Photos Colour and Colourised Photos of WW2 & earlier conflicts

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April 1942

Second Lieutenant Adam Bachleda-Curuś of the 1st Polish Independent Commando Company (the 6th Troop of the 10th Inter-Allied Commando) on his BSA M20 motorcycle C4666503 with the company mascot-dog 'Myszka' (Mouse).

 

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Polish soldier Witold Kierżun, Warsaw Uprising, Poland, August 1944

 

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Woman fighter of the Army Krajowa (Polish Underground Armed Forces in Poland) on a city street during the Warsaw Uprising. The woman is armed with a "Błyskawica" (Eng: "Lightning") submachine gun, designed in the Polish underground based on the English Sten submachine gun, with a number of changes and additions to the device.
On the wall of the building there is a copy of the information publication "Warsaw Fights" (Pol: "Warszawa walczy"), published by insurgents since September 6, 1944.

 

[Conhoon]

A group of pilots of No. 303 Polish ("Kościuszko") Fighter Squadron walking toward the camera from a Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 (possibly F/O Jan Zumbach's RF-F V6684) after transferring from RAF Northolt for a well earned rest period.
RAF Leconfield, Beverley, North Humberside, UK - October 1940

Left to right, in the front row are - Pilot Officer Mirosław Ferić; Flight Lieutenant John A. Kent (the CO of 'A' Flight); Flying Officer Bogdan Grzeszczak; Pilot Officer Jerzy Radomski; Pilot Officer Witold Łokuciewski; Pilot Officer Bogusław Mierzwa (obscured by Łokuciewski); Flying Officer Zdzisław Henneberg; Sergeant Jan Rogowski; Sergeant Eugeniusz Szaposznikow. In the centre, to the rear of this group, wearing helmet and goggles is Pilot Officer Jan Zumbach.

 

[Conhoon]

Flight Lieutenant John Alexander Kent, the Commander of the 'A' Flight, No. 303 Fighter Squadron RAF (Polish), standing by Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 RF-F (V6684) often flown by Squadron Leader Witold Urbanowicz at RAF Leconfield, 24 October 1940.

 

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Sergeants Eugeniusz Szaposznikow, Stanisław Karubin and Kazimierz Wünsche of No. 303 Polish ("Kościuszko") Fighter Squadron sharing a joke by one of the Squadron's Hurricane Mk.1s (possibly F/O Jan Zumbach's RF-F V6684) at RAF Leconfield, Beverley, North Humberside, UK.
24 October 1940.

 

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6 October 1944
Harold A. Marshall (February 10, 1918 – January 18, 2013) a Canadian Scout and Sniping Platoon Sergeant who served with the Calgary Highlanders' Scout and Sniper Platoon.

 

[Conhoon]

And one for @BravoZulu ...
7 October 1943
Members of the 2/2nd Australian Independent Company on their return to camp after a twelve day patrol in the Ramu Valley, Dumpu, New Guinea.
Depicted, left to right:- NX37195 Trooper (TPR) F. J. Thorpe; WX11366 Corporal J. F. Fowler; NX130254 TPR J. A. Prior; WX13118 TPR W. R. Watson.
In June 1943 the 2/2nd sailed from Townsville for Port Moresby and was subsequently flown to Bena Bena, in the Bismark Range in New Guinea's highlands. Here they supported the 2/7th Independent Company in patrolling the Ramu River area. In the second week of July the 2/2nd moved into position, with its headquarters at Bena Bena and with its platoons' occupying neighbouring positions. By the end of the month their patrols were skirmishing with the Japanese. The 2/2nd remained in New Guinea until October 1944. (awm.gov.au)

Photographer: Norman Bradford Stuckey
Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

 

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Men of “E Squadron” Glider Pilot Regiment photographed at RAF Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, shortly before 'Operation Market Garden' in September 1944.

The men pictured here piloted Horsa Gliders in to the operational area on the 17th & 18th of September 1944. Once on the ground many of E Squadron defended the Divisional HQ at Oosterbeek.
The Regiment suffered 60% casualties during ‘Market Garden’ and never recovered from the losses.

 

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The pilots and gunners from 566th Attack Aviation Regiment in the background is an Ilyushin Il-2.
Among the pilots – one awarded the 'Hero' and one twice 'Hero of the Soviet Union'. 1944

566 (Solnechnogorsk) Attack Aviation Regiment was part of the 277th Attack Air Division of the 1st Air Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front.
Personnel from the Soviet 566th Attack Regiment:
At the bottom in the center, in a dark uniform – Golomazov Mikhail Ivanovich.
Above him, a little to the left, with blond hair – Korchagin Lev Pavlovich Hero of the Soviet Union.
To the left of Korchagin – Myhlik Vasily Ilyich, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

Source: Family archive A. Golomazov.

 

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Ilyushin Il-2 (Rus: Илью́шин Ил-2) Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft.

 

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German prisoners are guarded by two soldiers of the 2d Armored Division, near St. Lo, 1944. The two American soldiers are both wearing camouflage suits, which were later abandoned, in part due to confusion with German camouflage.

 

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A portrait of a British Airborne soldier during the Rhine Crossing, 24-25 of March, 1945

 

[Jaybe]

Vienna, 1945

 

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A Surrendered Schwimmwagen Kfz1 Type 166 (WH 1641890) and a BMW 75 Motor bike & side car with other vehicles of the 278. Infanterie Division (Wehrmacht) at the Brenner Pass, on the Italian - Austrian Border. May 1945.

 

[Conhoon]

...and one for @Jaybe

Roza Georgiyevna Shanina (3 April 1924 – 28 January 1945) was a Soviet sniper during World War II, credited with fifty-nine confirmed kills, including twelve soldiers during the Battle of Vilnius.
(Her rifle is a Mosin Nagant 1891/30 with a PU (SVT) 3.5x sniper scope 1943, also in this photo she holds the rank of staff sergeant; lance-sergeant = старший сержант)
Shanina volunteered for the military after the death of her brother in 1941 and chose to be a marksman on the front line. Praised for her shooting accuracy, Shanina was capable of precisely hitting moving enemy personnel and making doublets (two target hits by two rounds fired in quick succession). The Soviets found that sniper duties fitted women well, since good snipers are patient, deliberate, have a high level of aerobic conditioning, and normally avoid hand-to-hand combat.
She became the first Soviet female sniper to be awarded the 'Order of Glory' and was the first servicewoman of the 3rd Belorussian Front to receive it. Shanina was killed in action during the East Prussian Offensive while shielding the severely wounded commander of an artillery unit.

 

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On May 12, 1944, at Monte Cassino (Italy), a decisive attack of the II Polish Corps under the command of Gen. Władysław Anders began. The soldiers went to the night attack in the mined, almost unprotected area, under heavy fire carried by well-trained German paratroopers. For the next four days, the artillery was firing at the enemy's position.

 

[Conhoon]

... and one for @Bombardier ...

(Have a nice weekend, mate! )

 

[Bombardier]

Great photo buddy enjoy your weekend too

 

[Conhoon]

The official IWM caption states: “Troops of the 1st Platoon, 1st Company, 5th Battalion, 2nd Brigade (3rd Carpathian Rifles Division, 2nd Polish Corps) loading a 2 inch mortar under cover of a destroyed German self-propelled gun in support of a patrol. The signaller is crouching behind. Photograph taken at Faenza, 13 February 1945. The patrol was sent into the hills south of the Senio River.”