Photos Colour and Colourised Photos of WW2 & earlier conflicts

[Conhoon]

A Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa, RN-N, serial P7895 of No 72 Squadron RAF, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Robert Deacon Elliot flying over the Northumberland coast from its base at RAF Acklington, Northumberland circa April 1941.

During the Battle of Britain, No. 72 Squadron spent the early days at RAF Acklington as part of No. 13 Group, before moving south during September to aid the main defence force.
The squadron was then moved to North Africa to support the Tunisian campaign before being supplied with the updated Spitfire Mk.IX in 1942.
They then assisted the British 8th Army as they advanced through Italy and France up until the German surrender. At this point they were moved to Austria. It was here they were disbanded on 30 December 1946 at Zeltweg.
Photographer: George W. Hales.

 

[Conhoon]

Battle of Pilckem Ridge. Two horses carrying shells struggle through the mud near Ypres, 1 August 1917.

The Monsoon in Flanders, 1917.
For nearly eighty years, Third Ypres 31 July-10 November 1917, of which the attack on Passchendaele was the final stage, has been synonymous with continual rain and mud. The August monsoon which apparently was customary in Flanders, and which the British high command chose to ignore.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/44226449?seq=1
(Photo source - © IWM Q 5941)
Brooke, John Warwick (Lieutenant) (Photographer)
Colourised by Doug - DBColour

 

[Conhoon]

Staff Sergeant Joseph "Sonny" Arnaldo of New Bedford, Massachusetts, from Company A, 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division. Ardennes, winter 1944/1945.

“When this picture was taken by YANK's staff photographer Sgt. Reg Kenny, Joseph Arnaldo of New Bedford, Massachusetts, had just come off the line after 10 successive days of fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. His hood and face covered with snow, Arnaldo had recovered from a temporary blindness when an 88 mounted on a Jerry tank was fired a few yards from him”.
The photograph, which is in the official history of the 331st, appeared for the first time on the cover of YANK Army Weekly magazine from February 4, 1945.
Joseph J. "Sonny" Arnaldo passed away on April 28, 1977, he is buried at the Rural Cemetery, New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was 59 years old.
Colour by Jake

 

[Conhoon]

Troops cleaning their weapons onboard ship, as part of the invasion force on its way to Ramree Island, an island off the coast of Rakhine State, Burma.
21 January 1945.

These men could possibly belong to the 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, connected to the 71st Indian Brigade, 26th Indian Division, as they were one of only a few British Regiments in the landing party at that time and place.
Third Battle of Arakan
12 Dec 1944 - 28 Feb 1945
On 21 Jan 1945, Anglo-Indian forces landed on Ramree island just off the Burmese coast with intention of occupying and establishing airbases on those islands. The invasion was preceded by a bombardment by the battleship 'Queen Elizabeth' and the light cruiser 'Phoebe', while aircraft from carrier 'Ameer' spotted for them; B-24 Liberator and P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft from the No. 224 Group RAF also participated in the pre-invasion attacks. One hour later, the Indian 71st Brigaded landed unopposed. On 22 Jan, the British 4th Infantry Brigade landed to reinforce the beachhead, followed by the 26th and 36th Brigades. On 26 Jan, Royal Marine forces landed on Cheduba and found it unoccupied. While the Japanese did not challenge the landing at Ramree Island, a defence in depth was planned to fight the invaders on this 2,300-square kilometre island in the Bay of Bengal. As the weight of four British and Commonwealth brigades pressured the first line of defence, 900 Japanese troops fell back to the second line of defence, as planned. (ww2db.com)
(Source - © IWM SE 2266)
(Colourised by Royston Leonard)

 

[Conhoon]

Four members of the 13th Battalion AIF at Ribemont, smiling over the contents of their parcels from the Australian Comforts Fund. March 1917
Left to right: unidentified; 2922 Private (Pte) Steve Alfred George Waller; 2113 Lance Corporal (L Cpl) William Thomas Butler; 4260 Signaller (Sig) Reginald Ralph Bamford.

