WWII Photo Collection – Lt. William “Mac” MacDougall and the 310th Fighter Squadron in the Pacific

September 10, 2026September 10, 2026 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

WWII Photo Snapshot Collection Discovered

This blogpost is dedicated to Lt. William “Mac” MacDougall, whose snapshots I was lucky enough to discover on an eBay auction listing from a seller in Nevada. According to the seller, they came from a larger album that was sadly dissected to sell in pieces. I was able to acquire all the military-specific photographs in an attempt to post MacDougall’s wartime photos for the world to see. Highlights of the collection include period-printed color prints likely printed from 35mm Kodachrome slides as well as dozens of snapshots of MacDougall and his wartime comrades.

I’ve never attempted to “touch up” wartime images using artificial intelligence, but I did so for this post. I made sure to include both the original scan as well as the touched-up version. Since AI was working with original color prints, it appears that the colors are relatively true to the original scene.

As of the writing of this post, I’ve been able to identify a number of pilots of the 310th Fighter Squadron in the snapshots. The identified men are 1st Lt. Richard L. Colette, Lt. William L. MacDougall (“Mac”), Lt. Norman Gilmore, 1st Lt. Glenn W. Evans, Capt. Roy S. Tanner Jr., Donald C. Smith, and Lt. Ralph Barnes.

If anyone has any information leading to the identities of other men in the images, please let me know! I will update this post with more information about the 310th shortly.

William Leslie “Mac” MacDougall (1918-1989)

Born on January 10, 1918, to Leland Stanford MacDougall and Helen (Pierson) MacDougall in Pasadena, California, “Mac” spent his formative years living at 2430 Linden Avenue in Long Beach. Mac registered for the draft on January 28, 1942, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Although archival records have not yet revealed much about his early military service, it is clear that he underwent training to become a fighter pilot.

Mac married Norma June Quinby on October 5, 1943, at a 5 p.m. ceremony at the Atlantic Avenue Methodist Church in Long Beach. More than 250 guests attended the wedding. A contemporary newspaper account lists Mac as a lieutenant at the time of his marriage. Both Mac and Norma were graduates of Poly High School in Long Beach.

From newspaper accounts and dissecting the images in the collection, it appears that Lt. MacDougall served over 14 months in the Pacific with the 310th Fighter Squadron / 58th Fighter Group. He was awarded the Air Medal in 1945 and was referenced in a February, 1945 newspaper article published in the Press-Telegram. The article specifically mentions flying at low altitudes to destroy enemy installations and equipment, which jives with the operations of the 310th Fighter Squadron.

At the time of writing, little has been established about Mac’s postwar life. He died on May 16, 1989, at the age of 71, leaving behind his wife of 45 years and their children, Drew, Brent, and Lynn. He also had three grandchildren: Greg Berry, Kelly Wieczorek, and David MacDougall. Much of this information comes from the obituary of his wife, Norma June, who died in Long Beach in 2012. Norma is buried beside Mac in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California.

Long Beach Press-Telegram Article Describing October 1943 Wedding

You can view the images in the slideshow gallery below,or keep scrolling for individual images with captions. Enjoy!

William Leslie MacDougall in the cockpit of his P-47 somewhere in the Pacific, Ca. 1944.
Select Snapshots with AI cleaned versions adjacent.

1945 Color Print: P-47 with “Mac” Nose Art Color Print from 35mm Kodachrome Slide

1945 Color Print: P-47 with “Mac” Nose Art Color Print from 35mm Kodachrome Slide (AI Cleaned Version)

1945 Color Print: P-47 42-76059 on Runway

1945 Color Print: P-47 42-76059 on Runway (AI Cleaned Version)

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with P-47

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with P-47 (AI Cleaned Version)

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with Fellow 310th Fighter Squadron Members

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with Fellow 310th Fighter Squadron Members (AI Cleaned Version)

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with His P-47

1945 Color Print: William “Mac” MacDougall with His P-47 (AI Cleaned Version)

Black and White Snapshots of “Mac” and the 310th Fighter Squadon

Insert description here

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: William MacDougall and “Passionate Patsy” with 310th Fighter Squadron Pilots

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: William MacDougall and “Passionate Patsy” with 310th Fighter Squadron Pilots (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: William MacDougall and P-47 “Miss Mary-Lou”

