Photos Photos of the US Army in the ETO

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John P. Quinlan was the colorful tail gunner for the famous B-17 Memphis Belle that was credited for being the first B-17 to complete 25 missions. The pilot, Bob Morgan, nicknamed him “Our Lucky Horseshoe.” Remarkably, he was the only crewmember to be awarded a Purple Heart Medal. He named his two 50 caliber machine guns “Pete” and “Repete” and is credited with shooting down two enemy aircraft. After his U.S. tour selling savings bonds, John was reassigned to a B-29 unit in the Pacific and he was credited with shooting down another three enemy aircraft. His B-29, “Marietta Misfits,” was shot down over Japanese territory and he became a prisoner of war. John escaped and joined up with Chinese gorilla fighters to get to a protected airstrip. Somewhere along his trek, a B-25 dropped down, landed, took him aboard and delivered him to military base. John P. Quinlan survived the war, married, and raised six children along with a nephew. He retired from a civilian career in 1980 and passed away on December 18, 2000 at the age of 81.
#funfact #wwiifacts #wwii #greatestgeneration #b17 #b17memphisbelle #johnpquinlan #tailgunner #veteran #hero #aviation #airmuseum #aviationmuseum #lyonairmuseum

 

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The Last American K.I.A.
in Europe during WWII
By May 1945, the German Army was destroyed.
In these last days of World War II in Europe, American soldiers continued to fight bravely. One such soldier was Pfc. Charley Havlat, who was shot in a German ambush on May 7. Havlat is considered to be the last American killed in the European Theater of Operations.
Havlat, who was born to Czech immigrants in Nebraska, arrived in England in June 1943. He served with the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion in some of bloodiest battles of the war. In the invasion of Normandy, Havlat and his comrades fought their way from Omaha Beach to St. Lo. His battalion continued on across northern France, through Belgium and Holland, before reaching the Siegfried Line. In the autumn of 1944 Havlat saw combat at Aachen and the Huertgen Forest, and on December 16, Havlat found himself in the Ardennes Forest at the onset of The Battle of the Bulge. Three months later, his unit helped capture Trier, Germany and crossed the Rhine.
On the morning of May 7, 1945, on a dirt road 12 kilometers into Czechoslovakia, Havlat’s reconnaissance platoon was blindsided by a hail of enemy machine gun and small arms fire from concealed enemy positions. Moments after the attack began, Havlat took a bullet to the head, ending his life. His fellow soldiers returned fire until their radio operator received word that some 9 minutes before the ambush, a cease fire order had gone into effect. Taken prisoner, the German officer who led the ambush knew nothing of the cessation of hostilities at the time of the attack, and apologized for the incident. Havlat lost his life a mere 6 hours before Germany’s unconditional surrender.
Havlat was killed in his parents’ native land, while fighting to liberate it from fascism. His 2 brothers, Adolph and Rudolph, were both serving in Europe when they learned of Charley’s death. They traveled to his temporary gravesite to pay their respects to their older brother, who gave his life just hours before the war in Europe ended.
Now in peace, resting at the Lorraine War Cemetery.

 

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US Army soldiers using a Panzer IV to test different methods of defence against hand held anti-tank weapons like the "Ofenrohr" and the "Panzerfaust".

 

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M33 Prime Mover towing an M1 8” / 203mm gun near Cori Italy - May 1944
The M33 was an M31 TRV (Based on the M3 Lee/Grant) converted into an artillery tractor role, with turret and crane removed, note dummy 75mm gun
109 M33’s were converted during WW2
LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer

 

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M5 Tractor leading some Sherman Tanks into Ohrdruf Germany - April 1945
LIFE Magazine Archives - David Scherman Photographer

 

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Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division rest beside the railroad near the town of Larnod, France.

 

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On November 27, 1944, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for destroying two German machine gun bunkers, killing six enemy soldiers, and capturing four prisoners . . . and he wasn’t even a US citizen.
Born on January 20, 1920, in Castanos, Mexico, Marcario Garcia - one of ten children in a family of immigrant farm workers - grew up working with his parents in the cotton fields near Sugar Land, Texas. He dropped out of school in eighth grade and in 1942 joined the US Army.
Assigned to Company B, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, the 22-year-old private, determined to fight for his adopted country and make a name for himself, was sent to Europe.
On June 6, 1944, he stormed ashore at Normandy, fought his way off the body-strewn Utah landing beach, and was hit by German fire.
After spending four months in the hospital, he rejoined his unit and by November 1944 was fighting near Grosshau, Germany, when his company came under a withering barrage of enemy machine gun and artillery fire.
Despite being hit in the shoulder and foot, Private Garcia refused to be evacuated and charged toward the German lines. “I didn’t know my wounds were so serious,” he later told the Houston Chronicle. “I was numb . . . we were moving forward and it wasn’t a good time to stop.”
What Garcia did next shocked and amazed his buddies. Using only his M1 rifle and a handful of grenades, the enraged private destroyed two German machine gun bunkers, killed six enemy soldiers, and captured four.
For his "conspicuous heroism and courageous conduct that enabled his company to advance and secure its objective,” Private Garcia was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Postscript:
Garcia returned to the States, and although still not a US citizen, was presented the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman at a White House ceremony.
Just weeks later, Garcia stopped at a local diner, ordered food, and in an incident that would receive national attention, was denied service due to his ethnic background.
In the ensuing fight that took place at the restaurant, Garcia was reportedly beaten with a baseball bat and arrested. When newspapers broke the story, however, Americans from across the country rallied around the World War II veteran and his case was dropped.
On June 25, 1947, in what would be one of the happiest days of his life, Garcia became a citizen of the United States.
The former farm worker turned war hero went on to earn a high school diploma, marry, have three children, and serve as a Veterans Administration counselor for 25 years. He retired from the US Army Reserve as a command sergeant major and on December 24, 1972, died in a car crash. He was 52.
"He was always willing to do anything he was asked to do,” his company commander from WWII later said.
Today we pay tribute to Marcario Garcia, his family, and all those who served, sacrificed, and died during WWII. We will never forget you!

