Photos Colour and Colourised Photos of WW2 & earlier conflicts

6 August 1943



Members of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) inspect the damaged and abandoned Panzer VI Tiger (Nº223) of 2./s.Pz.Abt.504 that is obstructing Traversa Quarto, a road in Catania, Belpasso, Sicily.

Shortly before the Allied landings in July 1943, s.Pz.Abt.504 were ordered to detach the 17 Tigers of 2./Kompanie to join Panzerdivision "Hermann Göring", which was coming from Naples. Of the 17 tanks that made up the company at the time of the Allied landings in Sicily on July 11, 1943, 16 were destroyed in combat or were abandoned by their crews due to malfunction, only one Tiger Nº222, was able to cross the Strait of Messina with the Axis forces in retreat.

Nb. there is a plaque on the wall at this site, part of which reads;
"...... threatened by enemy fire when on August 6, 1943. In this way the sudden failure of the German tank was preventing the inexorable advance ......"
(Source - NAM. 1975-03-63-14-5)
(Photograph by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
Colorised by Benoit Vne

Arctic convoys in British author Michael D. Carroll’s new book, Retrographic on the colourisation of historical images.

morris said:

Arctic convoys in British author Michael D. Carroll’s new book, Retrographic on the colourisation of historical images.

View attachment 243896View attachment 243897View attachment 243898View attachment 243899View attachment 243900View attachment 243901View attachment 243902View attachment 243903View attachment 243904View attachment 243905View attachment 243906View attachment 243907View attachment 243908View attachment 243909

Click to expand...

I give thanks for never having to sail in that kind of weather

Conhoon said:

6 August 1943

View attachment 243551

Members of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) inspect the damaged and abandoned Panzer VI Tiger (Nº223) of 2./s.Pz.Abt.504 that is obstructing Traversa Quarto, a road in Catania, Belpasso, Sicily.

Shortly before the Allied landings in July 1943, s.Pz.Abt.504 were ordered to detach the 17 Tigers of 2./Kompanie to join Panzerdivision "Hermann Göring", which was coming from Naples. Of the 17 tanks that made up the company at the time of the Allied landings in Sicily on July 11, 1943, 16 were destroyed in combat or were abandoned by their crews due to malfunction, only one Tiger Nº222, was able to cross the Strait of Messina with the Axis forces in retreat.

Nb. there is a plaque on the wall at this site, part of which reads;
"...... threatened by enemy fire when on August 6, 1943. In this way the sudden failure of the German tank was preventing the inexorable advance ......"
(Source - NAM. 1975-03-63-14-5)
(Photograph by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
Colorised by Benoit Vne

Click to expand...

Thats definitely not covered under warranty.

A Bavarian grandfather and veteran of the Franco-Prussian War with his grandson in 1913

An Australian soldier wearing a captured Pickelhaube and talking to his French comrade in 1916

BravoZulu said:

A Bavarian grandfather and veteran of the Franco-Prussian War with his grandson in 1913

Click to expand...

Great picture, the grandson sports the Dienstauszeichnung Schnalle (Model 1836-1914) on his left breast for either 9 or 15 years service (looks too young to be sporting the 21 Year service version) from 1914- 1920 this was replaced by a Military Service Medal or Military Service Cross depending upon his rank.

Lieutenant Edward 'Ted' Frederick Byrne, NX58832, from the 2/7th Cavalry (Commando) Squadron at Bumbum in the Ramu Valley, New Guinea, 20 October 1943.



Born on 23 May 1921, to William and Edith Byrne in what was then bushland at Campsie in New South Wales, Ted was the seventh child of a seventh child - his mother - and looked upon this unusual circumstance as being lucky. He did well academically at school, and was a keen cricketer at his local Croyden Park Club where he won trophies as an all rounder.