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: William MacDougall and P-47 “Miss Mary-Lou” (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. Norman Gilmore Posed in Cockpit of P-47

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. Norman Gilmore Posed in Cockpit of P-47 (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: “Sullivan” Posed with P-47 42-29081

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: “Sullivan” Posed with P-47 42-29081 (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: First Lt. Richard L. Colette in Cockpit of P-47 (Lt. Colette was Later Missing in Action)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: First Lt. Richard L. Colette in Cockpit of P-47 (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall in Cockpit of P-47

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall in Cockpit of P-47 (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall’s Leather A2 Flight Jacket with 310th Insignia

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall’s Leather A2 Flight Jacket with 310th Insignia (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: First Lt. Richard L. Colette (Lt. Colette was Later Missing in Action)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: First Lt. Richard L. Colette (Lt. Colette was Late Missing in Action) (AI Cleaned Version)

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Pilots of the 310th Fighter Squadron

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall of the 310th Fighter Squadron

Ca. 1945 B/W Print: Lt. William L. MacDougall of the 310th Fighter Squadron (AI Cleaned Version)

The 310th Fighter Squadron in WWII

310th Fighter Squadron in World War II

The 310th Fighter Squadron was activated on February 9, 1942, as part of the 58th Pursuit Group, later redesignated the 58th Fighter Group. Initially based in the United States, the squadron trained on the P 39 Airacobra and P 40 Warhawk before converting to the Republic P 47 Thunderbolt in 1943. The squadron was redesignated the 310th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942.

In October 1943, the 310th began moving overseas, arriving in Australia before moving to Dobodura, New Guinea, on December 28, 1943. The squadron entered combat in February 1944 as part of the Fifth Air Force, initially flying protective patrols and escort missions before taking on increasingly aggressive fighter sweeps, ground attack and strafing missions against Japanese airfields and installations.

During 1944, the squadron moved forward with the Allied advance, operating from Saidor and Noemfoor in New Guinea before moving to Leyte in the Philippines in November. From bases in the Philippines, 310th pilots flew fighter sweeps, close support and attacks against Japanese positions and airfields. The squadron subsequently moved to Mindoro, Luzon and Okinawa as Allied forces continued their advance toward Japan.

One of the squadron’s most significant actions came on December 26, 1944, when the 58th Fighter Group attacked Japanese naval forces threatening the American beachhead on Mindoro. The group’s performance resulted in the award of the Distinguished Unit Citation. The 310th also received the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation and campaign honors for its service throughout the Pacific.

By the summer of 1945, the 310th was operating from Okinawa, where its P 47s continued attacking Japanese railways, airfields and other installations. The squadron remained in the Pacific after the Japanese surrender and was ultimately inactivated on February 20, 1946.

WWI Japanese-American Veteran Albert Kawasaki’s Service and Later Internment in WWII

February 21, 2026February 22, 2026 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

The following article was graciously submitted by Sam Pestle. To see more stories of WWI soldiers with accompanying portrait photography, please check out Sam’s page – The United States in WW1 on Facebook.

Albert Nobori Kawasaki WWI Studio Photograph

Albert Nobori Kawasaki was born in Honolulu, within the Republic of Hawaii, on May 17th, 1896. His parents were Japanese immigrants from the Hiroshima Prefecture, and government documents indicate that Albert spent six years in Japan attending school during his youth. He was bilingual in Japanese and English, and later moved to Sacramento, California (possibly in 1914). He was a student at the Sacramento High School during the 1917 draft registration and denied any deferments from military service. Albert was subsequently inducted into the US Army on March 31st, 1918, and was soon assigned as a Private First Class with the US Army Medical Corps.

PFC Kawasaki was sent across the United States to Michigan and assigned to the Medical Detachment of the 160th Depot Brigade at Camp Custer. This photograph has a studio marking on the reverse that indicates that the image was taken at the Camp Custer photography studio. As a member of the medical corps, it seems likely that Albert was assigned to the base hospital throughout the final months of the First World War. An outbreak of Spanish Flu at the camp began in September of 1918 and left thousands of doughboys profoundly sick and requiring medical intervention. An estimated 674 soldiers died of influenza during this period, and it’s very likely that PFC Kawasaki regularly faced death throughout his military service (despite never traveling overseas for AEF service).

