Many thanks to Doug Banks and his team—the masters of colorization. The beauty of these colorized images is that the color allows you to see and study even the smallest details. This brings these 100-year-old images to life. It’s the research they conduct for each image that turns the captions themselves into a history lesson.

Sherman Firefly Vc T212680 “Belvedere” of “B” Squadron, Staffordshire Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Brigade, along with other tanks and infantry before the start of “Operation Goodwood” on the morning of 18 July 1944.

On 16 July, the Staffordshire Yeomanry crossed the River Orne, and on the 18th the attack began. It was preceded by a heavy air raid on the enemy gun emplacements by 450 aircraft of the Tactical Air Force. ‘C’ Squadron was assigned to the 13th/18th Hussars for the first phase of the operation and tasked with marching through them once they had reached and consolidated their objective, the village of Butte de la Hogue. Shortly after the air raid ended, the barrage began, and fifteen minutes later, as it lifted, the 3rd Infantry Division, supported by the 27th Armoured Brigade, began its advance. The tanks of the 13th/18th Hussars quickly reached Butte de la Hogue, and ‘C’ Squadron crossed it, charging across the plain to the lateral railway line to the south, which was their objective. They lost two tanks that were disabled by an anti-tank gun in Lirose.

Squadrons “A” and “B” advanced along the left flank of the main axis, clearing pockets of resistance and attacking tanks and anti-tank guns. They eventually reached Lirose, where they attacked several enemy strongpoints in a concentrated fire. Two Shermans from Squadron “B” were lost to anti-tank fire. Major Turner and Lieutenant Elks were wounded. Corporal Steer was killed during the advance, and fourteen other soldiers were wounded.

Although Falaise was not reached due to increasing resistance in the densely wooded country beyond the railway line, the operation was partially successful. The entire breakthrough area was consolidated and provided a solid base for further British and Canadian attacks on Falaise, which finally fell on August 16, almost simultaneously with the arrival of the Americans at Argentan.
The Staffordshire Yeomanry spent several days in this area, concentrated near the Butte de la Hogue. Their task was to hold the two villages of Le Preaux and Cagny, located south of the salient, and they spent their time conducting mopping-up operations and conducting several patrols to assist the infantry in clearing the extensive woods on the left flank. For most of the time, they were subjected to fairly heavy artillery and mortar fire but escaped without further losses.

(Source – IWM B 7513 – Sgt. Laing No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit) (Colored by Joshua Barrett from Great Britain)

On their way to England, the men of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry, found and rescued this puppy named Smokey, pictured here in Iceland.

The troops took him to England. Here he is seen with a member of the 503rd, talking with Lt. John Timothy, the British liaison officer to the 2/503rd. The 503rd was the first American ground unit to reach England after Pearl Harbor. There is some confusion today about the history of the 2/503rd. The battalion participated in Operation Torch and conducted the U.S. Army’s first combat jump. However, during the African Campaign, the Army renamed the 2/503rd the 509th Parachute Infantry. Apparently, the battalion members did not receive this memo until after the war. Meanwhile, a new 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment was formed and sent to the Pacific, where it joined the 11th Airborne Division and participated in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns. This 503rd conducted the jump on Corregidor in February 1945.

Panzerkampfwagen Pz. IV Ausf. J, tactical number 6×5, of 6./SS-Pz.Rgt.2, eliminated by the 2nd Battalion/US Infantry Regiment 117 of the 30th Infantry Division on the outskirts of St. Fromond, Normandy, July 9, 1944.

At this time, the 117th was supported by the 743rd Tank Battalion and the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (M10). The Panzer IV is being towed away by an M1A1 Heavy Wrecker of an unknown unit. (Note: The Panzer IV had chassis number 89689.)

Soviet fighter pilot Lt. Antonina Lebedeva (1916-1943)

Before the war, she studied at Moscow State University and was an instructor at one of the capital’s flying clubs. She began her military career in the 586th Women’s Fighter Aviation Regiment, which guarded the skies over Saratov. She was later transferred to the 65th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.

On January 10, 1943, Lebedev faced two enemy fighters in a solo aerial combat. She fought bravely against them and destroyed a Bf-109. Her aircraft was badly damaged, but she was able to make a safe emergency landing. During the Oryol-Kursk Operation, on July 17, 1943, she was shot down in an unequal battle by four Yak-9s against numerous enemy aircraft. Her fate is unknown.

In 1982, an airplane that had crashed in the summer of 1943 was excavated near the village of Betovo in the Oryol Region. The remains of the pilot, a parachute, a pistol, a knife, and documents were found. Among the documents were flight and medical records, on which the owner’s name was clearly visible: Antonina Lebedeva. Also found among the remains were a headset with skull fragments and two girlish braids.