Ted enlisted in July 1940, and at the time this photograph was taken, he been with the 2/7th since the Battle of Wau (New Guinea), in January-February 1943.
He was mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Military Cross for his 'skill and coolness' in patrolling, is 'great offensive spirit in the face of heavy casualities' and for trying to rescue wounded men.
Promoted to captain, Byrne was wounded in action during his second campaign in New Guinea on 12 January 1945.
After the War and his service in Malaya with the Royal Sussex Regiment to which he had been seconded, Ted returned to Australia and civilian life again.
He married his wartime sweetheart, Betty Reta Chamberlain, at Sydney in 1946 and they went on to have three children, Garry, Gail and Teddy. Although Ted and Betty later divorced they remained close and especially loved being together with their grandsons Christopher and Ted's beloved dog, Jason, and later with Luke.
Ted worked for some time at the stockbrokers Joseph Palmer and Sons. Ted set up his business as the Sydney agent for some of Melbourne's finest fashion manufacturers and built it up in Culwulla Chambers to being one of the most respected in Sydney.
Being a man who loved building, Ted built himself three homes before finding his "spot in life", a rugged steep block of land at Northbridge on Sailor's Bay. He then proceeded to build the home for his family which he continued to add to or change through the rest of his life. He spent his last years happily living on a property in the Northern Rivers of NSW where he still indulged his love of building.
Aged 96, after a long and full life, Ted Byrne passed away on the 8 August 2017
Text: Karl James & http://www.26cavcommando.org.au/
Photographer: Norman Bradford Stuckey
Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial
Colour by Benjamin Thomas

BravoZulu said:

An Australian soldier wearing a captured Pickelhaube and talking to his French comrade in 1916

Click to expand...

This caused me a few confusions, as to why an austrian (he's wearing a Pickelhaube) could be a comrade of a french man.

Then I thought you meant a prisoner, being austrian.

Then I read it slowly....

There needs to be a law on naming countries, in case we find some more.....

The Warsaw Uprising Insurgents at the barricade on Sienna Street at the intersection with Wielka Street. On the right, behind the nurse, there are incendiary bottles.



author of the photo: Stefan Bałuk "Kubuś" "Starba"
source: MPW
early August 1944

Fluff said:

Thats definitely not covered under warranty.

Click to expand...

The current German administration would try that route though. ?

Spitfire Mk.Vb (tropicalised) AB324, of No. 145 Squadron RAF, on a landing ground in the Western Desert.


Following RAF service with Nos. 145, 92, 335 and 94 Squadrons, and with the Desert Air Force Communication Unit, AB324 was handed over to the Czech Air Force in 1946.

Original image and text © IWM (ME(RAF) 4397)

Air Vice Marshal W F Dickson, Air Officer Commanding the Desert Air Force, stands by his personal Supermarine Spitfire LF Mark VIII, JF814 WFD, at a landing ground in northern Italy.


© IWM (CNA 3175)

RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse. Apparently this was drawn after a photo.

Men of Company K, 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th US Infantry Division push through the jungle along the Zieta Trail, New Georgia, Solomon Islands, 12 Aug 1943



Colour by Doug

Saturday 12 August 1944.



Panzer VI Königstigers of 3./schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 having just been transported by rail from Mailly-le-Camp and de-trained at Gare de l'Est, Paris can be seen turning from Rue d'Aubervilliers into Boulevard de la Villette on their way to Mantes-la-Jolie to counter the Allied advance toward Paris.

(Number '331' is in the foreground following '332')

'331' was lost near Avernes - Gadancourt, possibly on August 29
'332' also would have been attacked and knocked out by Allied air attacks and or destroyed by their crews after break downs, around that date.
Colour by Royston Leonard

Imperial Japan:
Heavy cruiser Mikuma severely crippled during the battle of midway, her midsection devastated and torpedoes hanging from the port side tubes. She would eventually roll over and sink

M4A3E8 "Sherman" Tank of the 31st Tank Battalion,US. 7th Armored Division in Gremany February 1945

French "Poilus" of the 415th Infantry Regiment with a Hotchkiss machine gun in a trench, 1915.