Reverse Side of Postcard Showing Kawasaki’s Name and Address

PFC Kawasaki received an honorable discharge from the army on May 31st, 1919, and his service number was 2037389. Albert subsequently sailed back to Hawaii aboard the SS Tenyo Maru in June of 1919, and I suspect he visited his aging parents in Hilo, HI. He returned to the United States four months afterward and continued his life in California. Albert was married in a Buddhist ceremony by Reverend Junjo Izumida on July 10th, 1922, and the couple soon had two sons born in 1925 and 1927.

Beginning in 1923, Albert attended classes at the University of Southern California for three years but did not graduate with a degree. He later worked as a celery farmer, agricultural foreman, and farm manager. Albert was considered a local community leader and served as the President of the Japanese American Citizen League of Stockton, California. Unfortunately, Albert also faced multiple hardships throughout his lifetime, including filing for bankruptcy in 1928 and experiencing a divorce from his wife in April of 1942.

Just months following his divorce, Albert was notified that he would be among the 125,000 Japanese Americans interned by the Federal Government during the Second World War. Despite his American citizenship and honorable service within the US military, Albert was a victim of the national paranoia and racial prejudices following the Attack on Pearl Harbor. He was initially held at the Stockton Assembly Center but was later interned in Arkansas at the Rohwer Relocation Center between October 19th, 1942, to July 19th, 1943. He was among 8500 other internees at the Rohwer Camp during this period (including a young George Takei, later of Star Trek fame).

Following his release from the camp, Albert returned to California and died just four years later at the age of 51 years on June 13th, 1947. His remains were subsequently cremated and now rest in a niche at the Inglewood Park Cemetery of Inglewood, CA.

North Ferrisburgh, VT’s Laurance Newton Wilson’s WWI Service

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

The son of a presbyterian minister, Laurance Newton Wilson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 19th, 1890. His family later relocated to Washington D.C. and Laurance graduated from high school in 1909. Laurance then chose to pursue higher education and was accepted into the Law School at George Washington University. Records indicate that he was an exceptional student at GWU and became a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Of particular interest, future FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was also in attendance at the law school during this period, although he graduated a year after Laurance.

Following his graduation in 1915, Laurance passed the bar and began practicing law in Lexington, Kentucky. He had been working for less than two years when America became involved in the First World War, and Laurance applied as a candidate to the US Army Reserve Corps on May 15th, 1917. He was sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison for officer training and received a 2nd Lieutenant’s commission on August 17th.

Laurance was later promoted to 1st Lieutenant and assigned to command Company “C” of the 801st Pioneer Infantry Regiment. It is important to note that this was a segregated unit of the US Army that was composed of enlisted African American doughboys commanded by white officers. The 801st Pioneers sailed to France aboard the USS Manchuria on September 8th, 1918, and arrived along the Western Front in the final weeks of the conflict. The regiment served under the American 1st Army and was assigned to battlefield salvage operations and munition disposal efforts in the Chateau-Thierry Sector (this was a hazardous job which led to several men being killed or wounded in the regiment).

Following the November Armistice, Laurance was promoted to Captain and the French photograph seen below originates from that time period. Cpt. Wilson was then reassigned to command Company “F” of the 305th Infantry Regiment in December of 1918. He later completed his AEF experience while serving as a regimental adjutant and returned to the United States aboard the RMS Aquitania on April 24th, 1919. He received an honorable discharge on May 29th.

Laurance returned to his work as an attorney after the war and was employed by the Royal-Globe Insurance Company for several decades. He married in 1924 and lived much of his subsequent adult life in New Jersey. Laurance does not appear to have had any children and later retired to North Ferrisburgh, Vermont. He suffered a stroke in his final years and died of bronchopneumonia due to aspiration on April 26th, 1970, at the age of 80 years. He now rests beneath a civilian gravestone beside his wife in the North Ferrisburgh Cemetery of North Ferrisburgh, VT.

Captain Lawrence Newton Wilson of the 801st Pioneer Infantry

Captain Samuel Woodfill’s Medal of Honor Portrait

November 7, 2025 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

The Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded to 119 members of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps during World War I, 33 of them posthumously. Portrait photographs of these heroes are remarkably scarce, but I was fortunate to recently acquire one. The subject of tonight’s post is Captain Samuel Woodfill of Indiana, one of America’s most celebrated soldiers of the Great War.

