My 200,000th Viewer Post! – Remembering My Grandfather, Ambrose R. Canty, 777th Tank Battalion, 69th Division

August 8, 2014January 4, 2019 / portraitsofwar / 7 Comments

Today I quietly celebrated my 200,000th blog view from my desk at work. I knew the number was coming, and with nearly 300 views a day I was able to predict that the 200k plateau would be reached this week. What should I write about on this momentous day? I thought back to all my favorite posts…….

Ambrose R. Canty ca. 1944

With all those topics in mind I kept coming back to the one man who “brought me into the fold” of researching WWII history. My grandfather. Ambrose R. Canty taught me from a young age that you should respect your elders, listen to their stories, as well as how to play poker, pitch, bridge, rummy and pocketknife baseball. He also told me stories of his experiences during the second world war. Stories that would be gradually elaborated on as I grew older. Having spent the majority of my youth with him, I was able to learn a lot about the 69th Infantry Regiment and specifically the 777th Tank Battalion.

Ambrose on Furlough, 1944

My interest in WWII history started with my grandfather, and I feel that on my 200,000th view that I should post a rememberance post to him. Although he passed away nearly five years ago, I still feel a connection with him. My early interaction with him live on through this website, and I hope I’m able to help pass on the passion Amby imbued in me at a young age.

Amby (second from right) Holds a Captured German Flag in Leipzig

Grampy, thanks for everything.

Ambrose Washing in His Helmet, Germany 1945

Ambrose Washing his Mess Kit, Germany 1945

777th Reproduction WWII Patch

And his 2009 Obituary:

Ambrose “Amby” Richard Canty

Published Tuesday September 1, 2009 at 12:01 am

Ambrose �Amby� Richard Canty of 26 Roosevelt Dr. in Southbridge, died Sunday, August 30th, 2009, at home in the company of his family.

He leaves his wife of 55 years, Mary J. (Damian) Canty; 7 children: Ambrose �Amby� R. Canty Jr. and his wife Sandra of Davenport, IA, Anne P. Canty of Port Orange, FL, Jane E. Gauthier and her husband Richard of Southbridge, Joan R. Murphy and her husband Donald of Worcester, MaryLynne Deshaies and her husband Gerald of Sturbridge, John D. Canty and his wife Kimberly of Webster, and Kathryn M. Canty of Redondo Beach, CA; 12 grandchildren: Adam, Matthew, David, and Tom Canty of Davenport IA, Christhanha Canty of Port Orange FL, Brennan and Connor Gauthier of Southbridge, Maria and Anna Murphy of Worcester, Cailyn, Ryan and Kelsey Canty of Webster, MA; and many nieces, nephews and great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his 6 brothers and 7 sisters.

He was born in Webster, one of fourteen children of Patrick and Anne (McCauley) Canty. He lived in Webster and Southbridge all his life. He graduated from Saint Louis High School in Webster, was a graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester, and received a Masters Degree in Social Work Administration from Boston College. He was an accomplished athlete lettering in 3 varsity sports at St. Louis High School: Basketball, Baseball and Track. He also played semi-pro football for the Webster Colonials, and refereed and coached basketball teams at various levels for many years, including a championship basketball team with 5 of his daughters and several nieces.

He proudly served in World War II as a member of the United States Army�s 69th Infantry Division from 1944 to 1946. The division rescued a sub-camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Leipzig, Germany and is recognized as a �Liberating Unit� by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. He was a member of the Webster-Dudley American Legion Post # 184.

Ambrose served as the Webster Public Welfare Director for 16 years and the Massachusetts Director of Public Welfare in Worcester for 20 years before retiring. He was a member of St. Mary�s Parish in Southbridge and a member of the Webster-Dudley Knights of Columbus. He also served on the Massachusetts Mental Retardation Board, and as a member of the Tri-Area Fresh Air Program.

