Collecting

WWI Identified RPPC – 90th Division Veteran Victor H. Horner Poses in Germany 1919

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Nothing spectacular jumped out at me when I first purchased this image on eBay last week.  I knew it was likely identified, but I wasn’t sure the name would be searchable. I was pleasantly surprised when the photo arrived and I was able to read the name and successfully search for his name on ancestry.com.  He was born in 1895 and passed away in 1978 in Springfield, CO. This photo was likely taken in 1919 after the Armistice.  Note the use of French numeric pins on his overseas cap.

Victor H. Horner

Victor H. Horner

FindaGrave.com photo

FindaGrave.com photo

 

WWII Kodachrome Color Slide – USS Canfield DE-262 Escort Destroyer at Eniwetok 1944 in Vibrant Color

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For all you Navy buffs out there…………. this photo has been hidden away in a slide carousel since it was taken in 1944.  Never before digitized.  Enjoy!

Navy200

USS Canfield (DE-262) was an Evarts-class destroyer escort constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. She was sent off into the Pacific Ocean to protect convoys and other ships from Japanese submarines and fighter aircraft. She performed escort and antisubmarine operations in dangerous battle areas and returned home with four battle stars.

She was launched on 6 April 1943 by Boston Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. L. W. Canfield; and commissioned on 22 July 1943, Commander J. B. Cleland, Jr., USNR, in command.

WWII in Color – 1944 SBD Dauntless Marine Dive Bombers VMSB-332 w/ WWII Marine Pilot Commentary

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The color of WWII is something lost on our generation; WWII has been a war fought in black and white for everyone but actual WWII veterans who witnessed it firsthand.  One of my goals here at PortraitsofWar is to collect color slides from WWII and make them accessible to those who don’t know it exists.  Yes, color film was shot in 35mm(and sometimes larger format) and was used on a somewhat regular basis by shutterbug soldiers during WWII. My collection is roughly 500:1, black and white : color.    To find a complete collection of color slides is like hitting the WWII photography jackpot.  In this case, I was able to pick up a small selection of color slides from a Marine dive bomber.  Although I was only able to snag 7 from a grouping of nearly 200, I am still happy to pass along the images to interested parties.

From the collection of Walter Huff.

Recent Update: Captions Added – WWII Marine Corps Veteran Pilot Adds Commentary – Thanks Paul! 

Please enjoy the colors of WWII as they were meant to be seen! 

047: Standard permanent issue leather jacket with fur collar. Name plate design same as mine: Wings, name, and service (in this case USMCR).

049: I’ll bet the farm this photo was taken at Bogue Field, N.C. Dec 10 +/-, 1943. Not much snow in Eastern N.C. I was on a trip to Buffalo, NY to ferry a R5C (C-46) from the factory to Cherry Point. Got back to find the engine block in the auto had frozen and cracked.

051: Nice shot. I do believe the engine is running. Hmmmm. I wonder why? Should have been a no-no with no one in cockpit!

053: I do not remember pilots wearing side arm stateside. With the pistol (issued to all Marine officers) I’m guessing 1943-44. Later pilots were issued revolvers but priority was to unit in combat area (Pac). I had a .45 pistol until 1948 (China and Eva, Hawaii). Got my first .38 revolver in Korea 1950.

054: This ain’t NC!!! Must be CA hills. Not combat area. Check out those pristine parachutes! The gauntlets (flight gloves) were of softest lamb skin and covered lower half (more or less) of forearm.

044: Not Marine Corps shirts, but Navy. Marine officer shirts were hard to come by. I know because I wore Navy shirts, too. Pocket flap designs are different. Marines never wear field scarfs (i.e. ties) tucked into shirt. After WWII a clasp was designed.

October 1969 WWI Veteran Reunion Remembered – 36th Division, 132nd Machine Gun Battalion Veteran Photos Digitized

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A group of WWI veterans gathered almost exactly 43 years ago to recall their days of battle and camaraderie in the trenches of France in 1918.  Members of the 36th Division, 132nd Machine Gun Battalion met in Texas to tell stories, jokes, catch up with friends, and share their incredible journey with their family members.  Veteran reunions for WWII soldiers still are held, but the annual flock of WWI veterans to conference centers and hotels has ceased to exist.  Many of my favorite memories of the past decade have been from my attendance at WWII veteran reunions, and I suggest that anyone interested in a family members service try to attend a veteran get together.
This grouping of photos and ephemera comes from a recent eBay auction I was fortunate enough to win.  I was mainly bidding for the interior studio portrait photo but was pleased with the associated photos as well.  These men were with the 132nd Machine Gun Battalion of the 36th Division and pose with their 30 caliber machine gun in a wonderful outdoor casual snapshot.