(Colored by Olga Shirnina from Russia)

B-17F-25-BO “Harry the Horse” S/Nº 41-24548 Field No. 167 

 

Tadji Airfield, West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. May 1944 #B17

On May 4, 1944, this B-17 took off from Nadzab Airfield in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Piloted by Lt. Robert Kennedy (no relation), he flew it on a supply drop mission over Hollandia. On the return leg, the bomber ran out of fuel and attempted to land at Tadji Airfield. During landing at 12:00 p.m., the right wheel failed, causing the B-17 to veer off the runway in a “wild flight” and crash-land “within the confines of a bombing range.” The B-17 sustained damage to its outer wing. The wreckage was disassembled beyond repair, partially removed from the wings, and disposed of in a junkyard.

War history;
Assigned to the 43rd Bomber Group, 403rd Bomber Squadron. This B-17 operated out of northern Australia and 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby in 1943. It was later assigned to the 63rd Bomber Squadron and later to the 64th Bomber Squadron. This B-17 had tiger stripes painted on the tail and girls’ names on the outer engine cowling, including “Mary” on the number 4 engine. While
serving with the 43rd Bomber Group, the nose section of a B-17E was added, with a reinforced mount for a .50 caliber machine gun in the center of the nose.

This B-17’s last mission with the 43rd Bomber Group was on October 10, 1943. It was piloted by Captain Jack L. Campbell on a morning weather reconnaissance over Rabaul.
In early November 1943, it was converted to an armed transport at the 4th Air Depot at Garbutt Field. It was then assigned to the 54th Troop Carrier Squadron, 375th Troop Carrier Group, 57th Troop Carrier Squadron as an armed transport, operating out of Port Moresby and Nadzab Airfield. While
in troop transport service, the B-17 was completely repainted, receiving a new coat of olive drab paint and the nickname “Harry the Horse.” Its assigned panel number, “167,” was painted in yellow on both sides of the cockpit behind the co-pilot’s window. On the outside of No. 4’s cowling, “Betty Jo” with a heart was painted. Another name was painted on No. 3’s cowling. (pacificwrecks.com)

Men of the U.S. 7th Infantry Division use flamethrowers to disperse Japanese from a blockhouse on Kwajalein Island, while others wait with rifles at the ready in case they come out. February 4, 1944.

Battle of Kwajalein:
The Allied plan, dubbed “Operation Flintlock,” called for Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner’s 5th Amphibious Force to escort Major General Holland M. Smith’s V Amphibious Corps to the atoll, where Major General Harry Schmidt’s 4th Marine Division would attack the conjoined islands of Roi-Namur, while Major General Charles Corlett’s 7th Infantry Division would assault Kwajalein Island. In preparation for the operation, Allied aircraft repeatedly attacked Japanese air bases in the Marshall Islands through December. After U.S. aircraft carriers took up positions, they began a concerted air offensive against Kwajalein on January 29, 1944.

Two days later, U.S. troops captured the small island of Majuro, 220 miles southeast, without a fight. That same day, members of the 7th Infantry Division landed on small islands called Carlos, Carter, Cecil, and Carlson near Kwajalein to set up artillery positions for the assault. The next day, artillery, supported by fire from American warships, opened fire on Kwajalein Island. The shelling of the narrow island allowed the 7th Infantry Division to land and easily overcome Japanese resistance. The attack was also aided by the weak Japanese defenses.

The victory at Kwajalein pierced the outer Japanese defenses and was a key step in the Allied island-hopping campaign. Allied losses in the battle were 372 killed and 1,592 wounded. Japanese losses are estimated at 7,870 killed/wounded and 105 captured. In assessing the outcome at Kwajalein, Allied planners were pleased that the tactical changes made after the bloody assault on Tarawa had paid off, and plans were made to attack Eniwetok Atoll on February 17. For the Japanese, the battle demonstrated that the coastal defenses were too vulnerable to attack and that a defense in depth was necessary if they were to halt Allied attacks.

(Source – The U.S. Army – NARA FILE NO.: iii-SC-212770 WAR AND CONFLICT BOOK NO.: 1187)

Wing Commander Alfred “Ken” Gatward after returning from leading an anti-shipping operation with the RCAF’s 404 “Buffalo” Squadron.

With coffee and cigarette in hand, disheveled hair, and oil stains on his combat trousers.
This photo was reportedly taken after Gatward’s final deployment with 404. Note that his tie has been cut in honor of the occasion, and that the cup may not contain any coffee, as he searches for a refill. (vintagewings.ca)

“Dropping a giant French flag on the Arc de Triomphe”
RAF pilot Flight Lieutenant Ken Gatward and his navigator, Flight Sergeant George Fern, volunteered for the daring mission, planned following intelligence reports that German troops were parading down the Champs-Élysées every day between 12:15 and 12:45 p.m.
On June 12, 1942, Gatward and Fern took off in their Bristol Beaufighter from Thorney Island, West Sussex, crossed the English Channel into occupied France, and headed low for Paris. Gatward later recalled: “I will never forget the astonishment of the crowds in the streets of Paris as we flew low over the rooftops. They were completely surprised.”

