Author: portraitsofwar

Original Never-Before-Seen WWII D-Day Landing Photos on Omaha Beach – LCT-535

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Preparing the 535

Half the fun of winning a new group of WWII photos on eBay lies in the research and presentation of the material.  After recently having placed the winning bid on a set of 50

or so WWII photos of what appeared to be some sort of beach landing, I quickly realized that I had something more important in my possession.

After asking the gracious seller a little bit of info about the provenience of the lot, I soon found out that the photos came from the estate of a deceased WWII veteran from Santa Rosa, CA.  Al Pellegrini was the skipper of the LCT-535 during the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach, and either snapped, or was given these photos as a memento of his time aboard the 535.

According to a 1994 article by Gaye LeBaron of the Press Democrat,

“Ensign Albert J. Pellegrini of Santa Rosa, California, came early to the invasion of Normandy.  He landed his LCT 535 about 10 minutes ahead of H-Hour on the sands of Omaha Beach, earning the distinction of being the skipper of the first American vessel to land on the French coast on June 6th, 1944.”

Wow!  What did I stumble across with this innocuous looking eBay listing?  I hope to present these photos to show the world the faces of the first men to land on Omaha Beach on that fateful day nearly 70 years ago.

3rd Trip on June 6th - Dropping off Field Hospital

Many more photos to come!

WWI The University of Vermont at War – Williams Hall Army Training Detachment – August 1918

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Authors Collection


My recent trip to the local Burlington antique shop yielded some WWI gold; yet another WWI UVM panoramic photo to add to my extensive collection of war photography.  This one was taken in August of 1918 in front of Williams Hall at the University of Vermont.  I spent countless hours studying anthropology and archaeology in the hallowed halls of Williams, and I know the front facade well.  From the looks of it, not much has changed!   This photo shows Company C of the US Army Training Detachment which was housed at UVM in the months preceding the end of the war.

Looking at some of the details of the photo actually helped elucidate a bit of Louis McAllister’s business.  Check out the writing on each of the benches – it appears that McAllister wrote his name on each bench in his typical flowery style.  Very interesting!

Korean War “Kilroy Was Here” Graffiti – 987th Armored Field Artillery Photo

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How many times have you heard the term “Kilroy Was Here”?  I’ve personally never seen a WWII or Korean War photo depicting the infamous graffiti, but now have a copy in my own collection.  The recent acquisition of a 987th Armored Field Artillery negative grouping uncovered this little gem.  I also like the grammatically incorrect North Korean proclamation slathered across the wall.  Enjoy!

42nd Rainbow Division Rolls Through Bavaria – 222nd Infantry Regiment Photo Post

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222nd Anti-Tank Company

 

A member of the 222nd Anti-Tank Company of the 42nd Division snaps a photo while a convoy of trucks rolls through a small Bavarian town.  One of a series of nearly 800 negatives from the 222nd that I acquired last year; this photo encompasses the fast moving blitz through Germany and Bavaria that the 42nd took on during the last parts of the war.

 

The WWII Nose Art of Hal Olsen – U.S. Navy Mechanic on Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers

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I recently had the esteemed pleasure of acquiring two nose art photos of PB4Y-2 airplanes.  Using the power of the internet, I was able to look up the two planes, the Green Cherries, and the Lady Luck II.  With a bit of luck I tracked down the name of the original artist.  Hal Olsen painted over 100 nose art pin-up ladies on various planes in the PTO.  He charged $50 per painting and eventually used the money to enter formal art school and travel with his wife.  Having tracked him down, I wrote him a nice letter asking for his autograph and promising that I would send along some copies of my photos.  They go out in the mail tomorrow!  For now, check out the shots and the nice card he sent me.

Thanks Hal!

 

Lady Luck II

Green Cherries

 

 

 

Hal's Autograph

WWI Panoramic Photo Yardlong – 36th Division, 131st Machine Gun Battalion in French Street – Check the Detail!

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The large format of WWI panoramic photos is not an easy scan, but after scanning this yardlong photo in seven sections, I was able to seamlessly splice the photo together using Photoshop.  The results are an eye pleasing display of WWI doughboys sitting in a French street. One could spent hours looking at each battle wizened face, or the citizens and scenery in the background.

131st Machine Gun Battalion – 36th Division

Using the magical power of GoogleEarth, I was able to track down the exact street corner in this photo.  Not much has changed in 100 years!

Saint Aubin Des Coudrais, Sarthe France