Today’s post comes from my growing collection of 78th Division portrait photos. Although we don’t know his specific unit designation, we do have his name and company. Taken in a French studio, Alex Lindell was posed in a manner which allows the viewer to see his maimed hand. The fact that he was wounded is evidenced by a visible wound chevron on his right hand sleeve. The stitching is barely visible.
Alex Lindell of the 78th Division
A wonderful set of negatives from a family in Pennsylvania shows the lighthearted side of aging WWI veterans. An elderly member of the 316th Infantry Regiment of the 79th Division pals around with friends and family while showing off his war medals. A Purple Heart medal was awarded to our subject for wounds received in battle, and was likely delivered to him in the early 1930s when the current medal was officially created. Enjoy the images!
Legs Wraps and All!
June 22nd, 2022 UPDATE
Incredibly, an ancestry geek like myself whose husband is related to the WWI veteran above was able to positively identify the veteran after searching online and finding this site. Special thanks to Amanda who provided me with the name of Elmer Brandt Sweigart to pin to the name of the elderly WWI vet.
A fabulous shot of a group of doughboys taking some much needed R&R in a French city. A busty French girl stands in the doorway as the men pose for a photo. Just read the back! A superb WWI dog mascot photo with great content. Note the two wounded soldiers – one with a face wound, the other with a broken hand.
The details of the image pop out once the casual observer steps back from noting the obvious and begins to look for subtle details. Notice the reflection in the window? How about the stone gutter along the street? The hastily buttoned blouse of the facially wounded soldier? Enjoy!
Straight from the bowels of my studio portrait collection comes this well-composed studio image of a Yankee Division medic. Judging by his discharge stripe on the left sleeve of his tunic, I would say that this photo was taken upon his return to the States in 1919. Other visible insignia include an OS chevron and a Yankee Division pin on his cap. Another great 26th Division shot!
A nice grouping of 150+ color slides taken in Germany during the 3rd Army occupation in late 1945. Enjoy the vibrant colors of Germany!
German POW Camp
A fresh grouping straight from the hallowed halls of eBay! A wonderful selection of armor and scenery shots taken in 1951 by a member of the 987th Armored Field Artillery. The unit was supplied with M7 Priest tanks and served as an artillery support unit. The colors and scenes of the Korean War pop into life!
One of the hardest and most desirable WWI portrait photos to acquire has to be the female service member. Whether it be a nurse, hello girl, liberty loan officer, YMCA worker, or welfare worker, they are hard to find and always fetch a high price. Check out my “better” examples of these photos.
Caught in the act of painting!
We here at Portraits of War have spent countless hours scanning and editing the photographic work of Alva, but have neglected to post a series of photos relating to what he looked like while stationed at Kennishall nearly 70 years ago. I hope you enjoy seeing the face of the man responsible for recording the everyday activities around Knettishall.
Portraits of War 
