麻豆约拍

In today鈥檚 special programme we celebrate the birth of the ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES RADIO SERVICE on the morning of the 7th of JUNE 1944, D-DAY PLUS ONE, 70 years ago.

It was beamed from a transmitter on the channel coast to the troops who had been in the Normandy landings on D-DAY itself, and had been set up by the 麻豆约拍, The American Forces Network (AFN), and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 鈥� and the story begins four months earlier, in February 1944, in New York.

You will have heard the announcer refer to the AAF Band 鈥� The Army Air Force Band, whose music was broadcast to military bases all over the United States, and was recorded for immediate despatch in planes flying across the Atlantic for the American Forces Network, who had been broadcasting in Britain since July 1943.

One of the American General鈥檚 commented that 鈥渁 record by Glenn Miller was as good as a letter from home鈥�, and in early 1944 the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER issued an order that Captain Glenn Miller and his AAF Band should be flown over to England, where they became Major Glenn Miller and the Band of the AEF 鈥� and today we鈥檙e playing one of their earliest recordings made at London鈥檚 famous Abbey Road Studios 鈥� Miller鈥檚 signature tune 鈥� IN THE MOOD.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

听Long before the establishment of AFN, the 麻豆约拍 had been broadcasting daily on its own wartime network, The General Forces Programme, with both networks playing quite different kinds of music, and this emphasis of difference worried Eisenhower. He believed in the word ALLIED, and if his forces were to train together, and possibly die together, then they should share the same leisure time 鈥� and Prime Minister WINSTON CHURCHILL agreed.

Ex-broadcasting personnel from the Armed Services, along with a special committee set up by the 麻豆约拍 were given the assignment to set up a single, joint broadcasting service. They set up their headquarters on the fourth floor of Broadcasting House to sort out engineering requirements, programme scheduling, broadcasting personnel, and they had their dress rehearsal at the end of May 1944 鈥� it was D-DAY MINUS 8.听 Meanwhile every platoon commander was issued with a portable wireless receiver, pre-tuned to the new transmitter on the Channel Coast.

On the 6th of June General Eisenhower made the radio announcement that the Allied Forces had landed on the beaches of Normandy 鈥� the Invasion had begun 鈥� and then on the morning of the 7th of June, when the exhausted troops, who had been in the actual landings, were brought back to rest camps as the second wave went in 鈥� they tuned in their radios to pick up the new station to hear the announcement at exactly 5 minutes to by their Supreme Commander.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

Eisenhower said: 听"We are initiating today a radio broadcasting service for the members of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. We shall call this service the AEF Program. It is to be a service especially prepared for you and we shall try to make it of a character suited to your needs.

鈥淚t's purpose is threefold - to link you with your homes, with news broadcasts form the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada;

鈥淭o bring you up to date with the progress of the war everywhere. And to provide you with a diversion, during those precious moments of relaxation, away from the main job now at hand.For this latter purpose the 麻豆约拍, AFN, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will bring you the best entertainment that can be summoned from our Allied nations. Together, we shall go forward to victory.

鈥淎nd along that road, the AEF program will be constantly within your reach, with a service worthy of your needs."

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After that announcement, the listening soldiers were welcomed by British broadcaster, Captain FRANKLIN ENGELMAN, who advised them that they were about to hear the Station Identity Signal.

After ORANGES AND LEMONS came a welcome by two disc jockeys, American Army Sergeant DICK DUDLEY and Aircraftsman RONNIE WALDMAN of the RAF, who advised everyone that every morning at 6 o鈥檆lock they鈥檇 be presenting a programme of popular music called RISE AND SHINE 鈥� and then came the original recording by ABE LYMAN AND HIS COCOANUT GROVE DANCE BAND 鈥� the first record to be played on the AEF Programme 70 years ago; the signature tune that would be played every morning at the start of the broadcast day.

Then on that first morning it was Sergeant Dick Dudley who introduced the first record 鈥� everybody鈥檚 favourite Big band Classic 鈥� THE ARTIE SHAW 1938 recording of BEGIN THE BEGUINE.

Sgt. Dick Dudley then went on to introduce a song from THE WIZARD OF OZ, followed by DEANNA DURBIN and GLENN MILLER with CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO, before handing over to听 A/C RONNIE WALDMAN to introduce the first British contribution to programme No.1: that splendid Australian baritone, PETER DAWSON and his famous version of OLD FATHER THAMES.听

Ronnie Waldman then went on to say that British bands could also play Big Band swing 鈥� especially the No1 Dance Band of the Royal Air Force 鈥� THE SQUADRONAIRES 鈥� and he introduced their recording of a number which had been composed by their drummer JOCK CUMMINGS and trombonist GEORGE CHISHOLM 鈥� they called it RINGLE DINGLE.听听听听听听听

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At 7 o鈥檆lock it was scheduled for a two minute break for news bulletins 鈥� and the recording that took everyone up to the news was HOLIDAY FOR STRINGS, played by the orchestra of the man who had composed it 鈥� DAVID ROSE.

The AEF Radio Service had been set up by the 麻豆约拍, The American Forces Network, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on the specific orders of the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.

It was a brilliant concept which provided morale-boosting entertainment for the troops who had fought on the beaches of Normandy on D-DAY, and had been brought back to rest areas, while the second wave of attack went in.听

At 8 o鈥檆lock on that first day they broadcast the first scheduled, ten minute news bulletin, with news of the war everywhere, and a few stories from home.听 This was followed by two 鈥渇iller鈥� items 鈥� a march by the Band of H.M. Coldstream Guards 鈥� and a special version of CIRIBIRIBIN by the orchestra of ace trumpeter HARRY JAMES.