Pte Waller was a carpenter from North Sydney, New South Wales prior to enlistment and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Argyllshire on 30 September 1915 for Egypt. He subsequently served on the Western Front, France and returned to Australia in November 1917 for discharge as medically unfit. Sig Bamford was an accountant from Tamworth, New South Wales who embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Port Lincoln for Egypt. He also served on the Western Front, France, and returned to Australia for discharge in March 1919.
Pte Butler was a labourer from Bendigo, Victoria, who embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Wandilla on 14 June 1915 for Gallipoli. He was hospitalised due to illness and was evacuated to Egypt. In June 1916 his battalion relocated to the Western Front, France, where he was wounded in action on the first occasion in August 1916. In October 1917 he was awarded the Military Medal for his actions near Zonnebeke on 26 September 1917. He was appointed L Cpl on 22 December 1917. L Cpl Butler was wounded in action a second time near Villers-Bretonneux on 4 July 1918 and died of these wounds the same day. He was aged 24 years. His brother, 6718 Pte Henry George Butler, 8th Battalion, died of wounds received in action on 11 August 1918. He was aged 26 years. (AWM)
(Photo and Text source - AWM E00404)
Colourised by Doug - DBColour

 

[Conhoon]

A Russian soldier leaning on an Arisaka Type 30 rifle. Possibly taken before leaving for the Front during World War I.
Taken in 1916 by Victor Barsokevitsch in Kuopio (Finland).

Image belongs to the Kuopio Cultural History Museum KUHMU / Kuopion kulttuurihistoriallinen museo KUHMU
Color by Carlos - BlauColorizations

 

[Conhoon]

On January 21, 1945, ground personnel of the 268 Squadron Royal Air Force prepare a North American Mustang II photo reconnaissance at Gilze-Rijen for a new mission under cold, winter conditions. Three technicians are "de-icing" the Allison engine. They unscrewed the hood for this and placed it on the ground. A fourth RAF soldier sweeps snow off one of the wings with a broom.

The 268 Squadron Mustang IIs are armed scouts: they are equipped with not only still cameras, but also four .50 machine guns. During the reconnaissance or recce missions at low altitude, they can not only capture German military installations on film, but also target occasional targets such as vehicles and inland vessels. The 268 Squadron eventually bivouaced for over three months, between mid-November 1944 and early March 1945, at the North Brabant airfield.
Colour by Erwin Zeemering

 

[Conhoon]

22 January 1944

In the foreground is a British Sherman tank of the 23rd Armoured Brigade driving down the ramp of an unidentified LCT (Landing Craft Tank).
To the right is the stern view of LCT(5)-152 withdrawing from the beachhead at Anzio, during 'Operation Shingle'
'Operation Shingle' is the name given to an amphibious landing by the Allies in Italy during World War II. It took place on January 22, 1944, under the command of United States Major General John P. Lucas. The object, which was successfully achieved, was to land sufficient forces to outflank the Germans along the Winter Line and set up an assault on Rome itself. The fighting which resulted after the landing is usually referred to as the Battle of Anzio.
(Photo source © IWM NA 11035)
Sgt. Dawson, No 2 Army Film & Photographic Unit
(Colour by RJM)

 

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[Conhoon]

The first of 77 P-40F Warhawks of 33rd Fighter Group are launched via catapult from the USS Chenango CVE-28 carrier during Operation Torch off the coast of North Africa.
November 10th, 1942

The fighter group was requested as air support for the Western Task Force of Operation Torch and assigned on 19 September 1942. Its 77 P-40Es moved from Hampton Roads, Virginia, to North Africa on the deck of the USS *Chenango* as part of the invasion force on 8 November 1942.
Pilots had been given brief training at Philadelphia in carrier launches but the Navy had serious misgivings about the aircraft's ability to withstand the strain and the pilot's ability to launch by catapult from the escort carrier.
With securing of the Port Lyautey airfield on 10 November the launch from Chenango began and was successful but the airfield's runways were so damaged that the launch was discontinued and not completed until two days later.
Two of the 77 aircraft were lost to a crash and vanishing in a fog with 17 damaged in landing with none getting into action. The 35 planes of the group following on D+5 aboard the British carrier HMS *Archer* also were launched to land at the Port Lyautey airfield and suffered four loses on landing due to pilot inexperience.

