This 1944 black and white documentary film B.3004 about DDT is an AKS production sponsored by the U.K. government’s WWII War Office. DDT is the common name of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, an insecticide that was used in WWII to prevent the spread of malaria and typhus among troops. Except for the use of malaria control, it is now widely banned. DDT was promoted extensively by western governments, and this film is a piece of that promotion.
Microscopic views are shown of a mosquito, flea, and fly (0:46-1:16). A reenactment of Othmar Zeidler’s 1874 initial synthesis of DDT is shown (1:17-1:53). A skull is shown as vintage newspaper clips of death tolls with insect-spread diseases flash overtop (1:54-2:14). Scientists research insecticides in a laboratory (2:15-2:40). The primary areas of WWII-era typhus, malaria, and other insect-spread diseases are shown on a map (2:41-4:33). A scientist uses his own blood to study DDT’s effect on lice (4:34-5:13). A spray-based DDT kills flies (5:14-5:39). Walls and bedding are directly sprayed with DDT (5:40-6:02). A scientist experiments with DDT on adult and larvae mosquitoes (6:03-7:07). Military officials spray DDT over ponds and woods (7:08-7:44). Experiments are conducted on rabbits, and the remains are examined under a microscope (7:45-8:54). Shirts with DDT are distributed to army workers for human testing (8:55-10:13). Researchers work in a WWII military laboratory, and random snippets of manufacturing are shown (10:14-12:00). Women mix chemicals with talcum powder in a factory. Oil mixed with DDT is poured into metal drums (12:00-12:27). Workers add DDT power when dry cleaning shirts (12:28-12:58). Tanks, ships, soldiers marching, and trucks are shown (12:59-13:12). Clips of D-Day are shown (13:13-14:08). DDT is sprayed on walls, under rugs, and even on kitchen walls directly over food (14:09-14:38). German prisoners of war are sprayed with DDT (14:39-15:48). Sparklet ball valves are adapted to contain DDT and are manufactured by British women (15:49-16:24). A plane sprays DDT over a fields and forests to wipe out mosquitos in testing, and then sprayed over the troops (16:25-17:51). Soldiers wading through neck high water are shot at and a hand-grenade is thrown (17:52-18:15). Advancing forces hand-spray DDT on standing water (18:17-18:30). Soldiers pull a Japanese soldier out of a foxhole bunker and spray the area (18:31-18:48). A soldier sprays DDT in a tent (18:49-18:58). A line of military ambulances is shown (18:59). An ill soldier is given an IV of penicillin (19:02-19:15). Naples is shown in ruins from German bombing. Starving people fight over food and water is gathered from sewers (19:17-20:07). This led to the 1943 typhus epidemic. Patients are shown in a hospital (20:09-21:20). DDT was used in delousing stations, where men, women, and children are openly sprayed. This stopped the epidemic (21:21-22:10). Women in a laboratory continued to study DDT. A man looks at insects under a microscope. (22:13-22:42). Starving people are shown (22:43). Locusts swarm (22:50-22:55). Healthy girls bicycle, and little girls drink milk (22:59-23:20).
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