Captain Samuel Woodfill, U.S. Army
Often described by General John J. Pershing as “the outstanding soldier of the American Expeditionary Forces,” Captain Samuel Woodfill earned the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on October 12, 1918. Leading his company through heavy fog and enemy fire near Cunel, France, Woodfill singlehandedly attacked multiple German machine gun nests, killing or capturing their crews despite being gassed and exhausted. A career soldier from Indiana, Woodfill had already served in the Philippines and on the Mexican border before World War I, and his calm, precise marksmanship in France became legendary among his peers. After the war, he was personally honored by Pershing and later chosen to represent the U.S. Army’s enlisted men at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1921.

Arlington National Cemetery Video: Major Samuel Woodfill

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“While he was leading his company against the enemy, First Lieutenant Woodfill’s line came under heavy machine gun fire, which threatened to hold up the advance. Followed by two soldiers at 25 yards, this officer went out ahead of his first line toward a machine gun nest and worked his way around its flank, leaving the two soldiers in front. When he got within ten yards of the gun it ceased firing, and four of the enemy appeared, three of whom were shot by First Lieutenant Woodfill. The fourth, an officer, rushed at First Lieutenant Woodfill, who attempted to club the officer with his rifle. After a hand-to-hand struggle, First Lieutenant Woodfill killed the officer with his pistol. His company there upon continued to advance, until shortly afterwards another machine gun nest was encountered. Calling on his men to follow, First Lieutenant Woodfill rushed ahead of his line in the face of heavy fire from the nest, and when several of the enemy appeared above the nest he shot them, capturing three other members of the crew and silencing the gun. A few minutes later this officer for the third time demonstrated conspicuous daring by charging another machine gun position, killing five men in one machine gun pit with his rifle. He then drew his revolver and started to jump into the pit, when two other gunners only a few yards away turned their gun on him. Failing to kill them with his revolver, he grabbed a pick lying nearby and killed both of them. Inspired by the exceptional courage displayed by this officer, his men pressed on to their objective under severe shell and machine gun fire.”

Southbridge, MA Native Charles Edwin Hellner’s WWI Journey

September 30, 2025 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Southbridge’s First Soldier

Writeup by: Andrew Locke

(All photographs and narrative were provided by Locke)

The first man from Southbridge, Massachusetts to enlist during World War 1 was Charles Edwin Hellner. He was born on April 11th, 1897 and was at the age of 20 when he enlisted for the US Army on May 7th, 1917. He was placed into B company of the 1st Engineer Regiment (part of the 1st Infantry Division) with about 30 other Southbridge men. After exactly three months of training he departed for France.

Following their arrival, the soldiers of B company then spent more time training. This time it was in the tactics of trench warfare with the French as their experienced instructors. In later parts of the training, American units would serve alongside French ones in relatively idle sections of the frontline so that the doughboys could get some experience. While serving with elements of the 16th infantry on the morning of November 3rd, 1917, Hellner would be present for the first raid on American troops by the German army. The first three American deaths of the war occurred there.

Hellner’s Diary, Cigarette Case, Pocket Watch and War Medals

Training and engineer work continued for Hellner’s unit until the 1st Division was called into action again. On May 28th, 1918 the 28th infantry regiment had attacked and successfully captured the French town of Cantigny. The 1st Engineers moved into the sector and began work fortifying the area and digging trenches. Hellner memorialized his service there with a large pennant that bears “Cantigny 1918” and his portrait which speaks to the fame of the battle at the time. While in these trenches at and around Cantigny, B company experienced shelling and fought off diversionary attacks from the German’s Montdidier-Noyon offensive that was aimed at nearby French positions.