Gatward flew down the Champs-Élysées at just 30 feet, and Fern threw the French tricolor onto the famous Parisian monument. Gatward then flew to the Gestapo’s Paris headquarters, the former Ministere de la Marine, strafed it with 20mm grenades—the SS guards panicked—and Fern threw a second tricolor onto the building. The daring duo’s spectacular raid boosted the morale of downtrodden Parisians and, when the news reached home, lifted the spirits of the beleaguered British. Gatward was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and both he and Fern were hailed as heroes.

Born in London, Gatward joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 1937 and began the war as a pilot sergeant major. He later took command of No. 404 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force. In August 1944, he led the squadron in a raid on enemy shipping in Norwegian waters, earning him a second DFC. That same year, he also received the Distinguished Service Order.

Ken Gatward retired from the regular RAF in 1967 as a Group Captain and immediately returned to the RAF Volunteer Reserve as an instructor with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, which allowed him to return to his first love—flying. He died in 1998 at the age of 84. (abroadintheyard.com)

(Photo via the 404th Squadron website)

Men of 12th Platoon, B Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, 15th (Scottish) Division, take cover at Saint-Manvieu-Norrey in Calvados during Operation Epsom on 26 June 1944.

“The light rain and mist mixed with the smoke and dust of the barrage, forming a fog bank in places. The aircraft in Britain had to stay grounded due to the poor visibility, so the British forces lost one of their main advantages. As the barrage fell, they advanced to their starting line; ahead of them, the Royal Scots Fusiliers had begun the attack…” (Robert Woollcombe, Platoon Commander of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB).

On June 26, Montgomery launched “Operation Epsom,” a major assault on the city of Caen, the major obstacle to British expansion in the eastern part of the Normandy battlefield. The attack was spearheaded by the 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade and the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, with several famous regiments participating, including the Royal Scots, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Cameronians, the Seaforth Highlanders, and the Gordon Highlanders.

(IWM Non-Commercial License – B 5967 – No. 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit)

(Colored by Royston Leonard UK)

The American journalist and war correspondent Ernie Pyle (center) talks to the crew of a Sherman tank of the 191st Tank Battalion at the Anzio beachhead in 1944.

After the outbreak of World War II, Ernie Pyle used his journalistic talents as a war correspondent on the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific. His keen observation of the common soldier and his reporting on his experiences and perspectives caught the attention of the masses. Ernie Pyle wrote about the experiences of the “common man,” while others reported on the actions of generals and battle plans. This approach to war reporting earned Mr. Pyle his Pulitzer Prize in 1944.

A 1944 column by Ernie Pyle, in which he demanded that soldiers receive fair “combat pay” for their service, successfully persuaded Congress to pass a law granting infantrymen an additional $10 in pay. Because of his crucial role in securing this pay increase, it was called the “Ernie Pyle Act.”

Ernie Pyle was killed by enemy machine gun fire on Iejima Island near Okinawa on April 18, 1945.

(Colored by Joshua Barrett from Great Britain)

The Battle of Volkhov (Volkhov) near Lake Ladoga (Leningrad) in July 1943. (Note: Yes, we know that the Soviet soldier is wearing his helmet backward.)

With the help of a Russian prisoner with medical knowledge, a Wehrmacht medic provides first aid to a wounded soldier in combat. He is seen being transported on an improvised stretcher to a first-aid station in the rear for further treatment. The scene is the swampy area of ​​Lake Ladoga (northern Russia), which became a fierce battlefield in July 1943.

“I think it was July 3, 1943. Another hour later, we had reached the slopes at the foot of the Patschino Heights. Not a sound could be heard; it was completely silent. We were supposed to attack without artillery support, which I believe was a mistake. It was pitch black, and we could barely see the slope ahead. The first group fanned out and began their advance, our group following. At first, our plan seemed to be a great success; we had surprised the Soviets. The first and second lines of trenches were taken in close combat. From my position in the second group, I could see the flamethrowers at work. A gruesome sight, bright jets of flame illuminating thick clouds of oily smoke. My group now entered the trenches occupied by the first group and set up our machine guns to repel the expected Soviet counterattack.

We had originally attacked with over 500 men. Believe me, at that point, no more than 100 were alive. I fell back toward the main force. When I arrived, I met two soldiers from my company, which now consisted of only five men! All the officers and non-commissioned officers had been wounded or killed, which practically gave me command of the company. Together with my two comrades, we fled. We ran like rabbits. Mortar shells and artillery shells exploded around us, bullets whizzed past our ears. I will never forget the sight of that hellish inferno. I was running and jumping over the bodies of my fallen comrades, which seemed to be lying everywhere, when a mortar shell exploded next to me. I don’t remember much of what followed, but some shrapnel hit my face and arm. I was almost deafened by the blast and must have lost consciousness. I woke up at the main dressing station. My two comrades had carried me all the way back. I’m glad this is all over. War is such a terrible thing.”
(Mr. Gustav Römer – IR506 of the 291st Division)

(Photo by SS war correspondent Wisniewski, North 1942-1943, Brigade Nederland 1944, recipient of the Iron Cross II)

(Colored by Bill at Wwiicolor Izer)

Maria Dolina (1922–2010) was a Soviet pilot and deputy squadron commander of the 125th Borisov Guards Dive-Bomber Regiment “Marina M. Raskova”. 

