The incredible combat photography of TV director who traded in Hollywood glamor to capture the devastation of WWII

  • John Florea started career photographing Hollywood stars, ended it filming hit television shows
  • But during the Second World War he embedded with American troops to document their battle  

By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published: 15:23 EST, 29 October 2015 | Updated: 22:01 EST, 29 October 2015

He started his career photographing Hollywood stars, and ended it shooting hit TV shows of the 1980s.

But John Florea, acclaimed director of Mission: Impossible and Dukes Of Hazzard, had an unusual hiatus.

Trading in dazzling paparazzi bulbs for the devastating blasts of grenades and missiles, the budding photographer embedded with an American platoon to capture their experience fighting the Nazis in the Second World War.

At first, aboard a ship in the Pacific, the scenes were relatively jovial. Once he reached the trenches of Europe, that changed. 

The dark images show soldiers filling in mass graves, with the victims' faces gaping out. Bodies lie strewn across a yard in another shot. In one, an American soldier inspects the bleak aftermath of a mass execution of his imprisoned comrades: soldiers lie lifeless under a thick blanket of snow and the building behind them is only half intact.

'They were all heroes,' Florea said in 1995, five years before his death at 84, according to his obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 'They had to carry a gun, and they had to shoot it. I could go up and shoot pictures of them, but I could turn around any time I wanted. They had to stay there.'

Scroll down for a look at his bleak and moving work, which is exhibited at the Steven Kasher Gallery in New York City until December 19, 2015. 

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT 

He started his career photographing Hollywood stars, and ended it shooting hit TV shows. But John Florea, acclaimed director of Dukes Of Hazzard, had an unusual hiatus. He went to capture the Second World War. This photograph is one of many bleak scenes in Europe

He started his career photographing Hollywood stars, and ended it shooting hit TV shows. But John Florea, acclaimed director of Dukes Of Hazzard, had an unusual hiatus. He went to capture the Second World War. This photograph is one of many bleak scenes in Europe

Devastating: At the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, Nordhausen, Germany, April, 1945

Devastating: At the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, Nordhausen, Germany, April, 1945

An American soldier looks numbly at bodies of American prisoners who were shot by the Germans, January 1945

An American soldier looks numbly at bodies of American prisoners who were shot by the Germans, January 1945

'Have you heard this? It'll kill ya!!': Torpedos on the deck of a ship during the Tarawa Battle, 1943

'Have you heard this? It'll kill ya!!': Torpedos on the deck of a ship during the Tarawa Battle, 1943

Filling in a mass grave in Europe
A roadside tragedy, La Gleize, Belgium, December 1944

Filling in a mass grave in Europe (left). A roadside tragedy (right), La Gleize, Belgium, December 1944

Young German children, one holding his ears, watch vehicle of US 9th Armored Division pass through their village during the Allied drive towards Berlin, March 1945

Young German children, one holding his ears, watch vehicle of US 9th Armored Division pass through their village during the Allied drive towards Berlin, March 1945

Florea captured the bodies strewn across the ground of a concentration camp
The emaciated face of a U.S. PoW

Florea captured the bodies strewn across the ground of a concentration camp (left) and the emaciated face of a U.S. PoW (right)

At first, aboard a ship in the Pacific, the scenes were relatively jovial. Once he reached the trenches of Europe, that changed

At first, aboard a ship in the Pacific, the scenes were relatively jovial. Once he reached the trenches of Europe, that changed

Racing Along with the Ninth Armored Division in Germany, April 1945
Landing on the Normandy Coast (right), circa July 18, 1945

Racing along with the Ninth Armored Division in Germany, April 1945 (left). Landing on the Normandy Coast (right), circa July 18, 1945 

A poker-faced German girl, Cologne, Germany, March 1945

A poker-faced German girl, Cologne, Germany, March 1945

Overturned German tank inspected by U.S. soldiers , November 24, 1944

Overturned German tank inspected by U.S. soldiers , November 24, 1944

Despite their horrific experiences, these men managed to give Florea a smile - something that moved him for the rest of his life

Despite their horrific experiences, these men managed to give Florea a smile - something that moved him for the rest of his life

LIFE war photographer John Florea wearing battle gear (helmet reads FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT) in self portrait somewhere in the Pacific

LIFE war photographer John Florea wearing battle gear (helmet reads FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT) in self portrait somewhere in the Pacific

 

 

Comments (166)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now