Authetic Photos from WWII

The parade is interesting enough yet most prefer to see vehicles ect that are of interest as reference photographs.

The French tank & plane would spark views for sure!

Thanks for posting & enjoy your BBQ!

SF- I agree.  Thanks for stopping by... ribs were just perfect last night.  Secret family receipe... what the heck... it was stolen from a restaurant where my brother-in-law used to work. LOL

Here's more pictures... I like those four the best.  They were probably taken by different person I suspect a German soldier in infantry.  No question they were taken during the invasion of France as you can tell why...

Taking a break from long marches I bet...

Is that tank from First World War?  French Renault FT-17?  If so, no wonder they lost the war so quickly...

French warplane... but I don't know which plane... I don't really follow French.  I wonder if this soldier was the owner of those photos taken during the invasion. 

Nothing like a BBQ to welcome the summer!

I like the overturned tank. Its a perfect photograph to base a vignette on, the officer looks like her is trying to figure out what type of tank it is as well. The engine covers draped open show they were not latched of the officer had a peek inside. Either way excellent photograph!

The aircraft was obviously strafed on the ground. The opening day around 1/2 of the French air force was destroyed on the ground. Once again another excellent photograph of the soldiers posing on the wrecked plane.

Thanks for sharing Andy. I love stuff like that. Too hard to determine if that is Himmler or not. Awesome.

Thanks for posting !

No doubt they will bring a tear to Manny's eye as he recalls fond memories.

The French fighter is most likely a Bloch M.B. 152

SF- I agree about the overturned French tank... that's why it is one of my favorites.  It is on a loan so I can scan those favorite photos to share with you guys. 

Eric- Glad you loved the photos.  Amazing pieces of history!!!  I offered to buy them but he declined.  I will not give up! LOL   I think this guy is actually Himmler... I zoomed in and it really looks like him at far left now.  He had a faint mustache and funny looking pair of eyeglasses.

Check it out...

What do you think?

Sprue-ce Goose

Thanks for posting !

No doubt they will bring a tear to Manny's eye as he recalls fond memories.

The French fighter is most likely a Bloch M.B. 152

Thank you Sprue-ce Goose!  I googled on Bloch 152 and it looks like it is a perfect match!  Now I can tell my buddy about this plane. 

Any chance you think the guy on the right in blown up photo is actually Manny?  Maybe little too fat...

deafpanzer

 I think this guy is actually Himmler... I zoomed in and it really looks like him at far left now.  He had a faint mustache and funny looking pair of eyeglasses.

Check it out...

What do you think?

Officer on far left is not Himmler due to the size and style of uniform cap insignia.

Unfortunately, the service uniform type is unclear.

Heer ( Army ) did not wear armbands as they were not a NAZI party organization.

You could be right.  What about this photo... another blown up photo to help us?  Inspecting the troop... only big shots do this... who is he?  For sure its not Manny because he was held up in a hotel room with one of his many mistresses.

deafpanzer

 

Sprue-ce Goose:

 

Thanks for posting !

No doubt they will bring a tear to Manny's eye as he recalls fond memories.

The French fighter is most likely a Bloch M.B. 152

 

 

Thank you Sprue-ce Goose!  I googled on Bloch 152 and it looks like it is a perfect match!  Now I can tell my buddy about this plane. 

Any chance you think the guy on the right in blown up photo is actually Manny?  Maybe little too fat...

Hard to say who it is.

A steady diet of beer,  sausage , Schweinshaxe ( pork knuckles )and gigantic pretzels made many middle aged males of the era  look like the guy on the right.

deafpanzer

You could be right.  What about this photo... another blown up photo to help us?  Inspecting the troop... only big shots do this... who is he?  For sure its not Manny because he was held up in a hotel room with one of his many mistresses.

Well, I presume the C.O. of the Army unit in formation  ( saluting )  is "taking the salute"  followed by two of his officers and two  visiting German officers.

One in rear may be Luftwaffe due to shape of cap insignia while other three men following the C.O. appear to be Heer (army ).

I don't recognize anyone but Manny may have encountered them at Bad Kissingen casino.

Deafpanzer:

here's one for you:

From Japan.

Enjoy!

My late F-I-L, who was a Luftwaffe 88mm Guncrewmember unti he was captured in 1943, had some really good stuff from his side of the War... Dozens of unioforms close-up, and several really spectacular shoot-downs, were in his collection, all from the Battle of France through his capture in Sicily... Even a couple dozen color shots..

Wish I'd have gotten them, instead of his son getting them, lol.. Since he, conceivably at least, shot at my Dad and my uncles Bud (B-17 pilot), Stan, and Ronnie (brothers-in-law, and B-17 tail-gunners both) It would have made for some interesting pairings...

I've never seen any of the photos used anywhere, which makes them all the more interesting to me....

Sprue-ce Goose

 

Japanazis???

Sprue-ce Goose- Let me guess... you used to date them but they were little too wild for your taste?

Hans- I am with you!  Knowing you are into WWII militaria collection and I have started myself but it won't be that large unless they allow me to live that long.  Was hoping you'd recognize those big shots in the pictures...

I will see if I can borrow more photos so I can share with you guys.  I only have 20-25 photos on loan out of 150-200 photos at this moment. 

Here's another one...  Panzer officer?  Maybe a pilot based on his collars?  I can't tell...

The photo below is the back of the officer photo above.  'September of 1942' stamped?  But in writing it may have been taken in 'October of 1940' in German?  Anybody know German...

Hope you are enjoying those photos... I have few more that may have been taken in the Eastern front. 

nice stuff Andy

Sprue-ce Goose

Deafpanzer:

here's one for you:

From Japan.

Enjoy!

