The American Forces Network

The American Forces Network (AFN) originated from the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS), which featured recordings from notable Hollywood and Broadway celebrities during the war years. The US Army began broadcasting from London using borrowed equipment and studio facilities from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 1943. Corporal Syl Binkin was the first US military broadcaster to be heard over the airwaves. As D-Day approached, the network collaborated with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to create programs specifically for the Allied Expeditionary Forces. Mobile stations with personnel, broadcasting equipment, and record libraries were deployed to deliver news and music to troops in the field, while also reporting on frontline activities. The AFN programs were widely enjoyed by both US troops and British civilian listeners, and were eventually available to civilian audiences across most of Europe. This podcast features recordings of some of these historic broadcasts.