Photos Colour and Colourised Photos of WW2 & earlier conflicts

[santana]

A pathfinder B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51681) of the 453rd Bomb Group flies in formation with a fellow Liberator of the 453rd and and a pathfinder Liberator of the 445th Bomb Group.

 

[NebrHogger]

French resistance at their barricades in Paris, 1944.

 

[santana]

The iconic image of tail gunner Lawrence Benner, in a Lancaster bomber, Royal Canadian Air Force, RAF Bomber Command, 1943.

The then 17-year-old decided he wanted to fly for the Royal Canadian Air Force and help win the war he was raging in Europe, so in September 1943, he signed up for the Air Force recruiting station.

He wanted to be a pilot, however after basic training it was decided that Benner, being one of the smallest of the crew, would be a tail gunner on a Lancaster. So he spent countless hours sitting in a small compartment at the bottom of the exposed plane and looking back "always saw where he had been, never where he was going," Benner said.

The young man was one of the lucky ones to return home after flying 27 missions over enemy soil. Lancasters were the main heavy bombers used during World War II by the Royal Air Force. The crew consisted of seven men: pilot, flight engineer, navigator, radio operator, forward gunner, top middle gunner, and rear gunner.

 

[santana]

P-40 Warhawk pilots from the Royal New Zealand Air Forces No 18 Squadron, wait in their flying gear to be transported to their planes.
Torokina airfield, Bougainville, Feb 1943


These pilots are kitted out with RAF-type pilot parachutes, RAF K-type dinghy's and Back Pad kits, which contained various life saving equipment.
All that gear would've weighed around 20 kgs, and that's not including their sidearms, ammo pouches, canteens, knifes, first aid kits and Mae West life jackets.


During the first months of the RNZAFs time in the Pacific, Kiwi P-40 pilots complained of rashes and blisters to their buttocks and genitals after spending hours sitting on the hard dinghy packs.


This, as well as eye strain from poor protective gear, lack of food and water while flying, absence of entertainment on the ground and primitive living conditions, lead to a drop in morale amongst the pilots.


These issues were outlined in a report written on July 17th, 1943 by the new CO of No 14 squadron, F/Lt H Wigley.
As a result, a slab of rubber was introduced to the K-type Dinghy packs which improved comfort, and flight goggles with green lenses in them were issued to the pilots, which helped with the eye strain.

And chewing gum and drinks were provided before each mission. But even so, living conditions remained rather basic in the Islands.
RNZAF P-40s were credited with the destruction of 100 Japanese planes (most of them Zeros) with the loss of only 20 P-40s to enemy action

 

[Conhoon]

THE BATTLE OF NEUVE CHAPELLE
Troops of the Gordon Highlanders washing themselves in a yard of a house in Laventie, Hauts-de-France. March 1915.

(Photo source - © IWM Q 90287)

Colourised by Doug

 

[BravoZulu]

*Please disregard the below post if you have already donated to our fund raiser**

OK listen in all you legends of MI.net
@Bombardier has been able to get our site back, pending payment of fees from the server hosts. Said costs are over $3500USD per year

The server costs per year are beyond his ability to continue paying. TBH I never realised how much @Bombardier was financially contributing for what to him has been a labour of love. I could never have achieved what he has built and over such a long time (20+ years)

This is where the rubber meets the road gentlemen and ladies. We need funds urgently to enable this site to continue.

We are using the "Buy the team a beer" portal on the right hand side of the home pages. You will need to login to the full site to see it, it doesn't appear on the mobile or pad style screen.

Let's get moving lads. Any contribution, every dollar helps.

If you want this site to survive and continue to grow, put your hands in your pockets and pull out your plastic.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone in advance. Thank you brothers❤

BZ

PS Militaryimages.net is on Facebook also. Please consider registering there as that pages will be our RP should our efforts fail to save this site ?

 

[BravoZulu]

September of 1944, Private Joseph Liebgott, of the famed Band of Brothers from Easy Company, has a smoke on the streets of Eindhoven during Operation Market-Garden

 

[Conhoon]

The Polish submarinne ORP Sokół. The pic was taken in March 1944 when she returned Plymouth from the Mediterranean Sea. The Jolly Roger and captured German flags are hoisted on the periscope.

 

[Conhoon]

Hawker Tempest V aircraft (EJ589 SD-J, EJ599 SD-W and EJ763 SD-X) of 501 Squadron RAF, in flight, Bradwell Bay, 18th October 1944.
One of a number of images taken of that flight on the same day.

Photo: Authors Personal Collection.
Photographer: Charles E. Brown.
Image Repair & Colourisation - Nathan Howland

 

[santana]

Major General Clarence Huebner standing in the dragon's teeth.

 

[santana]

Mechanics Overhaul the Engine of Dauntless at sea.

 

[santana]

G.I's using a radio in a jeep Italy 1944.

 

[santana]

US B-25. In the anti-ship (anti-vortex) version

 

[santana]

Battle of Berlin - German FlaK M39(r) anti-aircraft gun team is firing at the Battle of the Seelow Heights (Schlacht um die Seelower Höhen).
FlaK M39(r) is the German designation of the captured Soviet 85-mm cannon 52-K. April 1945.

 

[santana]

View of the Flight Deck of USS Yorktown (CV-10) with aircraft of Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5) warming up, circa November-December 1943.


Visible are 18 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcats of Fighting Squadron 5 (VF-5), 17 Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of Bombing Squadron 5 (VB-5), and seven Grumman TBF-1 Avengers of Torpedo Squadron 5 (VT-5).

 

[BravoZulu]

19 April 1943. Groups of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began the uprising against Germans. It lasted 27 days.

 

[BravoZulu]

3 young women & a little girl, who were recently liberated from a German labour camp by the US Army, lay flowers at the feet of four American soldiers killed in Hilden, Germany. The Americans were crew members of the M24 Chaffee tank in the background.

 

[BravoZulu]

Royal Engineers from 294th Field Company, 49th Division, constructing a Bailey bridge over the Antwerp-Turnhout Canal, October 1944

 

[santana]

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC BE500, near Bath, England 1942 of 87 Squadron.

 

[santana]

A rare one. Spitfire PR Mk Xl Upstairs Maid from the 7th photographic Reconnaissance Group Mount Farm 1945.