The funeral, with full military honors, will be held on Friday, September 4th with a Mass at 12:00 PM at St. Mary�s Church, 263 Hamilton St., Southbridge. The burial will be at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Southbridge. The Webster-Dudley Veterans Council will perform military honors. There will be no calling hours. Following the burial, the family will receive friends and relatives at the �12 Crane St.� banquet facility in Southbridge. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home in Southbridge.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Mary�s Parish Ministry Center Completion Campaign, 263 Hamilton St. Southbridge, MA 01550.

morrillfuneralhome.com

http://www.telegram.com/article/20090901/OBIT/909010312

WWII Digitized 8mm Color Footage – Early War Marines Horse Around on Beach 1941

July 13, 2014July 13, 2014 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Private WWII color footage is one of the hardest avenues of militaria collecting to break into. Reels of film are often tossed away after estates sales, never viewed for their content. It’s a rare occasion to find a small piece of WWII history tucked away in a film collection, undigitized and likely unviewed for decades.

In this case, I was able to acquire a quick 1:28 film shot by a group of buddies on the beaches of a training camp somewhere on the Pacific during WWII. This educated guess is based on the early field gear pictured in the film which includes the shortly-used M1917A helmet. The hand cranked radio generator, the pith helmet as well as the offshore battleships point towards an early film. Sadly, the color of the footage wasn’t really picked up during the digitization. Each frame is scannable with my Epson V700, but the color was lost during the professional digitization. Enjoy!

The Hawaiian music was added by the digitization company.

Film After Processing

Opening Clip Cells

Scanned Cells Showing Color

Crank Radio Cells

WWII Identified Portrait Photo – Roxbury, MA and Rockland, TX Veteran Ernest Chekoulias 295th Engineer Battalion

May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 1 Comment

Ernest “Chick” Chekoulias

A recent eBay purchase has landed me with a fantastic group of WWII portrait photos all identified to members of Company A of the 295th Engineer Battalion, a unit that landed on the Normandy beaches only two weeks after the infamous June 6th, 1944 D-Day landings. Here’s an excerpt from the unit history that described that fateful day:

“The Big Moment did come at last; actually there were lots of big moments. The battalion was divided up into three serials, and each serial was on two or more boats. The first wave started from Hindon a little after midnight on 13 June. There was battalion headquarters, parts of each line company, and the medical detachment. They all reached the marshaling area in Winchester at 0830 that morning. Before dawn two days later, half of them were awakened a few hours later and they too reached another set of docks at that port. They all sweated out a day and a night, sleeping on the quayside, before they got on the boats. The first half, after moving into the Channel, had to return to port because their ship’s anti-mine apparatus was not working. The second half joined their convoy, stayed the night off the Isle of Wight, and then started off for France. They saw the coast at about noon on 18 June. They surveyed the coast defenses, and the wreckage, and the boats sunk near the shore. It all looked very grim. That night the skyline glowed with glare of fires and bursting shells, and they were still on the boats in the Channel………”

The photo I’ve selected for this post was initially partially identified as an Ernest Chek…… of 9 Mt. Pleasant Ave, Roxbury, Massachusetts. I eventually tracked down a unit roster for the 295th Engineers that lists a Sgt. Ernest Chekoulias, serial number 31301800 from Roxbury, MA. It’s clearly a hit and a cross reference with his obituary confirms that this is indeed the same soldier. Sgt. Chekoulias is listed in the unit history as having been awarded the Bronze Star for Heroic Achievement. His obituary page confirms this.

Unit History Bronze Star Info

Ernest Chekoulias was born in Boston, MA on January 21st, 1923 and passed away in Rockland, TX on December 17th, 2008 at the age of 85. His obituary reads:

