“MIDWAY AND WAKE” 1948 TRAVELOGUE FILM MIDWAY ISLAND & WAKE ISLAND GOONEY BIRDS XD50274

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This rarely seen film takes viewers to Midway Island and Wake Island in the Pacific for a brief tour following the aftermath of WW2. Both islands featured important battles including the Battle of Wake Island and the Battle of Midway whose results delivered a severe blow to Japanese aircraft and sank all four of the carriers involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film is presented by Crystal Pictures Inc. (:10). The film opens with a note: while the areas were struck with heavy naval and air bombardment, much of the damage was sequestered to those locations which had since been rebuilt (:22). The shoreline of Midway follows (:58) littered with thousands of birds making it a natural sanctuary (1:13). The birds are pictured laying their eggs in the sand (1:32). The Moaning Bird nestles into one of its holes dug into the sand (1:54). A pair of White Terns hovers over tree branches (2:06). Another sits next to its egg freshly laid on a branch (2:23). Glass balls which have rolled onto the shore by sea current are inspected (2:46). Locals walk among liaison albatross (3:08) also known as ‘goofy goonies’. A helicopter takes travelers on an eight hour trip over water to Wake Island (5:04). Sailboats drift in Wake Island’s lagoon (6:04). Divers dip into the waters to explore the coral reef (6:27). Hermit crabs pick their shells along the ocean floor (7:10). Squirrel fish swim around an anemone (7:35). Damselfish dot the foreground (7:50). The ever elegant angel fish swims among rocks in a coral pool (7:56). The dark spot which gives the saddle butterfly fish its name is highlighted (8:03). A Moorish Idol follows (8:20). Coral cod appear camouflaged against the coral here (9:00). The film concludes as the divers return to the boat’s surface (9:23). Prior to WWII, Midway and Wake Island served as important way stations for Pan Am flying boats on their way across the Pacific. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
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