Photos WW2 Allied Forces

THE POLISH AIR FORCE IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY, JUNE-SEPTEMBER 1944.
Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXCs of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron in their dispersal areas at B10/Plumetot, August 1944.
Creator: Polish official photographer.
Source: © IWM MH 6852

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Sodiers of the Koninklijke Landmacht / Royal Netherlands Army, man a machine gun bunker during exercises in May 1939.
Sadly, a year later they were soon swept aside by the invading Germans and capitulated on May 15th.
However, the Dutch overseas colonies and Dutch forces-in-exile fought on.
I believe the heavy machine gun is a Schwarzlose M07/12 minus the distinctive tapered muzzle cone. Numbers of these were taken into Dutch service following WW1.
(LIFE / Vandivert)

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Chinese troops equipped with Thompson submachine guns going to relieve the American troops in the area of North Burma. 1944. (Photo by Roger Viollet)

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The Royal Netherlands Army / Koninklijke Landmacht...was one of the principal users of the Swedish designed Landsverk L-181 armoured car, known as the Pantserwagen M-36 in Dutch Army service.
This example was photographed during a military parade in May 1939.
They first saw action during the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940 but were soon overcome by superior German forces.
Following the surrender, serviceable examples were taken into service by the Germans and used for internal security as well as reconnaissance duties, with some even turning up on the OstFront.
In overall appearance they were not dissimilar to the Soviet BA-10 heavy armoured cars.
(LIFE / Vandivert)

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Flying officer Wiktor Strzembosz was the main pilot of Spitfire P8331 flying her a total of 22 times. He scored a probable and destroyed against BF109’s in P8331 making her his most successful partnership.
Wiktor was an experienced pilot having already claimed a destroyed against a BF110c in the polish-German Campaign of 1939 on September 5-6th.
In the pictures below the wreckage of BF110c of 2N+1H of 1./ZG1. The Messerschmitt was flown by Major Karl Hammes, Commanding the 1. Staffel of the Zerstorergeschwader 1, who was killed.
Photo and information credit/reference
Volume 1 - 303 Squadron, Author - Wojtek Matusiak

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Soldiers of FEB ( Forca Expedicionaria Brasileira) belonging to 25.334 Brasilian men who fought alongside Allies in the Italian Campaign from July 1944 to June 1945.

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ot a day passes by where something extraordinary can happen that you just don’t see coming. Our background story is now complete ..
What started as a conversation with a friend about another friend’s father being a mechanic in the Polish Air Force during the war, revealed from diaries that he was actually the mechanic for P8331!
All noted in his diary from the time he describes P8331 as his “M” for RF-M.
We even tracked a picture of him, Aircraftsman Second Class Tadeusz Kwissa stands front row third from left.
We now have the stories of the Pilot(s), ground crews and families.

Photo credit - 303 Squadron Vol 1, Wojtek Matusiak.

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WOW, love hearing stories like that, great one!! Serendipity old boy!!
 
The 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron was a part of the small Brazilian Expeditionary Force which was dispatched to Italy to fight alongside the Allies November '44 - May '45.
They were US trained and equipped.
Here, Sergeant Manual Ferreira proudly admires the Brazilian national insignia applied to one of the 1st BFS's P-47 Thunderbolts.
He wears a USAAF issue Type D-1 ground-crew shearling jacket.
(NASM)

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