 

Following the history of the first photo is quite interesting.  It was sent from the front lines of France to a girlfriend back home.  I’m assuming it was pinned up by her given the rust stained pin holes at the top of the photo.  It was later glued into a scrapbook which was sadly broken into pieces and eventually sold on eBay to me, who will hopefully do it due justice with a internet post.  Maybe someone will recognize a relative in the photo?  We know that an O.B. Horton is located somewhere in the photo, and that the group is from Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

WWI Photo Identification – Charles H. Maasberg of Milwaukee, WI Poses in France 1918

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Charles H. Maasberg was born on July 2nd, 1894 in Wisconsin and enlisted for the draft on June 5th, 1917.  Although I can’t be sure when he was sent overseas, I can deduce that he was assigned to an ordnance handling unit.  He rose to the rank of Sergeant by 1919, and returned home to the US soon thereafter.  This wonderful outdoor posed shot was taken in France in 1918, and shows Charles posing in a hand-knit sweater complete with tie.  I can only imagine that it was taken in the backyard of a rural French home given the broken flower pots and creeping vines on the wall.  The lack of foliage may help us date the photo to the fall or winter months.  This would date the photo to the September-November of 1918 period.

1917 Draft Card

WWII Photo – Incredible D-DAY Flyover View off the French Coast – June 6th, 1944

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Followers of PortraitsofWar will know that photos taken on D-Day are some of the most sought after images for WWII photo collectors.  I only have a few dozen in my collection, and this is the first taken from the skies above the English Channel on that fateful day.  The massive fleet was the largest ever put together in world history, and must have been a sight to behold. This post goes out to my Great-Uncle Brendan who made the landing with the 29th Division.

 

WWII 542nd Marine Night Fighter Photo Album – Newly Identified Marine Cpl. Anthony Reviello of Rutherford, NJ

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After a spat of recent interest in the 542nd Marine Night Fighter album in my collection, I’ve decided to do some additional research into the various servicemen identified within.  After spending a few minutes this morning, I was able to track down a muster role from the unit, and tracked down Mr. Anthony Reviello.  Mr. Reviello passed away in 2010 at the age of 97!  It sounds like he led a great life.  I hope his family finds this posting!

Anyway, I was able to find another photo him here: http://www.ww2gyrene.org/photoalbum18.htm

(left) Cpl Anthony Reviello of Rutherford, NJ. Tony served in the Marine Corps from 1944–46 as an aircraft mechanic with VMF(N)–542. His squadron took part in the campaign for Okinawa, flying from Yontan airfield, and was credited with 18 kills.

WWII Color Photo – USMC Marine SBD Bilot Walter A. Huff Poses in Hawaii – Vibrant Color

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A member of VSMB-332, Walter A. Huff poses for the camera.  Luckily a roll of 35mm color Kodachrome was ready for shooting!

From a  continuation of a series of 60+ slids/color photos from this collection, this image captures the virginal quality of the Marine (USMC) aviator.  Prepped for war on the SBD/ Marine Douglas SBD Douglas Fighter/Bomber, the Dauntless was a key implement of many Pacific battles.

Looking towards an uncertain future, Walter  Huff grins and bares the inevitable future as a Marine dive bomber pilot!

WWI 26th Yankee Division, 103rd Machine Gun Battalion Vermont Dog Tag Grouping

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103rd MG Dog Tag

VT NG Dog Tag

WWI Soldier Registry Entry

Daughters of the American Revolution Application

Grave Site in St. Albans

Evarts

Followers of PoW will know that I love WWI Vermont material.  I actively seek interesting groupings of World War 1 items  to add to my collection; today I was able to add a wonderful little piece of 26th Division and Vermont history.  This set of dog tags once belonged to a Joseph Allen Evarts from St. Albans, VT.  Originally born in Swanton, Evarts attended Norwich in 1904 and eventually joined up with the 1st VT National Guard.  He was a direct descendent of the famous Allen family and can claim Ethan Allen as a great-great-uncle.  He went overseas in October of 1917 with the 101st Machine Gun Battalion as a 1st LT and was promoted to Captain in August of 1918.   He was assigned as Company Commander of Company D of the 103rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 26th Division.  Evarts was well loved by the citizens of St. Albans and was sorely missed after he passed away in 1920 from gas-related lung complications.