 

During World War II, she served primarily on the 1st Baltic Front, flying 72 missions with the Pe-2 Petlyakov light bomber, dropping a total of 45,000 kg of bombs. In six air battles, Maria and her crew shot down three enemy fighters (as part of the group). On August 18, 1945, Dolina was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

(Colored by Olga Shirnina from Russia)

F4U-1 Corsair No. 252 (possibly that of Lt. William “Bill” Boshart) of VMF 224, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps, Majuro Airfield, Marshall Islands. Aircraft are being prepared for fighter patrols because radar has detected Japanese bombers heading toward the Palau archipelago, Peleliu, September 19, 1944.

The headquarters of the 4th Marine Air Wing and Marine Air Group 13 relocated to Majuro Atoll in mid-March 1944.
Units based at Majuro included VF-39 with the F6F Hellcat, VMF-155 and VMF-224 with F4Us, and VMSB-231 with SBDs.

Colored by Paul Reynolds.
Colorized version © Copyright Paul Reynolds.

The often forgotten ground personnel of the squadron

Members of the ground crew of No. 1 Squadron, RCAF, attend to a Hawker Hurricane. While Captain PJ Thurgeon removes the port wheel due to faulty brakes, Sergeant Bob Fair checks whether the aircraft should be taken in for maintenance and repairs. Often forgotten, the ground crew of No. 1 worked tirelessly to keep the aircraft in good condition; without them, the squadron would not have been able to fly.
July 1941.

(Note: The gun ports were covered with red cloth patches to prevent moisture (rain or fog) from entering the open gun ports in the wings and freezing on the gun breechblocks as the aircraft took off and quickly climbed into the colder air. The first bullet merely cut a hole in the tape. Armorers usually only re-taped the gun ports at the very last moment, after cleaning and reloading the guns, so the intact red patches were a sign that the fighter was ready to return to service.)

(PHOTO: Courtesy of the Library and Archives of Canada)

(Colored by Doug)

“These young German soldiers, likely drawn directly from the ranks of a local Hitler Youth group, were captured somewhere outside Leipzig in May 1945. The recent discovery of a grouping of over 600 negatives belonging to a chaplain of the 9th U.S. Armored Division yielded this gem of a picture. The emotion and sheer sadness of war can be seen in the eyes of the boy smoking the cigarette on the left side of the photo. They can’t be more than eight or nine years old.”

American soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division receive wine from French civilians during a lull in the fighting around Drusenheim, France, on January 6, 1945.

At 8:30 a.m. on January 6, the 2nd Battalion, supported by a tank company from the 749th, moved out to Rohrwiller. The fog provided excellent cover, the objective was achieved, and the town was under the control of the 314th Squadron by 1:00 a.m. The attack was ordered to capture Herrlisheim. The units of the 314th received news that the A/Co of the 232nd Infantry Regiment was in difficulty at Drusenheim. The 2nd Battalion was to clear and secure the town en route to Herrlisheim. The 3rd Battalion was ordered from Bischwiller to Rohrwiller as the 2nd Squadron moved out. At 2:00 p.m., the G/Co, with tank support, penetrated northwest of Drusenheim. After encountering units of A/Co of 232 Squadron, 2nd Battalion moved its units under small fire across the bridge over the Moder River to clear and secure the southern part of the town. Five tanks managed to clear the bridge before it collapsed. The tanks then accompanied F/Co in the spearhead of the attack southwest of Herrlisheim. Upon reaching the outskirts of Drusenheim at 16:30, F/Co came under light artillery fire. F/Co attacked the enemy strongpoint—a factory building on the east bank of the Moder—and captured two officers and 51 enlisted men. The rest of 2nd Battalion was in positions in or around Drusenheim.

As the 3rd Brigade Combat Team reached the takeover positions in Rohrwiller, it came under the heaviest artillery fire it had experienced to date. During the night of January 6-7, the bridge in Drusenheim was repaired under constant enemy fire. The I&R and Cannon units were the only ones on site in Bischwiller, as the 1st Brigade was still on the Zinswiller mission.

(Colored by Johnny Sirlande from Belgium)

A de Havilland Mosquito Mk II of No. 157 Squadron, RAF, refuels at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. June 16, 1943

No. 157 Squadron was the first to operate the Mosquito as a night fighter. It was re-established on December 13, 1941, specifically to operate the type (after a brief incarnation toward the end of the First World War).