 

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6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion personnel in Europe - 1944 / 1945

 

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Thanksgiving, November 26th, 1942 ... far from home.
(Yes, co-incidentally, Thanksgiving in 1942 actually fell on the very same date as Thanksgiving 2020!)
Surviving members of the British wartime generation have fond memories of the so-called "friendly invasion" of 1942-44 when hundreds of thousands of American troops began arriving in the United Kingdom.
Large camps and air-bases were established all across the country and "GIs" became a familiar sight on British streets...and in British pubs!
Their base-camps became like "little Americas" being more or less self-sufficient with produce and goods from home being freely available due to the efficiency of the American logistical system and Uncle Sam's promise to look after his own!
Our American "guests" soon gained a reputation for their kindness and generosity towards the native population who had been at war since September 1939 and were suffering from the privations caused by the strict nationwide rationing policy. Everyone had enough to eat, but "luxuries" were scarce.
Thus, in November 1942, these USAAF airman at an unidentified air-base arranged for the local children to attend a special Thanksgiving Party...at their expense.
Army trucks were sent to collect the children who were then treated to a slap-up turkey dinner with all the trimmings...an unheard of luxury in wartime Britain!
As can be deduced from the accompanying photographs...a jolly good time was had by all!
So..."Thank you America!"...and can I take this opportunity to wish all our American members a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving...and here's to better times ahead in 2021!

 

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That was a bloody great time had by all.....those were the days!

 

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This touching photo, taken on May 1, 1945, in Tangermünde, Germany, shows Captain J. McMahon (U.S. Ninth Army) carrying a little German girl over a destroyed bridge.
Shared from Time to Go Home.

 

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88mm KwK 43 cannons intended for German Jagdpanther Tank Destroyers are seen in improvised ground mounts in February 1945 near Düren Germany
It seems there are actually 2-3 different guns pictured, note that the one gun has mount damage while some of the other pictures don’t show this damage
The 88mm KwK 43 L/71 (Kampfwagenkanone "fighting vehicle cannon") was an 88mm 71 calibre gun designed by Krupp, it was one of the best anti-tank guns of WW2
LIFE Magazine Archives - William Vandivert Photographer

 

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Two US Army Medical Corps Jeeps supporting the advance of the 36th Infantry Division, Italy, May 1944.
One is fitted out as a litter-Jeep, the other is stripped right back.
Its windshield has been removed...possibly to allow for the placing of litters across its flat hood?
Both display prominent Red Cross flags and the one also has another painted on its radiator grille.
Noteworthy is the re-routing of the exhaust on the litter Jeep which now emerges just below the grille.
I've never seen this modification before. Presumably it was intended to divert the toxic fumes away from the casualties?
(LIFE / Mydans)

 

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US Army transport passes through the strategically placed Italian coastal city of Gaeta, which lies between Napoli and Roma.
During WW2 the German occupiers were fearful of Allied landings there so they expelled the population and fortified the town's coastal defences.
However, following the Allied crossing of the Garigliano and subsequent fall of Rome, the Germans withdrew and gradually the residents...known as " Gaetani"... gradually drifted back and reclaimed their city.
(Original colour images by LIFE's Carl Mydans)

 

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PFC Herman Stanley sorting surrendered German sidearms, 1945.

 

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"Helmet and Rifle mark [a] spot in [the] ditch by [the] road where a yank infantryman gave his life during [the] new drive by the U.S. Seventh Army." March 15, 1945.
The insignia on the helmet used in the marker appears to be the "T-patch" of the 36th Infantry Division.
On March 15, 1945 the 7th Army opened up a general offensive in conjunction with the 3rd Army to break German forces west of the Rhine. The Task given to the 36th was to break through the Moder River defense line, then break through the Seigfried line and capture Bergzabern.

 

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I'm not 100% sure, but it seems to be rather an M-12 than an M-40.