He was cited at least two times for bravery while overseas and likely saw a lot of combat.  I was able to track down an interesting article with some original material from Evarts:

PICTURE PROVES HIM A PRISONER

Lieut. Evarts Writes of Seeing Tenney’s Photo in Group of Men Missing

Arthur G. Tenney, of Fairfield st., received a letter Saturday from Lieut. Joseph A. Evarts, of this city, who is with the American Expeditionary Forces in France, saying that he had seen a German propagandist paper in which was a picture of those missing in action at a certain place on the American line and among them was Lieut. Walter M. Tenney, of this city. Lieutenant Tenney was reported missing in action April 20. He went from this city over a year ago as second lieutenant in the machine gun company of which Evarts was first lieutenant. The company was later divided and Lieutenant Tenny went with a division composed of Connecticut and Massachusetts men while Lieutenant Evarts remained with St. Albans men. In his letter Lieutenant Evarts says that he and his command were stationed just to the left of where Lieutenant Tenney was.

The portion of the letter received here by Mr. Tenney, which tells of the picture is as follows:

“In Trenches, “June 12, 1918.

“Mr. Arthur Tenney, St. Albans, Vt.

“Dear sir:–

“I have just received a St. Albans Messenger that tells about Walter being missing in action.

“I have something that may be of interest to you.

“Today a few German planes came over spreading propaganda in newspaper form printed in French. The boys brought me some of them, and to my surprise I found it was an illustrated paper, and had a group picture of those missing in action at the place where Walter was. I recognized quite a few, and Walter was very plainly among them, and all of we boys recognized him. I have all the details and the picture with me.

“I felt that you would want to know this right away, and I must say it was a strange coincidence.

“If Walter ever writes you, will you write me and let me know about him?

“Our boys were in a big fight just to the left of where Walter was.***

“Sincerely, “J. A. Evarts.”

St. Albans Daily Messenger, St. Albans, VT 4 Jul 1918

Another article of interest:

ALBANS GIVES
ROYAL WELCOME
Greeting for City’s Home-Corn-ing
Boys Is Wildly
Enthusiastic
St. Albans, April 30. Capt. Joseph B.
Evarts, First Llouts. Walter Tenney,
James McConncll, Francis Shannon, Ar
nold Spauldlng, and 13 members of the
original Machine Gun company from
St. Albans returnod this evening nt
0:40. Thoy were mot at tho station by
Co. E, V. V. M St. Albans Brigade band
and tho Boy Scouts and thousands of
their friends. Tho boys wero escorted
to tho armory by the band, Company K.
and tho Boy Scouts. Tho armory wns
lined with a Bolld mans of people, can
non boomed, bolls rang, whistles blow
and tho people shouted a welcome home
to their boys.
At tho armory tho boys were served
with hot coffoo doughnuts, lco-cronm
and cake.
At 4:30 a. m. Tuesday the military
call was sounded which was a signal
to notify St. Albanians that tho boys
were coming on train No. 1 at C:30
oclock. During Monday evening Wel
come Homo signs had been hung up
on Lake street and flags hung from tho
business places. Tho exterior of tho
armory was gayly decorated with flags
and bunting. With tho sounding of mil
itary call whistles and bells did all that
was possible to awake tho inhabitants
of St. Albans. The members of Com
pany 11, V. V. M., assembled at the
armory and marched down to tho train.
Only a few St. Albans boys appeared,
but they wore given a royal welcome,
by tho largo crowd that had assembled
at tho railroad station. Company E.
had prepared hot coffee, sandwiches
and doughnuts, but only two return
ing soldiers appeared at the armory.
so tho members of tho company enjoyed
an unexpected repast. Among tho boys
who returned Tuesday morning were,
Harris W. Alexander, Dewey Daniels,
John Daley, Herbert Laduo and Earl
Swlggott.