove all the possible evidence.
    We had three crematoriums going and a huge pit
    on the hill to bury the dead.
    They were killed in six different ways, mainly
    by gas and shooting, by starvation,
    by pushing the men over a 100-foot cliff,
    by dogs, by exposure in the wintertime,
    naked in the snow for 48 hours and throwing
    cold water over them.
    Let's see, how many are there left?
    There are conditions of hunger here too extreme to mention.
    The men who have been in the so-called hospital
    have been eating themselves in cannibalism.
    Grass, anything they could eat.
    Five sick men in one single bed.
    Tell me about that uniform you have on.
    This is the uniform that I came--
    I was captured in uniform.
    This was the uniform they gave me with my number and USA.
    What else do you want to know?
    All right, who freed you?
    11th Army, by God, two days ago, came in and saved us.
    God bless America.
    Cut.
    [CHATTER]
    OK, Jack, go ahead.
    I'm Lieutenant Jack H. Taylor, US Navy,
    from Hollywood, California.
    Believe it or not, this is the first time
    I've ever been in the movies.
    I've been working overseas in the Balkans
    in the German-occupied countries for 18 months.
    I came to Austria in October, 1944 as the first Allied
    officer to try to find partisans or a resistance movement.
    I was captured in December by the Gestapo and lodged in the--
    beaten severely, my arm broken, and locked in Vienna prison
    for four months.
    When the Russians neared Vienna, I
    was taken to this concentration camp--
    I was not considered as a prisoner of war,
    even though I was captured in uniform--
    to this Mauthausen concentration lager,
    the worst concentration lager in Europe.
    This is the finishing lager, where they bring people,
    mainly, to kill them, and I have seen terrible things here,
    even in the last month.
    Over 1,000 people a day, almost every day,
    have died of starvation or have been executed in this
    and the surrounding lagers.
    [ENGINE ROARING]
    OK, Jack.
    My name is Lieutenant Jack H. Taylor, US Navy,
    from Hollywood, California.
    Believe it or not, this is the first time
    I've ever been in the movies.
    I've been working in the Balkans in occupied countries
    for 18 months.
    In October '44, I was the first Allied officer to--
    [COUGH]
    --come to Austria.
    I was captured December 1st by the Gestapo,
    even though I was in uniform, severely beaten and considered
    as a non-prisoner of war.
    I was taken to Vienna prison, where
    I was held for four months.
    When the Russians neared Vienna, I
    was taken to this Mauthausen concentration
    lager, an extermination camp, the worst in Germany,
    where we have been starving and beaten and killed.
    Fortunately, my turn hadn't come.
    Two American officers, at least, have been executed here.
    Here is the insignia of one, a US Naval officer,
    and here is his dog tag.
    Here is the Army officer, executed by gas in this lager.
    How many ways do they execute?
    Five or six ways, by gas, by shooting, by beating, that is,
    beating with clubs, by exposure, that is,
    standing out in the snow naked in 48 hours
    and having cold water thrown on them
    in the middle of winter, starvation, dogs, and pushing
    over a 100-foot cliff.
    This is all true.
    It has been seen and is now being recorded.
    Where'd you get that uniform you have on?
    This uniform, I came here in uniform,
    but it was taken away from me.
    And this was substituted, with my number and USA.
    I have been condemned to death, as another American
    also in this camp, but fortunately, the 11th Army
    Division has come through and saved us in time.
    God bless America.
    Cut.
    [CHATTER]
    OK, Louis.
    I'm Sergeant Louis Biagioni from Brooklyn, New York.
    that's in the United States.
    It's from [INAUDIBLE] in America.
    I came to Europe in 1943, and in 1944, April the 1st,
    I dropped in northern Italy, working with the partisans.
    On May the 19th, I was taken by a Gestapo and roughly beaten.
    A few months later, I was taken here
    to this concentration camp.
    Four months after I was here, I was taken to Linz
    and sentenced to death.
    I was brought back here in the wait of my execution,
    but the Americans came here first.
    And I was saved.
    God bless them.
    Cut.
    OK, Louis, go ahead.
    I'm Sergeant Louis Biagioni from Brooklyn, New York.
    I came overseas in 1943.
    In 1944, April the 1st, I dropped in northern Italy,
    worked with the partisans.
    A couple of months later, I was taken by the Gestapo
    and roughly beaten.
    I was brought here to Mauthausen.
    And a few months after we was here, I was taken to Linz
    and sentenced to death.
    I was brought back here, but they
    didn't get the chance to execute me because the Americans came
    in here first.
    God bless the boys.

