AFRS-28


The biggest names in Hollywood and Broadway recorded for AFRS during the war years, The American Forces Network can trace its origins back to May 26, 1942, when the War Department established the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS). The U.S. Army began broadcasting from London during World War II, using equipment and studio facilities borrowed from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The first transmission to U.S. troops began at 5:45 p.m. on July 4, 1943 and included less than five hours of recorded shows, a BBC news and sports broadcast. That day, Corporal Syl Binkin became the first U.S. Military broadcaster heard over the air. The signal was sent from London via telephone lines to five regional transmitters to reach U.S. troops in the United Kingdom as they made preparations for the inevitable invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. Fearing competition for civilian audiences the BBC initially tried to impose restrictions on AFN broadcasts within Britain (transmissions were only allowed from American Bases outside London and were limited to 50 watts of transmission power) and a minimum quota of British produced programming had to be carried. Nevertheless AFN programmes were widely enjoyed by the British civilian listeners who could receive them and once AFN operations transferred to continental Europe (shortly after D-Day) AFN were able to broadcast with little restriction with programmes available to civilian audiences across most of Europe (including Britain) after dark. As D-Day approached, the network joined with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to develop programs especially for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Mobile stations, complete with personnel, broadcasting equipment, and a record library were deployed to broadcast music and news to troops in the field. The mobile stations reported on front line activities and fed the news reports back to studio locations in London.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

License

Chapters

AFRS 001 - Fred Allen - (guest) Orson Welles 10-18-42 29:05
AFRS 001 - Words With Music - Merle Oberon 15:07
AFRS 002 - Words With Music - Margo 15:08
AFRS 005 - Words With Music - Margo 15:03
AFRS 006 - Words With Music - Ann Richards 15:11
AFRS 011 - Yank Bandstand - Dick Jurgens (first song) GI G-I Do 14:38
AFRS 012 - My Little Margie - Christmas 12-21-52 25:42
AFRS 012 - Yank Bandstand - Dick Jurgens (first song) It Had to be You 14:46
AFRS 013 - Words With Music - Maureen O'Sullivan 15:06
AFRS 014 - Words With Music - Mary Astor 14:56
AFRS 015 - Xavier Cugat (first song) The Peanut Vendor 12-09-43 30:14
AFRS 019 - Oscar Brand - World of Folk Music 03-31-61 54:37
AFRS 022 - Roger Carroll 02-03-61 26:45
AFRS 022 - Xavier Cugat (first song) Mexican Hat Dance 02-23-44 29:36
AFRS 027 - Words With Music - Mary Jane Croft 14:58
AFRS 028 - Words With Music - Jane Wyatt 15:03
AFRS 031 - Duffys Tavern - (guests) Joan Davis and Dinah Shore 12-14-43 30:44
AFRS 038 - Comedy Caravan 03-10-44 29:05
AFRS 040 - Fred Allen - Guest - Oscar Levant 04-23-44 29:41
AFRS 057 - The Swingin' Years 07-14-61 29:52
AFRS 062 - Fred Allen - Guest - Maurice Evans 09-02-45 29:43
AFRS 062 - Jubilee - Tiny Bradshaw - Jack Benny 01-24-44 29:26
AFRS 073 - Dinah Shore - Guest - Groucho Marx 09-06-45 29:39
AFRS 078 - Roy Rogers - Wagon Raiders 03-04-51 26:11
AFRS 084 - The Swingin Years 08-22-61 29:58
AFRS 087 - GI Journal - Jack Benny - Paulette Goddard 03-23-45 29:54
AFRS 095 - Jack Benny - Claudette Colbert - Paulette Goddard 04-15-45 24:02
AFRS 098 - GI Journal - Joan Blondell - Ella Mae Morse 06-08-45 29:23
AFRS 099 - Fanny Brice - 05-13-45 28:49
AFRS 100 - Charlie McCarthy - (guest) Lynn Bari 03-25-45 28:29
AFRS 104 - Jubilee - Lionel Hampton - Dinah Washington 10-16-44 29:44
AFRS 111 - Charlie McCarthy - (guest) Keenan Wynn 09-09-45 29:12
AFRS 113 - Charlie McCarthy - (guest) Anne Baxter 09-23-45 30:01
AFRS 116 - Jubilee - Lucky Millinder - Judy Carroll 05-19-45 30:08
AFRS 117 - Charlie McCarthy - (guest) Fred Allen 10-21-45 29:48
AFRS 125 - Charlie McCarthy - (guest) Susan Hayward 12-16-45 29:03
AFRS 130 - Mail Call - Edgar Bergen - Ingrid Bergman 01-31-45 30:11
AFRS 137 - Kollege Of Musical Knowledge - AAF Redistribution Station, Santa Ann… 30:11
AFRS 145 - Jubilee - Fletcher Henderson - Valaida Snow 08-27-45 30:05
AFRS 180 - Mail Call - Janis Paige - Frank Sinatra 01-30-46 29:59
AFRS 190 - My Friend Irma - Coronation Show 05-26-53 24:49
AFRS 191 - Jubilee - Benny Carter - Lucy Elliott - Herb Jeffries 07-08-46 29:58
AFRS 192 - My Friend Irma - Irma See's A Ghost 06-16-53 24:53
AFRS 194 - My Friend Irma - Irma Buys An Air Conditioner 06-30-53 24:33
AFRS 250 - The Swingin Years 07-16-62 29:25
AFRS 256 - Could This Be You 03-03-61 25:18
AFRS 271 - Jubilee - Kay Starr - Pete Johnson - Johnny Mercer 12-27-47 30:27
AFRS 328 - Chiquita xx-xx-55 15:21
AFRS 329 - Chiquita xx-xx-55 15:16
American Band Of The Supreme Allied Command - Glenn Miller AAF Band 08-01-44 29:10

Reviews

Date Correction


(0 stars)

AFRS 062 - Fred Allen - Guest - Maurice Evans 09-02-45 should be dated January 13, 1946.