Mr. Ernest Chekoulias 85, of Rockland, died Wednesday, December 17, 2008 in his home, after an illness of several months. He was born in Boston on January 21, 1923, the son of the late Theodore and Pauline Zerolis Chekoulias. He was raised and educated in Boston Schools, and has lived in Rockland for 55 years. He was the Founder and President of Star Litho, Inc. in Weymouth. Mr. Chekoulias served in the Army during WWII, and saw service in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe. He was the recipient of the Bronze Star. Husband of the late Dorothy T. McEnrue Chekoulias, he is survived by 1 son, E. Scott Chekoulias of Hanover, 4 daughters, Judith Chekoulias of Rockland, Jane S. Leonard of Hubbardston, Cynthia M. Chekoulias of Pembroke and Anita L. Drapeau of Kingston, 5 grandchildren, Daniel Leonard, David Leonard, Alissa Leonard, Kathryn Drapeau and Michael Drapeau, 2 sisters, Vera Marziarz of Southington, CT and Katherine Atherton of Bernardston, and sister-in-law, Mary M. Manley of Rockland. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at 9 AM in Holy Family Church, 403 Union Street, in Rockland. Interment will be in Holy Family Cemetery in Rockland. Visiting hours in the Sullivan Funeral Home, 45 East Water Street in ROCKLAND on Monday from 4-7 PM.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the late Ernest “Chick” Chekoulis for his service with the 295th Engineers during WWII. This post is for you!

WWI Cows and War – Brattleboro, Vermont Holstein-Friesian Dairy Farmers Rally for War Bond Support ca.1918

May 7, 2014May 7, 2014 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Brattleboro Holstein Breeders ca. 1918

Cows and WWI?

War Loan bond rallies came in all forms in WWI and this is a very, very Vermont specific version. The Holstein-Friesian (note spelling difference) is an active group from Brattleboro, VT interested in the breeding, milking and raising of Holstein cattle in the United States. Originally imported from the Netherlands in the second half of the 19th century, the Holstein breed is one of the most popular milking breeds today. Especially in Vermont, the breed is popularly depicted as the the “classic cow” being prominently white with black spots. One of the most famous expressions of Vermont’s love of the Holstein can be seen on the ice cream container of the famous Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, a classic Vermont-based company that started in Burlington, VT. Vermont artist Woody Jackson designed the internationally recognizable logo that can be scooped in over 30 countries worldwide.

Woody Jackson Design (Used without Consent)

Anyway, back to the photo! The shot captures the Holstein-Fresian (spelled differently in 1918?) rallying for war bond support on the Brattleboro, VT common green in 1917 or 1918. I’ve tracked down a web photo of the gazebo today but plan to snap a shot later this summer. Please see below and refer to this site for the source.

Brattleboro Gazebo ca.1918

Brattleboro Gazebo Today

Details regarding this event are hard to track down, but I’m hot on the trail. Please check back for further details. I’m including some close up crops of the initial image to show some of the details. Note the posters, Uncle Sam riding a donkey, US Navy donation bucket, Civil War veteran, plus much more great period detail.

Victory First Then Peace

Save Wheat Buy Bonds

Bond Posters

Brattleboro Civil War Veteran

Holstein-Friesian Banner

WWI Photo – Female YMCA Worker in Germany w/ Good Uniform Details and Rare Beret Cap

April 23, 2014 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

YMCA Ladies were sent overseas to help bring a glimmer of American home life into the trenches in France and Germany. YMCA workers were attached to specific divisions and were tasked with putting on events, providing comforts of home, and entertaining the US soldiers with music and reading material. Interestingly enough, female YMCA workers were only selected from a pool of women ranging in age from 25-45 with a few older exceptions. No women whose parents were born in an enemy country could serve and women who were British or Canadian could not be sent to France. The YMCA was often criticized for price gouging US soldiers when charging fees for cigarettes, shaving material and everyday odds and ends.

Through a collecting friend and author I was able to obtain a nice side profile shot of a YMCA woman associated with the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division. The uniforms for the female YMCA workers was designed by Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and was a gray-green in color with a French horizon-blue collar. The pair of US triangles on the upper collar lapel were embroidered in silk and sported red-edged details. This particular woman is wearing an incredibly rare beret stye hat with a felt YMCA patch attached.