    Overview

    Description
    (LIB 6495) Concentration Camp, Mauthasen, Austria, May 7-8, 1945. Sound interview with Lt Jack H Taylor, US Navy, who tells of his work in the German-occupied countries of Europe, his capture, and his treatment as a prisoner. Sound interview with Sgt Louis Biagioni, US Army, who tells of his service behind the lines serving with Italian partisans in the the northeast section of Italy. The Sgt relates his capture by the Gestapo and treatment while in the prison camp.

    Transcription:
    Jack H. Taylor U.S. Navy, CA. "Interview with American Officer in Austria, October 44. Captured in December by Gestapo in prison for four months. Lived on potatoes, seen and heard terrible stories, condemned to death. Naval officer executed here. Huge pit to bury dead, killed in six different ways. Naked in the snow, conditions too extreme to mention." Talks about uniform, laughs, then says "God Bless America." "Working in Balkans German-occupied country for 18 months...to find partisans and resistance movement. Taken to concentration camp, not considered a POW. Worst concentration, bring people merely to kill them. I've seen terrible things here. 400,000 people have died of starvation or been executed. Severely beaten, even in office...When Russians neared Vienna, I was taken to Mauthausen Concentration an extermination camp, where we have been starving and beaten and killed. Fortunately, my turn hadn't come. Two American officers, at least, have been executed here. Here is insignia and dog tags. Executed by gas." Question: "How many ways executed them?" "By gas, shooting, beating with clubs, exposure, that is: standing out in snow, naked, 38 hours and having cold water thrown on them in mid-winter, starvation, dogs, and pushing over 100 foot cliff. This is all true and has been seen and is now being recorded. I came in uniform [which was] taken away. This was substituted (points to striped inmate uniform.) I was condemned to death, like another American here, but fortunately 11th Army Division has come through and saved us in time. "God Bless America."
    "Sgt. Louis Biagioni from Brooklyn, NY, that's in the US...came to Europe in 1943. In 1944, April 1st, dropped in Northern Italy with partisans. May 19, taken by Gestapo and roughly beaten. Two months later, taken here to camp and four months later, taken to ? and sentenced to death. I was brought back here and awaited my execution but the Americans came here first. Now we're saved. God Bless 'em." CU of Sgt. Biagioni.
    Duration
    00:09:04
    Date
    Event:  May 7-8, 1945
    Locale
    Mauthausen, Austria
    Credit
    Accessed at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of National Archives & Records Administration
    Contributor
    Producer: United States. Army. Signal Corps.
    Camera Operator: Jack Muth

    Physical Details

    Language
    English
    Genre/Form
    Unedited.
    B&W / Color
    Black & White
    Image Quality
    Excellent
    Film Format
    • Master
      • Master 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Master 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Master 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Master 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
    • Preservation
      • Preservation 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Preservation 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Preservation 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small
      Preservation 838 Video: Betacam SP - NTSC - small

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
    Copyright
    Public Domain
    Conditions on Use
    To the best of the Museum's knowledge, this material is in the public domain. You do not require further permission from the Museum to reproduce or use this material.

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Legal Status
    Permanent Collection
    Film Provenance
    The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum purchased this from the National Archives and Records Administration in September 1994.
    Note
    USHMM replaced the digital video file created from videotape in 2013 with a new hi-res scan from 35mm in January 2020.
    Copied From
    35mm print
    Film Source
    United States. National Archives and Records Administration. Motion Picture Reference
    File Number
    Legacy Database File: 33
    Source Archive Number: 111 ADC 4277
    Record last modified:
    2024-02-21 08:06:11
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn1000313

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