WWII Photos - Taken / Collected by Family Members

[Tourbillion]

Tourbillion, the picture from your dad looks very good. all the decorations near the picture are original or only as a decoration? how long did he stood in the army?


murena

He was only in during WWII, he was stationed in Europe and Asia. He also worked for the DoD as a rather high ranked civilian (GS-15 or 16). I am trying to get details from the military.

I haven't really seen this photo in person. It is rather unbelievable that those could be his decorations.

The only thing I am 100% sure of at this moment is the expert marksmanship badge he is wearing. I remember seeing that on his papers as a kid, he was a really good shot.

If I am right about remembering his unit, 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, there should be a presidential unit citation for D-Day at Omaha Beach. I guess all will be revealed as soon as his papers get here.

 

[Widebrim]

He was only in during WWII, he was stationed in Europe and Asia. He also worked for the DoD as a rather high ranked civilian (GS-15 or 16). I am trying to get details from the military.

I haven't really seen this photo in person. It is rather unbelievable that those could be his decorations.

The only thing I am 100% sure of at this moment is the expert marksmanship badge he is wearing. I remember seeing that on his papers as a kid, he was a really good shot.

If I am right about remembering his unit, 299th Combat Engineer Battalion, there should be a presidential unit citation for D-Day at Omaha Beach. I guess all will be revealed as soon as his papers get here.

Tourbillion, it appears that those medals are simply part of the Army frame; whatever your father actually was awarded will be in his records. Interesting that he served in both Europe and Asia.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Uncle Lou Buckley at the Siegfried Line 1945

-dixon cannon

 

[Widebrim]

-dixon cannon

Very nice.

 

[Andy Baillie]

Here's My Grandad 545th Tank Transporters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34791497@N07/3382300364/in/set-72157615843276540/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34791497@N07/3382300372/in/set-72157615843276540/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34791497@N07/3403536589/in/set-72157615843276540/

 

[Widebrim]

Nice photos, Andy Baille. Where was the one taken from c. '44-'45? The Tommy on the left definitely needs a haircut!

 

[Spitfire]

Posted some time ago in another thread, but here is my father (left) in the resistance. The picture was taken may 5, 1945 - when they could operate in the open and even wear uniforms (danish army most of it)

Please also notice the armband. The sign of The Resistance.
Only very few groups were actually in uniforms.

The group my father was in - also may 5, 1945:

My father stands partly hidden in the back.

 

[Widebrim]

Nice, Spitfire!:eusa_clap A part of WWII history often lost to us Yanks.

 

[Spitfire]

Nice, Spitfire!:eusa_clap A part of WWII history often lost to us Yanks.

I wrote about his story here: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=24020
for those of you interested.

 

[Andy Baillie]

Nice photos, Andy Baille. Where was the one taken from c. '44-'45? The Tommy on the left definitely needs a haircut!

Thanks,
I'll go through the album when I get it back off my Uncle, It says exactly where they went and when,
My Dad got my Grandad to go through them (sadly not long before he died) and write a page (based on his diaries he kept) for each page of photos

They are somewhere in Holland I think in that picture

 

[Widebrim]

A bump to this thread, especially since I know now how to post large photos (thanks John in Covina!). So here again is the one that started this thread, but in a size that is a help rather than a hinderance:

The back of the photo only says COLOR PRINTS Inc. 1711 No. Vermont Ave. Hollywood 27 Calif, and has a re-order number, but that's all. This belonged to my father (17th Inf. Reg., 7th ID, USA), so it could be Kwajalein, Leyte, or Okinawa (definately not Attu). Heck, it could even be Hawaii...

 

[Widebrim]

Another one from the beginning of this thread, but now readily viewable. My father found this somewhere on the Marshall Islands (likely Kwajelein) and it reads on the back in his writing: "Japanese Navy Ground Crew From Marshall Island (sic)." It is stamped, in a red circle: EXAMINED IN THE FIELD, PASSED BY JOINT INTELLIGENCE. The date appears to be Feb 8 1944, and three letters/numbers appear below this. Although hard to see, their unit patch appears to be temporarily attached to two of the men in the front. Also take note of the potted plants on the balcony bannister.

 

[Diamondback]

Tourbillion, sorry to be late to the party but I can tell you that your father qualified "Expert" with at least one weapon--the laurels-around-crosshairs is an Expert Marksman's Badge, which would carry a bar attached underneath for each weapon the soldier qualified "Expert" on. I've seen or heard of bars for Pistol, Carbine, Rifle, TSMG (Thompson SubMachine Gun), and Field Artillery (like to see someone do sniper-grade work with a 105mm Howitzer!lol), and there may have been bars for other weapons as well.