 

[Conhoon]

A member of the Australian 2nd Battalion "carrying on" with his correspondence, in billets at Flesselles, Somme.
17-30 November 1916

"The muddy state of the yard was not quite so bad as the trenches. Note the canvas action cover which protects the breech of his rifle. The soldier is also wearing his hat back-to-front, possibly to keep the sun out of his eye while he writes."
(Photo and text source - AWM E00030)
Colourised by Doug - DBColour

 

[IDF_TANKER]

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my bad brother

 

[Conhoon]

Spitfire Mark VI, BR579, ON-H, of No. 124 Squadron RAF, parked in a dispersal at North Weald, Essex.
This aircraft was flown by Flt. Lt. M. P. Kilburn, who was the highest scoring aircraft of the RAF No. 124 Squadron, also being flown out of Gravesend, Debden, and Martlesham Heath, between Aug - Dec 1942.

No. 124 (Baroda) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron originally formed to be a light bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.
Around the outbreak of World War II, from April to September 1939, 124 Sqn was allocated a squadron code but the squadron was not officially stood up.
The squadron eventually reformed on 10th May 1941 as a fighter unit equipped with Spitfire Mk I, stationed at RAF Castletown, to provide air defence for Scapa Flow from 29 June. In October 1941 it converted to Spitfire Mk IIBs. It was then moved to RAF Biggin Hill with Spitfire Mk V taking part in sorties against the German Channel Dash. In April 1942, it received new equipment in the form of the high altitude Spitfire Mk VI, which it took to RAF Drem for a month in December. Returning from Scotland in January 1943, it absorbed the Special Spitfire Flight[4] from RAF Northolt and then to RAF Manston, where in early 1945 the Squadron was intercepting German reconnaissance aircraft at up to 50,000 ft, using Spitfire Mk VIIs with pressurised cockpits.
Photographer: F/O F. J. Brock.
Photo: WikiCommons Ref CH18083.
Minor Image Repair & Colourisation - Nathan Howland

 

[Conhoon]

Pilots from 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron lend a hand in pushing Spitfire IX BS451, FY-V, out to dispersal at Biggin Hill.
18 December 1942.

FY-V was flown by Fl/Lt Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld (from Austrian parentage). His sole success in BS451 came over the French coast near Boulogne on 14 March 1943 during 'Rodeo 188' when, in a dogfight, he damaged a Bf 109.
BS451 served through to the end of the war, and in 1947 it was transferred to the South African Air Force.
Colloredo-Mansfield was killed in action leading Spitfire IX equipped Nº132 Sqn. on 7 January 1944. (text/DB)

 

[Conhoon]

Group Captain Clive "killer" Caldwell DSO,DFC &Bar RAAF 28.5 kills.6 probables and 15 damaged.
German, Italian and Japanese Aircraft and the top scoring Australian ace of the war,highest scoring Curtis P-40 pilot from any Air Force,and highest scoring Allied pilot in North Africa.

Colourised by Mike Gepp.

 

[Conhoon]

Captain Robert Campbell Cunninghame, 1st BN 42nd ( Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot Crimea 1855.

Captain Cunninghame was present at the Battle of Alma ( Sept 20th 1854)
He was invalided home the following year in August and died 6th September 1855 in Malta of 'Crimean Fever' transmitted to humans from domestic animals Cattle,goats,pigs, usually through infected milk or carcass.(Brucellosis)

Original Photographer Roger Fenton 1829-69.
Original Photo Royal Collection Trust.

 

[Conhoon]

Matilda MK.II of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment With Australian Soldiers landing on Green Beach
Island of Labuan,Borneo,10th June 1945.