The first patrols were flown over East Anglia on the night of 27/28 April 1942, but the first confirmed kill did not occur until 22/23 August 1942.

As the threat from German bombers diminished, No. 157 Squadron received several Mosquito FB Mk VIs and began flying intruder missions over occupied Europe. In November 1943, the squadron moved to Cornwall and increasingly focused on the intruder role. After a brief interlude of defensive patrols over the Irish Sea, the squadron moved to East Anglia in May 1944, where it joined No. 100 Group and carried out intruder missions in support of the heavy bombers.

(Source – IWM Non Commercial Licence – CH 10312 P/OHV Drees, official photographer of the Royal Air Force)

(Colored by Benjamin Thomas from Australia)

A poor-quality photo, but very rare. (For those familiar with the Bf.109)

Ground operations surrounding a Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG27) of the Luftwaffe, possibly during its brief deployment to Gela, Sicily, between 3 and 24 May 1941. During its stay in Sicily, III./JG27 operated over Malta.

The 109 still has the original JG27 emblem used before its deployment to North Africa. The 109s in the background appear to have a North African camouflage. This is the first time we’ve seen the rank insignia on the nose instead of near (in front of or behind) the fuselage’s Balkenkreuz. In this case, it appears to be the rank of Geschwaderadjutant (squadron deputy).
The markings on the engine cowling are characteristic of III./JG27 and were inherited from the Gruppe’s predecessor, I./JG1.

(Research by Doug and Rui) (Colorization by Royston Leonard UK)

Technician Fourth Grade Frank J. Perconte, noncommissioned officer in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, holds a pair of Dutch clogs and leans against a fence along the Dommel River in Bleek Street, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
September 1944.

With his comrades in Easy Company, Frank Perconte made a hair-raising jump to Norm Andy before US troops landed on the beaches on D-Day 1944. He also served in the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden and was wounded by a German sniper in the town of Foy on January 13, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge.
A few days later, he rejoined Easy Company in the town of Haguenau to participate in the occupation of Germany.

(March 10, 1917 – October 24, 2013, 96 years old) (Colored by Leo Determann from the Netherlands)

The Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Santa Fe CL-60 lies alongside the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Franklin CV-13, listing to starboard after being hit by two anti-tank bombs dropped by a single Japanese aircraft. Near Okinawa, March 19, 1945.

Calm seas, 12-knot winds from about 060 degrees, overcast skies with occasional clearings, excellent horizontal visibility. On March 19, 1945, at approximately 07:07, the USS Franklin was hit by two direct hits from a Japanese Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” dive bomber.

The first of the two armor-piercing bombs penetrated the hangar deck, destroying aircraft and igniting fires on decks two and three. The combat information center and the airbase were also destroyed by this bomb. The second bomb penetrated two decks, detonating bombs and ammunition, and igniting the fuel stored below the flight deck.

The USS Franklin was soon engulfed in flames. The 26,000-ton ship was rocked by secondary explosions as aircraft on and below deck, along with vast quantities of munitions, burst into flames. The surviving crew sought refuge on the forward flight deck, many attempting to fight the flames ravaging the ship. The USS Santa Fe approached the stricken aircraft carrier despite the massive explosions erupting on its deck and participated in firefighting efforts and the rescue of hundreds of endangered crew members.

It took three hours to bring the fires aboard the USS Franklin under control, but miraculously, the ship remained afloat. It was towed to Ulithi by the USS Pittsburgh and from there continued under its own power to Pearl Harbor, escorted by the USS Santa Fe. In this single attack, 724 of the USS Franklin’s crew lost their lives and 265 were wounded. The USS Franklin became the most severely damaged aircraft carrier of the war and was decommissioned in 1947.

(Colored by Joshua Barrett from Great Britain)

Local girls give apples to a Sherman crew outside a bakery in Aalst, Holland. September 18, 1944.

2nd Irish Guards Tank Battalion, 5th Guards Brigade, Guards Armoured Division, 30th Corps.

The ultimately unsuccessful, week-long Operation Market Garden began on September 17, 1944, with an Allied advance into Germany. In ground combat, the British Guards Armoured Division took the lead in the advance into the Netherlands.

On the second day of the operation, a column of the Guards Armoured had advanced to the southern outskirts of Aalst, Holland, which had been occupied by German troops since 1940. Led by Colonel Joe Vandeleur, the division’s tanks encountered the remnants of German troops and guns, dug in but badly damaged by the previous day’s Allied air raids and artillery fire. For the Germans, Aalst was a line in the sand, protecting the Allied advance northeastward to Antwerp and the Netherlands beyond. For the Allies, it was crucial to keep the long tank column moving to reinforce the Allied airborne troops, who were already clashing with German troops at several bridges.

A short dedication to the last surviving Dambusters pilot, Sqn.Ldr. Les Munro, who died at the age of 96.