WWI YMCA Worker

WWII War Orphans Pose in Germany – Barefooted German Children in Crisp B/W

April 8, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

Digging through backlogged collections is fun. I always seen to unearth a photo, negative or slide that eluded my initial passover. In this case, I found a poignant negative from 1945-1947 showing two barefoot children who survived the war somewhere near Munich. The photographer (unknown) had quite the eye for detail as evidenced in his 400+ negatives in my collection.

Bare Feet on Cobble

Winooski, VT WWI Veteran Photo Identification – eBay Photo Yields Vermont History Golden Research!

March 23, 2014April 7, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 1 Comment

This story starts with a 23 year old Earl F. Lavalle scribbling his name on the back of a photo to pass along to a friend during WWI and ends with a full identification of Mr. Lavallee’s life experience. The main goal of PortraitsofWar is to research and seek out every possible lead to identify an early 20th century photograph; recent digitization efforts have enhanced our ability to complete genealogical research from the confines of a remote desktop.

Earl in 1918

Our first accounts of Earl show him being born on November 29th 1894 to Fred Lavallee of Canada and Emma Pollinger of (my current hometown!) Colchester. Earl worked his entire life as a laborer in the American Woolen Co. in Winooski, VT, located along the Winooski/Onion River near Burlington,VT. He lived at various locations during his tenure at the woolen mill including 36 Hood Street, Winooski, 102 Mallets Bay Ave, 22 Park Street and many more.

Earl Lavallee Reverse

Earl enlisted on February 11th, 1918 at Camp Green, North Carolina. He served with Company G, 58th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division until August 21st, 1918 when he was transferred to Supply Co, same regiment. He was overseas from May 7th, 1918 to August 1st, 1919.

Earl was wounded in action on September 30th, 1918. This photograph depicts Earl after his wounding evidenced by his right-hand wound stripe. Earl was discharged on August 7th, 1919.

Earl Lavallee Draft Card WWI

Earl Lavallee WWII Draft Card

Lavallee Signature

Lavallee Family Story

The 1900 US Census from Colchester, VT shows the Lavallee family as a solid unit with five family members comprised of Earl’s dad Fred Lavallee, his mother Emma, brother Charles, sister Florence and himself (Earl).

1900 Census, Colchester, Vt

WWII Photo Identification – US Nurse and Navy Husband from Plymouth, Pennsylvania

February 23, 2014February 23, 2014 / portraitsofwar / 4 Comments

Family heirlooms come in many forms, shapes and sizes. It always amazes me what types of material appears on eBay as part of estate liquidation sales. Family scrapbooks, bibles, photo albums and personal diaries. In this case, I was able to purchase a small group of photos and a War Department Identification card from a nurse who served in WWII. Included were a few photos of her in wartime garb, shots of her husband (pre-marriage) and her wartime ID card. As I always say, it’s about the research….

Helen (Boretski) Bronesky’s WWII ID Card

Reverse of Card Showing Fingerprints

It’s sad to thing that a family would sell off relics of their family’s past, but it’s not for me to judge. I’m here to interpret the material at hand and figure out as much as possible with scant information.

I always start off with a quick ancestry.com search to help figure out the background story. We have a name – Helen Boretski and a birthdate of March 31st, 1924. Helen was 5’6″ when the photo was taken and a healthy 142 pounds. Her hair and eyes are listed as brown. Her thumb and right index finger are both present on the back of the ID.

A quick ancestry and google search helped me discover that Helen was dating and eventually married to a Navy man named Paul Bronesky in 1946. A few photos included in the purchase we indeed identified to a Paul, so this helps confirm the identification. In fact, further research into Paul’s WWII service shows that he was a radio man on a Navy aircraft. This is further confirmed through the photo included in the group. He is wearing a rare set of Navy air crew wings with a radioman rate patch on his sleeve.

