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George Patton And The Camera

Hard-fighting General George S. Patton, Jr., wasn’t just a warrior, he was a showman–dramatic, flamboyant, and ready to mug for the camera.

Patton in Operation Torch landingPatton in Operation Torch landing
Major General George S. Patton, Jr., shouts last-minute orders before going ashore during the November 1942 Allied landings in North Africa. Patton was famous for coloring his speech with profanity and violent imagery. (National Archives)

Patton with Franklin Roosevelt in CasablancaPatton with Franklin Roosevelt in Casablanca
President Franklin D. Roosevelt pauses during his January 1942 inspection of American troops at Casablanca, Morocco, to chat with Patton. (National Archives)

Patton watching tanks battle in TunisiaPatton watching tanks battle in Tunisia
Now a lieutenant general commanding the US Army’s II Corps, Patton watches his tanks confront German armor in Tunisia in spring 1943. His trusty ivory-handled Colt .45 is on his hip. (National Archives)

Patton examining a map in TunisiaPatton examining a map in Tunisia
Patton studies a map somewhere along the Tunisian front, as his II Corps presses Axis forces. (National Archives)

Patton, Terry Allen, and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., in TunisiaPatton, Terry Allen, and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., in Tunisia
A foxhole shelters Patton and (from left) Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., and Major General Terry Allen as they watch fighting at El Guettar, Tunisia, in March 1943. (National Archives)

Cameraman tracking Patton camera in TunisiaCameraman tracking Patton in Tunisia
On July 9, 1943, Patton’s new Seventh Army—and Britain’s Eighth—swept onto Axis-held Sicily. A cameraman tracks Patton as he wades ashore on the invasion’s second day. (National Archives)

Patton smoking a cigar in Gela, SicilyPatton smoking a cigar in Gela, Sicily
Cooperation with the British wasn’t Patton’s aim on Sicily. He wanted to push across the island ahead of the Brits. Here, he savors a cigar as his army fills the streets of Gela. (National Archives)

Patton and Bernard Montgomery on the way to PalermoPatton and Bernard Montgomery on the way to Palermo
British General Bernard Montgomery was Patton’s unwitting rival in the rush to liberate Sicily. Here, the two generals chat on the road to Palermo in July 1943. (National Archives)

Patton and Lyle Bernard in MessinaPatton and Lyle Bernard in Messina
In the midst of his race to beat Montgomery’s Eighth Army to Messina, Sicily, a clean and crisply dressed Patton talks strategy with Lieutenant Colonel Lyle W. Bernard. (National Archives)

Patton rallying troops in Northern IrelandPatton rallying troops in Northern Ireland
Slapping a GI in a hospital in Sicily nearly cost Patton his career. He sat out June 1944’s Normandy Invasion D-Day, instead overseeing a deception effort in the British Isles. Here, he addresses GIs in Northern Ireland during spring 1944. (National Archives)

Patton with French children in NormandyPatton with French children in Normandy
After his temporary exile, Patton joined the action in France in August 1944, taking command of the Third Army in Normandy, where he chats with youngsters in a village. (National Archives)

Patton pins the Silver Star on Ernest JenkinsPatton pins the Silver Star on Ernest Jenkins
In an era of discrimination, Patton judged African American units on performance, not race. In France in August 1944, he pins the Silver Star on Private Ernest A. Jenkins. (National Archives)

Patton observing engine maintenance in the Third ArmyPatton observing engine maintenance in the Third Army
Patton discusses engine maintenance with Ordnance Sergeant Maurice Baker at a Third Army ordnance shop in October 1944. (National Archives)

Patton stops to urinate in the RhinePatton stops to urinate in the Rhine
Crossing the Rhine River into Germany’s heartland in March 1945 was a moment full of significance for Patton. He marked it by stopping to urinate in the river. (National Archives)

Patton after crossing the RhinePatton after crossing the Rhine
Safely across the Rhine, Patton salutes Third Army engineers for their bridge-building work. (National Archives)

Patton and a tank from the 14th Armored DivisionPatton and a tank from the 14th Armored Division
In May 1945, a livid Patton walks away after scolding a 14th Armored Division tank’s men for sandbagging their tank. He believed protective barriers made troops timid. (National Archives)

Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, and Harry Truman in BerlinPatton, Dwight Eisenhower, and Harry Truman in Berlin
Savoring victory, Patton stands between General Dwight D. Eisenhower and President Harry S. Truman at a July 1945 flag-raising in Berlin—former capital of Nazi Germany. (National Archives)

Patton mounted on the horse Favory Africa in AfricaPatton mounted on the horse Favory Africa in Austria
At St. Martin, Austria, on August 22, 1945, Patton enjoys a ride atop Favory Africa, a horse that Adolf Hitler had intended to present to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. (National Archives)

Patton and Gregory Zhukov in BerlinPatton and Gregory Zhukov in Berlin
Patton and Soviet Marshal Gregory Zhukov review Allied troops in Berlin on September 7, 1945. Patton would soon perish with the war he had helped win. Injuries from a car accident claimed his life on December 21, 1945. (National Archives)