The legendary “Operation Dambusters” of 617 Squadron RAF flew from RAF Scampton near Lincoln in 1943, successfully using “bouncing bombs” to attack German dams. Today, only two crew members from the Dambusters missions are still alive.

On the night of May 16, 1943, 19 bombers left RAF Scampton near Lincoln in three waves.
The first headed for the Möhne and Eder dams, the second and third for the Sorpe dam.
Of the 133 crew members who left, only 77 returned, including Sqn Ldr Munro, who made it home after flak destroyed his Lancaster bomber’s internal and external communications systems over the Netherlands.
He had been ordered to attack the Sorpe dam by dropping the bomb from the lowest possible altitude and at a speed of 290 km/h. The Sorpe dam was damaged, but the Möhne and Eder dams were destroyed, flooding the Ruhr valley.

“Burning German Convoy.”
A soldier of the 311th Infantry Regiment, 78th Infantry Division, 1st U.S. Army, uses a burning German convoy as shelter while aiming at the enemy in the woods near Honnef, Germany. March 1945

(Note: The burning German transport vehicle on the left appears to be a variant of the Sd.Kfz. 251.) The 311th Infantry Regiment attacked Honnef on March 10, 1945.

The 311th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the 8th Division in the Hürtgen Forest on December 10, 1944. The 309th and 310th Infantry Regiments relieved parts of the 1st Division at the front near Entenpfuhl from December 1 to 12. On the 13th, these regiments penetrated Simmerath, Witzerath, and Bickerath and fought for Kesternich when von Rundstedt launched his counteroffensive in the Monschau area on December 18.

The 78th Regiment defended the territory it had taken from the Siegfried Line against fierce German attacks throughout the winter. The division attacked on January 30, 1945, and captured Kesternich on February 2, the town of Schmidt on the 8th, and the vital Schwammanauel Dam intact the following day. During the advance, the Rur River was crossed on February 28, and the division joined the offensive of the First and 9th Armies towards the Rhine. The river was crossed on March 8 over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen by the 310th Regiment, the first troops to cross the river in the wake of the 9th Panzer Division. This unit, attached to the 9th Panzer Division and operating as a motorized unit, had marched through Germany, capturing Euskirchen, Rheinbach, and Bad Neuenahr. The 78th Regiment expanded the bridgehead, captured Honnef, and severed part of the Autobahn on March 16. From April 2 to May 8, the division was actively involved in reducing the Ruhr pocket and was stationed near Marburg on VE Day.

(history.army.mil)

(Source – ETO HQ 45 24166 March 1945 – US Signal Corps Photos, Photo-G T/4 DP Ellett 165)

Polish soldiers of the Independent Podhale Rifle Brigade take their oath of allegiance in Malestroit, Brittany, France. April 10, 1940.

After the Polish defeat in the September Campaign, the Podhale units were reorganized in France as the Polish Independent Highland Brigade. It was deployed to Narvik, later fought in the Battle of France, and moved to Switzerland after the French defeat. Some units were also established underground as part of the partisan forces of the Armia Krajowa. The traditions of the Podhale Riflemen are continued by the modern 21st Podhale Riflemen Brigade.

(Colored by Doug)

Irish Guards and the crew of an M4 Sherman tank in front of a Texaco gas station in Aalst, Holland.

September 18, 1944,

2nd Tank Battalion of the Irish Guards, 5th Guards Brigade, Guards Armoured Division, 30th Corps.
The ultimately unsuccessful, week-long “Operation Market Garden” began on September 17, 1944, with an Allied advance into Germany. In ground combat, the British Guards Armoured Division took the lead in the advance into the Netherlands.

On the second day of the operation, a column of the Guards Armoured had advanced to the southern outskirts of Aalst, Holland, which had been occupied by German troops since 1940. Led by Colonel Joe Vandeleur, the division’s tanks encountered the remnants of German troops and guns, dug in but badly damaged by the previous day’s Allied air raids and artillery fire. For the Germans, Aalst was a line in the sand, protecting the Allied advance northeastward to Antwerp and the Netherlands beyond. For the Allies, it was crucial to keep the long tank column moving to reinforce the Allied airborne troops, who were already clashing with German troops at several bridges.

An American soldier examines a bullet-riddled portrait of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (1883–1945), stolen from the former Fascist political headquarters in Anzio, Italy. February 7, 1944.

(Source – MM-5-44-712 photo of the US Army Signal Corps, from the collection of the National World War II Museum)

(Collection Level – From the service of Brigadier General Terence John Tully, West Point graduate, Signal Officer during the landings in Africa, Chief Signal Officer at Headquarters Allied Forces Africa/Italy for all operations in the Mediterranean. Tully served with the Signal Corps in Italy and North Africa, documenting in particular the 5th Army. Later he was Commandant of Camp Crowder, Missouri.)

