Photos WW2 British & Commonwealth Forces

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Beaches in one of the British sectors in Normandy.

 

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Members of the Regimental Aid Party of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa treating a wounded soldier near Caen, France, 15 July 1944.
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ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS FAR EAST 1941-1945 (CF 586) Ground crew of No. 110 Squadron RAF service the starboard engine of a de Havilland Mosquito FB Mark VI at Joari, India.
Source: IWM

 

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On February 19th, 1942, war came to Australia when the northern Australian port of Darwin was attacked by wave after wave of Japanese aircraft.
The Japanese were actively engaged in expansionist operations in Java and the port of Darwin was seen as a potential base from which Allied actions could be launched against them.
Two separate raids were launched during the course of the day.
The port was lightly defended and the defenders were caught off-guard.
Some eleven ships at anchor were sent to the bottom and many buildings were destroyed.
There were approximately 300 fatalities.
Thereafter, Australia was on high alert for follow-up raids and even for the threat of invasion from the north.
Thankfully, it never happened.

The raids continued, nearly 100 over the next 20 months, bombing as far down as Learmonth and Townsville and ships being attacked and sunk right down the East coast, midget subs being sunk in Sydney Harbour.

 

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L Detachment ,SAS just back from a three month patrol, 18 Jan 1943.

 

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New Guinea Campaign. Shaggy Ridge. 27 December 1943. Diggers of the Australian 21st Infantry Brigade watch aircraft bombard 'The Pimple’ prior to their attack on the Japanese position.

 

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Private DG Kotz, D Coy, 2/43 Infantry Battalion, with a prototype 60 round Owen magazine, Labuan Island, June 1944.
Apparently it worked, but was too clumsy to carry around and store spares, and was used as a first contact magazine for Australians in the Pacific only, for extra firepower in the initial engagement, after which they would transition to regular stick magazines.

 

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An Australian sniper from the 2/8 Commando Squadron with a spotter on Bougainville Island, New Guinea. 1945. He is armed with a scoped P14 Enfield rifle.

 

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The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Anthony Eden and the Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Bernard Paget watching the 42nd Armoured Division exercises. 29 September 1942.

 

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Original wartime caption: Lancaster of R.A.F. Bomber Command are constantly on the offensive, attacking industrial and military objectives in Germany and occupied-Europe, and creating havoc to the German war machine. Picture (issued 1944) shows - Rear turret of a Lancaster bomber.
Source IWM

 

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Commonwealth forces in the North African campaign.

 

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M3 Grant Lee in North Africa.

 

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Pipers of a Scottish regiment in Rome , a local woman checking their kilts !!

 

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A British soldier in battle dress and a bearded Canadian sailor share a light at an English port, on 14 January 1941.