Korean War Original Kodachrome Color Slide Photo – Below Deck on the USS Philippine Sea

January 25, 2012February 10, 2012 / portraitsofwar / 1 Comment

We’ve all seen shots of aircraft carrier decks, festooned with waving lights, landing planes, crewmen and the excitement of an aircraft launch, but how often do we get to see below deck? In this rare color slide we get a colorful glimpse into the underbelly of the beast, complete with oil drums, fork lift, and extra propellers. This color slide is from a set of shots taken by a crew member on board the USS Philippine Sea during while the VF-114 “Executioners”, a Corsair unit, was flying missions over Korea in 1950/51. For other shots from this set, make sure to search for VF-114 in the search menu.

Korean War Color Kodachrome Slides – 1953

September 9, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 4 Comments

Although the photographer didn’t quite have a concept of sharpening his focus, I’m still happy to have acquired these Korean War colored slides from an unnamed Maine veteran. Some interesting content of an 8th Army bridge in Korea!

Korean War Color Photo Slides – USS Okanogan APA 220 – Evacuation of Chinnampo

July 10, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

Picked up a nice 15 slide Korean War grouping on ebay this past week. After doing some research on the USS Okanogan (APA-220) I found that it took part in the evacuation at Chinnampo in December of 1950. Looking at the photos, it is obvious that they were taken around Christmas time – and there are some shots of civilian and POW evacuees as well as a nice image of some 3rd Division soldiers.

WWII Color Slide Grouping – Occupation Forces in Germany 1945

June 25, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

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

The 987th Armored Field Artillery in Color – Korean War 1951 w/ M7 Priest Tanks

June 21, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 4 Comments

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!

Korean War Color Slide Photo – Wonsan Airfield POWs October 1950

June 11, 2011June 15, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

POW Delivery

Wonsan, Korea – October 1950

POWs are delivered to the safety of their USMC Marine captors.

Original Amateur Color Slide – Dated October 1950

The Korean War in Color Part 2

May 6, 2011May 6, 2011 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

140th Tank Battalion – 40th Division in Korea

The colors of the Korean War as never before seen. From my personal collection of amateur Korean War color slides.

Korean War Sand Bag Bunker

The Korean War in Color

April 26, 2011June 4, 2014 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

This will be a constantly updated theme here at Portraits of War so please check back often.

Today’s posts are from the 89th Medium Tank Battalion taken in 1952 during the middle of the Korean War.

The 89th Medium Tank Battalion was with the 25th Division (insignia seen in the slide below) from between 1951 through the armistice.

Operation Crossroads – Post-WWII Color Slide Photo – QB-17 Drone Plane at Roswell, New Mexico

April 4, 2011November 21, 2011 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Color war photos are one of my favorite forms of amateur photography. The history behind each image is intensified when documented in color, allowing the historian to glean historical details not visible in B/W photography. One such image can be found below, from my collection of images taken in Roswell New Mexico right after WWII. The photos were taken by a member of the 509th Composite Group. The unit was responsible for dealing with the atomic weapons of WWII and also dropped a bomb on the Bikini Atoll in 1946.

The QB-17 shown below is possibly one of the first handful of B-17’s outfitted to fly unmanned. This plane was used to fly through an atomic cloud and collect important radiation data. These data were later used to test for radiation fallout numbers. I’ve only personally seen two other color images of a QB-17 painted in this scheme. What an important resource for historians, hobbyists, and vintage photography collectors!