(Colored by Royston Leonard UK)

M4A4 Sherman Tank No. 21 (possibly serial number T152656, named “Bomb”) of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment (27th Armored Regiment), 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade (Independent), covers soldiers of the Mont-Royal Fusiliers, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, on Rue des Ursulines in Falaise, Lower Normandy.
August 17, 1944.

(A Sherman No. 21 of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment (27th Armored Regiment) of the 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade (Independent) covered the soldiers of the Fusiliers Mont-Royal of the 2nd Canadian Inf.Div. in the Rue des Ursulines in Falaise on August 17, 1944. Ursulines:)

(Colored by Paul Reynolds from Great Britain)

A Royal New Zealand Corps of Engineers sapper probes the ground for more mines after digging up a German Tellermine near Tripoli, Libya, on January 22, 1943.

(Source – National Library of New Zealand) (Colored by Noah Werner Winslow)

Members of 2nd Platoon, B Company, 2/2 Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Brigade (Australia) fire a .303-caliber Vickers machine gun at a native village across the river, reportedly home to about 200 Japanese soldiers. Brunei Bay Area, North Borneo. June 17, 1945

Thirty thousand Australians participated in the Brunei Bay landings on June 10 and 16, 1945. The town and airfield of Labuan were captured on the first day, but strong Japanese resistance on the island continued until June 21. Meanwhile, the Australians advanced into North Borneo and Brunei, as well as Sarawak. There were approximately 350 Australian casualties, including 114 killed in the campaign.

(Source – Australian War Memorial 109534 – Photographer, Robert Eric Donaldson)

(Colored by Doug)

U.S. Marine Jesse Goin carries his dog to the front lines during the Battle of Kwajalein in the Pacific Marshall Islands. February 9, 1944. The photo was taken by LIFE magazine photojournalist George Strock.

Colorized by Tom Marshall at PhotograFix 2015.

The lowering of the coffins of four Marines of the 22nd Marine Regiment who succumbed to their injuries during the attack on Parry Island in the Eniwetok Atoll. February 22, 1944.

They were transported to nearby Japtan Island for burial in the 22nd Marine Corps Cemetery.
They were all exhumed in March 1947 and taken to a mausoleum at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where they were stored in above-ground warehouses and eventually placed in coffins for permanent burial in the “Punchbowl” on Oahu, Hawaii, or returned to the mainland for burial in a private or national cemetery. (Thanks to Bert Caloud for this information)

(Note: The “Punchbowl” National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a national cemetery at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii) Invasion of Eniwetok Island on February 18, 1944

On February 18, 1944, amphibious forces under Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill landed troops on Engebi Island in Eniwetok and secured the island that same day. Eniwetok Island was secured on the 21st, Parry Island on the 22nd. The remaining smaller islands of the atoll were secured on the 23rd.

(Colored by Royston Leonard UK)

Men of the 328th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, ride in an M8 “Greyhound” light armored car of the 735th Tank Battalion near Neustadt, Germany. April 5, 1945.

In March 1945, the 328th Regiment advanced into the Serrig-Merzig sector to launch the major offensive. The advance ran along the Saar River and then east to Neustadt. The Rhine was crossed near Mainz. After capturing a bridgehead over the Main River, the regiment captured Hanau in a night attack and then advanced further toward Fulda.

El Adem Sector, Tobruk, Libya, August 27, 1941. Men of D Company, 2/17th Infantry Battalion, use a captured Italian field gun to return 75mm shells to their former owners. They were known as the “bush artillery” because they were retrained infantrymen using captured guns. They became a symbol of the desperate courage and determination of Tobruk’s defenders during the Siege of 1941.

I found a logbook belonging to the grandson of one of these men, in which he identifies three of the men in another photo very similar to this one. By comparing the two photos, I was able to identify the three men (hopefully correctly), so from left to right: 1st soldier unknown, 2nd soldier is NX60436 Pvt. HE Zouch, 3rd soldier unknown, 4th soldier is NX65985 Pvt. CE Lemaire (who later received the Military Medal for gallantry in the field while fighting against the Japanese in Borneo in 1945), 5th soldier was the blogger’s grandfather, NX17811 Pvt. LJ McCarthy.

When the set to which this photograph belongs was shot by Warrant Officer (later Lt.) Thomas Fisher, the official photographer of the 9th Division’s Military History and Information Section, the gun in question was only 3,700 meters from the German front line.

As for the photographer, W.O. Fisher (later Lt. Fisher) was sadly the only photographer from the Department of Military History and Information to die in action during World War II. Lt. Fisher died on November 16, 1942, while fighting against the Japanese in Papua. His grave is unknown.

The weapon is an Italian 75 mm Cannone da 75/27 Modello 06 (Italian version of the German M1096 cannon), one of the oldest artillery pieces of World War II: Introduced in 1906, it predates World War I. This weapon was an updated model with steel rims and rubber tires instead of the original wooden wheels (although “originals” were also found on the battlefield).