I doubt the Germans of the time would have appreciated the picture either, that hair is not RLM-standard!

deafpanzer

Hans-

Here's another one...  Panzer officer?  Maybe a pilot based on his collars?  I can't tell...

Nope, not Panzer, Panzer SS, not an officer, not even a pilot... He's a Luftwaffe Gefreiter, equal to an RAF Aircraftsman First Class , or American PFC..... If the Waffenfarben on his collar and shoulder-mark piping is red, and just thnking that it is, then he's in a FlaK Batterie of some sort..  What leads me down THAT path is the FlakArtillerie Qualification badge on his left sleeve...

deafpanzer

Sprue-ce Goose- Let me guess... you used to date them but they were little too wild for your taste?

Hans- I am with you!  Knowing you are into WWII militaria collection and I have started myself but it won't be that large unless they allow me to live that long.  Was hoping you'd recognize those big shots in the pictures...

I will see if I can borrow more photos so I can share with you guys.  I only have 20-25 photos on loan out of 150-200 photos at this moment. 

Here's another one...  Panzer officer?  Maybe a pilot based on his collars?  I can't tell...

The photo below is the back of the officer photo above.  'September of 1942' stamped?  But in writing it may have been taken in 'October of 1940' in German?  Anybody know German...

Hope you are enjoying those photos... I have few more that may have been taken in the Eastern front. 

Andy, I would say Luftwaffe Gefreiter ( PFC ) per the collar tabs, cap insignia and sleeve insignia.

Re: Japanazis: Check the BBC logo on the image: photo was someone's out-take from a BBC broadcast.

VanceCrozier

 

Sprue-ce Goose:

 

Deafpanzer:

here's one for you:

From Japan.

Enjoy!

 

 

I doubt the Germans of the time would have appreciated the picture either, that hair is not RLM-standard!

LOL.....

and for other reasons.

Sprue-ce Goose

 

 

Re: Japanazis: Check the BBC logo on the image: photo was someone's out-take from a BBC broadcast.

That must be where young Prince Harry got the idea for the SS party costume...

VanceCrozier

 

Sprue-ce Goose:

 

 

 

Re: Japanazis: Check the BBC logo on the image: photo was someone's out-take from a BBC broadcast.

 

 

That must be where young Prince Harry got the idea for the SS party costume...

...and I still can't fathom why Prince Harry thought that was a good idea......

or old photos of the Gotha-Saxe-Coburg.branch of the family on the European continent ...

Hans and SG- Thanks guys!  I knew I could count on you guys.  At first I thought he could be a Panzer officer but after looking at his collar tabs I saw two wings on each collar so he could be in Luftwaffe.  Little flashy for a first class as he sure looked like an officer with nice looking set of boots, cap and pistol.  Maybe he did it on purpose to get dates...

What about the back of that photo?  Did I get the correct information so I can share with my buddy Bob?

 I recall Hans knows little German...

anthony2779

nice stuff Andy

Thanks Anthony!   Thought you guys would enjoy those "never seen" pictures for change.  We all have seen those WWII photos repeatedly on TVs and in the books. 

I'd be more than happy to get more photos on loan to share with you guys if you are interested...

The style of architecture in the first group of photos looks like it could be Wurzburg,Germany.Definately not France.

Little flashy for a first class as he sure looked like an officer with nice looking set of boots, cap and pistol.  Maybe he did it on purpose to get dates...

It's called a "Walking Out" Uniform... Supposedly worn only for parades and off-duty formal occasions... Basically, a high-quality tailored version  of the field uniform, although it was rather uncommon to see lower ranks in that type of uniform, since they were rather expensive... NCOs and Officers were required to have one, it was optional for Other Ranks... The NCOs were reimbursed for buying it, but not officers or the "Other Ranks"..  The guy may have had a daddy on the Genral Staff or he was the son of a high-ranking Party Official...  Most likely he bought the uniform to "go to town" with,  since there're few other reasons for anyone lower than a Obergefreiter to need one... 

What about the back of that photo?  Did I get the correct information so I can share with my buddy Bob?

My wife's a Native German Speaker, she says that's what it look like to her...

TD4438

The style of architecture in the first group of photos looks like it could be Wurzburg,Germany.Definately not France.

Anthony- Thanks!  You have been helpful... I agree it looks like it was held in German.  While other pictures were taken in France but by different soldier because the different cameras were used. 

Hans-  You see?  I am still learning... many thanks for the great information about the uniforms.  My buddy Bob would be thrilled to hear all of this.   Please give your fourth wife a big hug and kiss for us.  Hope I got the number correct...

Guys- Here's two more pictures... I have few more that I haven't taken pictures of.   Those two photos were in different size, quality and colors so I suspect they were not from same solider I posted earlier. 

Where do you think it is?  I suspect it was taken in the eastern front because of this building... orthodox church, right?

Here's last one... liked this photo because it was a great group picture of buddies taken on a ship.  See how happy they were... their uniforms were in good condition and they didn't look too thin or tired.  So it has to be taken in early stage of WWII perhaps during the Invasion of France?  I have more pictures showing ships & boats carrying soldiers across a big river I suspect the Rhine? 

Hope you enjoyed... have a good one!

deafpanzer

Here's last one... liked this photo because it was a great group picture of buddies taken on a ship.  See how happy they were... their uniforms were in good condition and they didn't look too thin or tired.  So it has to be taken in early stage of WWII perhaps during the Invasion of France?  I have more pictures showing ships & boats carrying soldiers across a big river I suspect the Rhine? 

Hope you enjoyed... have a good one!

Still in early stage of the war as the PFC  ( one chevron ) is wearing a 1939 / 1940 issue  tunic with 4 buttons ( called M40 by collectors ) . 

I presume photo was taken on a barge.

Location unknown.