After CIRIBIRIBIN, the AEF programme continued throughout most of the day with transcriptions of radio shows from The States, the 麻豆约拍 and from Canada 鈥� mostly programmes that would have reminded the troops of the places they came from, with familiar artistes and personalities.

One of the British contributions was from a dance band we knew as THE SAVOY HOTEL ORPHEANS.听 Their conductor was the American pianist CARROLL GIBBONS, who had been very much part of the 麻豆约拍 Dance Band Days of the 30s, and who had stayed in London throughout the war years, providing every one with sophisticated music from theatre and Hollywood musicals.

One of the songs from their programme of D-DAY PLUS ONE was I鈥橪L BE SEEING YOU, and the vocalist was JULIE DAWN.

After that recording by Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans there came a series of transcriptions 鈥� radio shows from the 麻豆约拍, the USA and Canada, pre-recorded, not onto magnetic tape, but 10-minute acetate discs 鈥� which of course meant crossing-over from one playback machine to another to relay a half-hour show 鈥� but all these problems had been planned for and everything ran smoothly throughout that first day.

The lunchtime audience was catered for when, after the mid-day news, on came a record programme called DUFFLE BAG, introduced by US Army Sergeant JOHNNY KERR 鈥� and the signature tune was the popular TOMMY DORSEY recording OPUS ONE.

The DJ 鈥� Sgt, Johnny Kerr, had a wide-ranging selection of entertainers, including our own GRACIE FIELDS 鈥� and four records into the programme he introduced this old favourite 鈥� SALLY.

During the afternoon that followed, there was a transcription of a concert by the orchestra of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and a couple of hours later a concert by the 麻豆约拍 Symphony Orchestra. It was all a carefully thought-out, wide-ranging variation in taste and style.

The early evening schedule included THE BOB HOPE SHOW, and THE KOLLEGE OF MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE 鈥� music and comedy with KAY KYSER and his orchestra and singers.

After that the first day of broadcasting by the AEF Programme continued with mostly American bands and singers 鈥� then after the midnight news bulletin came the British and American Anthems, and shut-down.

Then at 6 a.m. on the 8th of June 1944, D-DAY PLUS TWO, Sgt Dick Dudley was back with his two hour programme RISE AND SHINE 鈥� and it was noticeable that there was an increase in the contribution by British entertainers 鈥� The Geraldo Dance Band, Jimmy Leach and his Organolians, Victor Silvester and his Jive Band, and the RAF Skyrockets 鈥� and the young lady we called The Forces Sweetheart, VERA LYNN.

Among the American stars in that programme were BING CROSBY, FRED ASTAIRE, GLENN MILLER, BENNY GOODMAN, ELLA FITZGERALD, and the singer/band leader, PHIL HARRIS with THAT鈥橲 WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE SOUTH.

听After that RISE AND SHINE ended, to give way to a half hour transcription of music by GERALDO and His Orchestra, followed by The CANADIAN ARMY SHOW, introduced by a well-known 麻豆约拍 Canadian, GERRY WILMOT 鈥� then came a concert by The QUEEN鈥橲 HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA, and then a transcription of the 麻豆约拍 comedy show NAVY MIXTURE.

Later that day the AEF control room in Broadcasting House, London, provided a simultaneous live broadcast of one of the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 top shows 鈥� TOMMY HANDLEY with ITMA 鈥� IT鈥橲 THAT MAN AGAIN. It seemed that the AEF Programme had settled down with its commitment to provide 18 hours of broadcasting every day 鈥� and the allied forces in Northern France were very grateful for the morale-boosting entertainment and news.

On the morning of Sunday 11th of June 1944 鈥� D-DAY PLUS 5, 麻豆约拍 announcer MARGARET HUBBLE introduce a programme called HOME SPUN, featuring stars from Britain and Ireland, who included ANNE ZIEGLER and WEBSTER BOOTH, GEORGE FORMBY, WILL FYFFE, JOHN McCORMACK, and the Welsh tenor TREFOR JONES singing a song from IVOR NOVELLO鈥橲 GLAMOROUS NIGHT 鈥� 鈥楽HINE THROUGH MY DREAMS鈥�.

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For the rest of Sunday, the 11th of June, 1944, the AEF programme was again a mixture of transcriptions of familiar British, American, and Canadian shows 鈥� and they include SUNDAY SERENADE by the Scottish Variety Orchestra 鈥� and AMERICAN BAND WAGON featuring Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra.

It was followed by a programme which was put together by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and presented by a familiar 麻豆约拍 voice from Canada 鈥� GERRY WILMOT 鈥� who, after welcoming his listeners introduced the Band of the Canadian Army, whose leader would become another familiar 麻豆约拍 contributor, ROBERT FARNON.

Then came a series of recordings by famous Canadians who had become major stars in the States 鈥� with TUMBLING TUMBLEWEED by BOB NOLAN and The Sons of The Pioneers, followed by an extract from the very American JACK BENNY RADIO SHOW, whose main guest artiste was one of Hollywood鈥檚 biggest musical stars 鈥� the girl from Winnipeg 鈥� DEANNA DURBIN.

Eisenhower issued every platoon with portable radio receivers so that the exhausted troops who had landed on the Normandy beaches on D-Day would have morale-boosting entertainment when they were brought back to rest areas as the second wave of attack went in.

The war in Europe ended in May 1945, and the final AEF programme was broadcast on the evening of Saturday the 28th of July. It had been invaluable to the allies as they fought their way to victory.

The story of the AEF Programme is available on the internet 鈥� but I鈥檓 particularly grateful to researcher NEIL SOMMERVILLE, who dug into the 麻豆约拍 Archives for information on the programme content.

We sign off our programme with the march from THE LONGEST DAY, played by the Band of the Royal British Legion.

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DEWI GRIFFITHS