Paul Bronesky in WWII

Hubba Hubba

Helen Wearing “Sweetheart” Navy Wings

What makes this grouping of photos interesting is the fact that both the husband and wife (dating in wartime) were both service members. Helen was a nurse and Paul was a Navy radioman. Helen strikes a chord with me. There’s just something about her gaze and smile that make me want to reach out and talk to her. Sadly she passed away in 2008. Please see below for an obituary record from Plymouth, PA:

“Helen (Boretski) Bronesky, 83, formerly of Plymouth, died March 24, 2008, in Mequon, Wis., of a cerebral aneurysm. Mrs. Bronesky was born March 31, 1924, in Plymouth and raised in Lyndwood. She graduated from area schools and RN school and was a veteran of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in World War II. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul; parents, Michael and Susan Boretski; her brother, Michael Boretski. She is survived by son, Paul; daughter, Susan; granddaughters, Michelle, Erica and Leslie; sisters, Mary Koliga, Anne Kochevar, Margaret Cowan and Dorothy Bedosky; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Interment will be Saturday, July 26, 2008, at 11 a.m. in S.S. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Plymouth Township. Arrangements are by the S.J. Grontkowski Funeral Home, 530 W. Main St., Plymouth.

Helen as a Nurse in WWII

Helen and Paul Marriage day 1946

Helen’s Kiss

WWI Photo – Silver Lake, MN Pvt. Edward Prochaska Killed in Action, 118th Infantry, 30th Division

February 15, 2014April 12, 2016 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Each of the 116, 516 US soldiers, Marines and sailors killed during WWI deserve a narrative on the world wide web. In this case, a photo of Edward Prochaska of Silver Lake, MN recently arrived in the mail from an eBay seller in the Midwest. I purchased the photo after doing some brief research on the photo, finding that Prochaska was killed in action while serving with the 118th Infantry, 30th Division.

Ed Prochaska ca. 1918
France

Incredibly, Prochaska is referenced heavily in a postwar book following the exploits of Private Oscar Dahlgren during WWI. The full text version of the book can be found here: http://bit.ly/1bSx4h9

Some excerpts from the book are incredibly detailed and give us a unique view into the experiences of a doughboy on the frontlines.

Page 59

“In the evening of this day (August 4th, 1918), we started for the front line trenches carrying with us rations. Myself and Prochaska toted a bag of coffee together changing off with other when tired. Getting on the road just east of Valencies, we got caught in a shelling that Jerry put over on the roads every day at Valencies toward evening. The big shells dropped so close that we expected to be blown to pieces for every shell. We threw ourselves flat, favoring the fall. Luckily, my platoon got through the shelling without any casualties, except for a bag scare. I could tell how bad when I noted how extremely pale they all got. It struck me so funny that I wanted to laugh. Ed Prochaska noticed it too, and felt kind of ashamed saying he could laugh at death grinning us in the face.”

Page 105

“Again between August 26th and 27th Prochaska was with me when another heavy shelling took place. The trench here was shot up bad so there was little protection. A heavy shell tore into the bank behind our backs. We both flopped down with pan. I said it felt like my fingers had been shot off, but I found all my fingers there.”

Page 117

“It was dark and rainy as we walked up the line we had to step over German dead who were lying thick around there (sic) holes they had made in the ground. When we halted we took into those holes which weren’t very deep. The hole I got wasn’t more than a foot deep. Schellenburger got to be my partner. 4 or 5 dead Germans lay dead by my hole. Prochaska was close by digging in together with R.L. Ross, we not set to work and dug our hole 4 feet deep and wide enough to stretch out.”

Page 65

“Someone caught sight of one coming towards us from Company Headquarters. He was already half ways and now there was some hollering for him to get down, especially by the sergeant. It turned out to be Prochaska. Poor boy – they had him pretty nervous before he came up. He did not know we weren’t allowed to cross now……… They asked him what he meant by coming over…… He told them he had been at the canteen having bought some cakes, cookies and a can of salmon saying I wanted to bring Dahlgren some! ……. It touched my heart that he had so much friendship and love for me – he thought so much of me.”