Over the years, there've been Qual bars between Marksman- and Technician-type decorations for:
# AntiAircraft Artillery
# Aerial Bomber
# Aeroweapons
# Automatic Rifle
# Bayonet
# Carbine
# Coastal Artillery
# C.A. Gunner
# C.W.S. Weapons
# F.A. Gunner
# Field Artillery
# Flamethrower
# Grenade
# Infantry Howitzer
# Machine Gun
# Machine Rifle
# Machinegun
# Mine Gunner
# Mines
# Missile
# Mortar
# Pistol
# Recoilless Rifle
# Rifle
# Rifle, M-14
# Rifle, M-16
# Rocket Launcher
# Small Bore Pistol (anything less than .45-caliber)
# Small Bore Rifle (anything below .30-caliber)
# Submachine Gun
# Sword
# Tank Weapons
# TD (Tank Destroyer?) 3-inch (bore of Main Gun)
# TD 57-mm
# TD 37-mm
# TD 75-mm
# 60-mm Mortar
# 81-mm Mortar

Army Air Force Airframe & Powerplant ratings:
# AP Engine Mechanic
# AP Mechanic
# AP Power Plant SP (Specialist?)
# AP (Other)

Not all of these were around in WWII (the M16 didn't even exist yet, and the M14 would've existed at best only as an idea in somebody's head for revising the Garand).

Source: http://www.amervets.com/replacement/mme.htm#app

Also, a request to our relatives of WWII Navy Veterans: if any of your photo albums include DATED (I don't need hour/minute/second, but I do need month and year) photos of US Navy ships, could you please either post them or PM me? I'm working on a research-project cataloging the camo schemes various ships wore, and there are some where I can't find any official USN photos at all (like DD-666 USS Black for one), and Navy History & Heritage Command's camo-history website is still under construction.

NOTE: Edited to incorporate Walt's data below. Thanks, Marine, and Semper Fi!

 

[PrairieSunrise]

What wonderful thread! I wish our scanner was working so I could post our pictures, but sadly, it's broken.

 

[Widebrim]

Kwajalein, 17 Inf. Reg., 7th I.D., USA

Here is another from my father's album.

If the the writing is not clear: "After the battle of Kwajalein. Notice soldier, pushing Jap cart? Beyond Japanese seaplane in wreck."

It appears that G.I. on left is drinking from his canteen (and he looks to be carrying a bazooka?). Also notice solider on extreme right with unbloused trousers.

 

[WW2WaltUSMC]

Next time I am home I will try and upload some of my grandfathers photos. But for now, Diamondback, the A&P on USAAF bars stands for Airframes and Powerplants. They also had gold on blue embroidered specialty insignia for these ratings worn on, I believe, the right sleeve between elbow and wrist. Semper Fi.

 

[Widebrim]

But for now, Diamondback, the A&P on USAAF bars stands for Airframes and Powerplants. They also had gold on blue embroidered specialty insignia for these ratings worn on, I believe, the right sleeve between elbow and wrist. QUOTE]

That's correct, Walt. I have a WWII USAAF dress shirt, and it has a blue, triangular-shaped patch on the right sleeve, featuring a gold-colored radio tower with radio waves emanating out of it.

 

[Stearmen]

9th Air Foce

Here are the A&P Badge and the T.S.M.G. Qualifying badge of my fathers. Plus two photos of him with his Corporals trying out their new flight gear and with his Tommy Gun. He was with the 9th Air Force 81st Troop Carrier Squadron in England, they towed Horsa gliders for the 101st on D-Day. He also had Air Crew wings as a Crew Chief. His main job was Dope and Fabric, which he said made him popular with his men, since they would be done in a few hours, while the metal boys would be up all night! They spent June 4th painting Invasion Stripes on C-47s and gliders, remember, the invasion was suppose to be on the 5th, so everyone on base new. Also, in the days leading up to the invasion, they painted British Roundels on C-47s for the RAF to use. Still not sure why they issued him a Tommy Gun, when there was such a shortage on the front lines, must be Military Intellegence!

 

[Doublegun]

My father, probably 1938-1941

A couple of months ago I found two photo albums filled with photos of my dad during the war that I had never seen before. He passed away 7-years ago so virtually all of the history is lost forever. I really wish I would have had an opportunity for him to take me through those albums. So much history so much of what made my dad....

 

[Widebrim]

My father, probably 1938-1941

This photo is particularly a stand-out. Looks like something that would have appeared in Life or Newsweek.