(Colouring and text by Rui Manuel Candeias)

The tank crew of an M4A2 Sherman Mk III “Cameo” (T146946) of 2nd Troop, “C” Squadron, 13th-18th Royal Hussars, 27th Armoured Brigade rests beside their vehicle and writes letters home, Normandy, 10 June 1944.

The 27th Brigade landed on Sword Beach as part of XXX Corps and fought in the Caen area until it was disbanded on 30 July 1944. It supported the breakout of the British Commandos from the Normandy landings. Later, it supported the British paratroopers at Breville. On 11 June, a squadron of the 13th/18th Hussars supported the attacks of the 6th Airborne Division along the river, and later in the month the regiment supported the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division in further attacks along the river. On 8 and 9 July, the 27th Armoured Brigade supported the final successful attack by I Corps on Caen.

13th/18th Hussars (transferred to 8th Armoured Brigade on 30 July) (initially Sherman II DD, later Sherman III and Firefly VC)

German soldiers gather around a French Gnome et Rhône AX2 800 motorcycle with sidecar in Belgorod, Russia. Summer 1943.

On July 23, 1943, following the victory at Kursk, the Soviet armed forces launched Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev, the first phase of which, the so-called Belgorod-Bogodukhov Offensive, aimed at capturing the city of Belgorod. On August 3, troops of the Soviet Voronezh Front and the Steppe Front crossed the Vorskla River and broke through the German lines, consisting of the 332nd Infantry Division, the 167th Infantry Division, and the 19th Panzer Division, near Belgorod, Russia. Two days later, the 60,000 German soldiers and 250 tanks were evacuated from the city to prevent encirclement. In the ensuing week of fierce fighting, the Soviets outnumbered the Germans with over 400,000 troops and 1,800 tanks. By the time the Germans broke out of the area, they had lost approximately 20,000 men. The Soviets lost 50,000 men and 800 tanks were destroyed in this costly victory.
(ww2db.com)

The Gnome et Rhône AX2 800. An 800 cc boxer with two-wheel drive. Production of these motorcycles began in 1940 for the French Army, but the Germans took over the factory and used the motorcycles for their own Wehrmacht.
Gnome & Rhone and the Terrot company produced the AX2 model for the German Wehrmacht until 1944. The 21st Panzer Division received approximately 100 of these in early 1944, and they were used on the invasion front against the British Army.

(Trivia – in recent years, a Gnome et Rhône, Mod. AX2, 1939, 800 cc, sidecar, complete motorcycle for restoration, with documentation, was sold for €18,000.)

(Colored by Doug)

Rouvres Airfield, France, winter of 1939/40. On a cold, foggy day, Sergeant TBG “Titch” Pyne, a British pilot with 73 Squadron, smiles as he watches two gunsmiths re-arming the .303 Browning machine guns of his Hawker Hurricane Mk I.

While the “seat war” on the ground created a false sense of inactivity, battles between the Allied and German air forces took place daily in the skies.

Sgt ‘Titch’ Pyne flew his first mission on 26 March 1940 as part of Green Section, Flight B. Shortly after crossing the German border (despite explicit orders not to do so), Sgt Pyne, his comrade Flg Off JG ‘Tub’ Perry, and their Gruppenführer, a New Zealander named James ‘Cobber’ Cain, spotted nine Bf 109Es of III./JG53 ‘Pik As’. Although outnumbered three to one, ‘Cobber’ Cain used his greater altitude to intercept the German aircraft, and soon after, one of the two Bf109s he shot down during this mission ditched in a cloud of smoke and flames. Pyne and Perry had also selected their targets and followed their leader into action, but being inexperienced, both quickly expended their ammunition and were forced to return home. Perry was later credited with the destruction of a Bf109E, while Pyne’s claim was considered only probable. Although he himself was shot down, the two confirmed kills that day made James “Cobber” Cain the first Allied ace of the war. JG “Tub” Perry was shot down and killed three days later.

Sergeant Pyne was first shot down on April 23, 1940, when his squadron was surprised by Bf109s of III./JG53 west of Merzig. Sergeant Pyne suffered a shoulder injury, and his Hurricane (N2391) was badly damaged by Fw Gawlick’s BF109. At 10:30 a.m., he was forced to make an emergency landing near Sierck-les-Bains. Minutes earlier, at 10:14 a.m., one of his squadron mates had been shot down by the soon-to-be-famous Captain Mölders of III./JG53. It was Mölders’ 9th victory of World War II.

After recovering from his injuries, Sergeant Pyne returned to combat missions until his Hurricane (N2856) was shot down by Bf110s of III./ZG26 on May 14, 1940, and crashed at 12:25 p.m. in the Bois de Voncq, north of Vouziers. It is believed that Sergeant Pyne managed to parachute out but died (the cause is unknown). He now rests in the Choloy War Cemetery.

This photograph provides a good example of an early production Hawker Hurricane Mk I with kidney-shaped exhaust pipes and a Watts wooden propeller.

Source IWM (C737)