And the sad details leading up to Edwards death:

Page 135/6

“I stopped to talk to Prochaska who had dug in deep by himself and was carrying straw to bed down with. I and he had always dug in together before, but now as I was a runner, we were parted. Well, he did not get used to his foxhole as he was put on guard at Company Headquarters where I was. There in the hedges he slept when off guard, that being the last time I talked with him. That night, though I had a warm bed, I was not able to sleep as the cooties and German fleas started going over the top and giving me no peace……

After getting through the hedge and the wire fence which separated us from the field, we noticed an observation balloon. We had a funny feeling something terrible was in store for us. My heart made a few quick beats and I felt pale. All of us runners said to the Captain that it would be suicide to cross the field……. I noticed dozens of Americans lying on the railroad bank killed and the rails lay twisted up…….. We now got to talk to some men of the 128th Regiment who said the same thing happened to them at Brancourt…… The first I got across, one of the boys called me and said, “Prochaska, Dahlgren is killed.” He had out names mixed up. The boys were lying close to Prochaska told me his head and shoulder were knocked off by a shell. He had been my best friend for a long time……”

Prochaska

WWI Draft Card

WWI Photo – Intense Research Yields an Identified US Pilot in Italy – One of “Fiorello’s Fogianni”

February 11, 2014January 28, 2016 / portraitsofwar / 2 Comments

Generally my WWI photo identifications come with a name, unit, and typically a home state or region. In this case, the only direct ID information to come with the photo was a first name – Harry- and the name of his brother. The rest of the information was hidden in the nuanced details of the photo postcard. See below for the main photo included in the eBay listing.

“Harry” in Italy

The eBay listing also made reference to the fact that the studio stamp was an Italian photographer. With this in mind, I bid to win.

After successfully winning the photo I began the laborious process of identifying the photo. Here’s the info I was basing my research on:

1. The photo depicted a US pilot who had served at least 6 months overseas at the time the photo was taken.

2. The pilot was named Harry and had a brother named Robert.

3. The pilot had a distinctive signature and handwriting style with large crossed H’s and a penchant for flourishes.

4. The pilot was in Italy at some point during the war.

I first started my research with a general reference search to find out how many US pilots were in Italy during the war. Lots of websites popped up and generally pointed towards the Fiorello’s Fogiannia, a group of US pilots who trained in Italy on Italian bombers. We’ve all been stuck in LaGuardia airport at some point in our lives, so I instantly recognized the reference to Fiorello LaGuardia. I had no idea he was in WWI! Further research made it clear that only 500 or so US pilots were in Italy during the war.

Italian Photo Studio Stamp

I started by tracking down a copy of the roster of the pilots who trained with the “Fogianni” during the war. A good friend, Chuck, was extremely gracious enough to take photos of all the pages and send them to me. I finally had the whole roster to reference. With this in hand, I identified all the Harold’s and Harry’s in the roster. This helped narrow it down to less than 30 candidates! From there I looked at the 1900 and 1910 roster for each of the men in hopes of finding a brother named Robert. A small handful of candidates trickled through.

Perfect Match!

Harry’s Signature

My first cross reference for the Harry’s with brothers named Robert brought me to Harry S. Manchester from Canfield, Ohio. The signature on his WWI draft card almost knocked me over! A perfect match. Note the intense cross on the H and the overly dramatic crosses on his T’s. With further research I was able to find a TON of information on Harry. He was indeed a pilot in Italy during the war and also served in France as a test pilot, testing new US planes as they were unloaded in France. His brother was Robert Manchester Jr. I was able to find Robert’s son (Robert Manchester III) and grandson (Robert Manchester IV) online, both prominent lawyers in the midwest.

Harry’s War Record

Ohio Newspaper Reference

Harry Wearing Italian Wings

Harry Home from Wooster College 1916

Harry in Italy

Harry as Test Pilot

Harry’s WWI Flight Helmet

Also, the National WWI Museum apparently received a donation of a series of photos from the Manchester Estate. Check out these additional portrait shots of Harry from the collection! (Used without permission but with watermark)

Portraits of War

Snapshots in Time

world war