On July 18th the 1st Engineers began its involvement in the Second Battle of the Marne. A German attack had recently pushed back allied lines before it faltered and it was realized that this was an opportunity for a counterattack. Hellner had recently been given command of his own squad and would now be leading them into battle. B company spent three days attacking the Germans near the town of Soissons. During the first day of attack on July 18th, a member of Hellner’s squad named William Broughton was hit in the stomach by a piece of shrapnel. Unfortunately, he eventually died from his wounds. Broughton had also come from Southbridge and Hellner wrote a letter home that informed his family that he had passed. July 19th saw B company’s advance slowed by machine gun fire that wounded several men and an officer. On July 20th, Hellner led his squad over the top at 4 AM with the rest of B company in the first wave. With heavy losses they were able to fight until they reached a railroad where they remained the rest of the day. While taking cover behind an embankment near this railroad, Hellner experienced his first wound of the war. He later wrote a letter about the incident: “I was lying on a railroad embankment when a high explosive German shell burst near me, digging up the dirt and stones all around, and a heavy stone fell upon my foot, breaking one of the bones.” This artillery shell had actually caused much more damage than he’d thought. It dislocated his shoulder, broke a bone in his foot, and gave him a severe rupture. He never reported these wounds and continued to fight at Soissons for two more days. By the end of the battle he was the only man from his squad to report to an officer, the rest had either been killed or wounded. B company in total sustained 74 casualties at Soissons from July 18th to the 22nd.

After the chaos of their first large scale offensive, they now had a few moments of relief. For the next few months they went back to being engineers and did manual labor including building roads during the St. Mihiel campaign in early September. It is during this time I believe Hellner attended gas school. One of his journals has a section with the same heading that includes details about each type of gas and various mortars including the Livens projector.

Silk Portrait Photo and Cantigny 1918 Pennant

For the last and largest battle of the war the 1st Engineers was once again called up to act as infantry. The Meuse-Argonne offensive began on September 26th but B company didn’t attack until October 9th. Hill 269 in the Argonne Forest needed to be captured and B company was part of the force chosen for the job. The fight for the hill was intense with the attackers engaging in hand to hand combat. After capturing the hill the engineers immediately braced for a counterattack. One didn’t come until the following day when the Germans stormed the hill with the support of heavy artillery. The enemy never reached the top of the hill and were successfully repelled. At some point during this engagement Hellner was gassed and evacuated to a hospital.

Unfortunately I don’t know when he left the hospital but I do know that by November 11th he had returned to B company and was marching towards the frontline near the town of Sedan with the rest of the regiment. Suddenly, a courier on horseback rushed down the column of men telling them to stop marching because the war had ended. In Hellner’s own words: “When we realized it was all over, we whistled, screamed, cheered and raised the devil, and I was so hoarse I couldn’t speak next day above a whisper.” That night the frontline was almost as bright as day with bonfires, flares, and rockets from the celebrating soldiers.

In December the 1st division was sent into Germany to be a part of the army of occupation. The 1st Engineers remained on this post until July 21st, 1919 when they were detailed to finally return home. He returned to the United States in August and was supposed to receive a discharge but a medical officer advised him to re-enlist so that his wounds from Soissons could finally be tended to by army doctors. This was when the true extent of his injury was truly discovered. It was necessary to fracture his dislocated arm to get it back into its socket. After this though, he could finally return to Southbridge. Funnily enough, even after his wounds from Soissons were corrected, he wasn’t given credit for a wound in action. So his only wound according to his enlistment record was being gassed on Hill 269. Hellner got married in June of 1921 and went on to have two daughters. In later life he moved to Florida and passed away there on June 26th, 1975 at the age of 78.

Snapshots from Kaufering IV: A Dachau Subcamp

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Follow Up Post: The Liberation of Kaufering IV

Eight years ago I posted a series of snapshots taken by a US soldier showing the liberation of an unknown concentration camp during WWII. When I acquired the photos, they had no provenance and no information on the reverse side to start the process of identification. Luckily, a blog follower was able to help with the identification of the camp through the same processes I typically use. By observing the surrounding architecture and general contextual clues, he was able to identify the camp as Kaufering IV, a large subcamp of Dachau. Here is what he provided:

Some thoughts:

i)This is certainly somewhere Upper Bavaria – the house architecture is fairly typical of the region.

ii)The presence of the 2 Luftwaffe officers suggests some sort of air force activity is close by. Lager Lechfeld was used as a fighter base and a shake-down airbase for the nearby Messerschmitt complex in Augsburg. Prisoners were engaged in constructing bomb-proof bunker-factories in appalling conditions.

iii)One of the photographs has a very distinctive semi-sunken barrack type, known as “Erdhütten” (Lit: “Earth huts”) – very primitive constructions, the timbers of which were made from off-cuts and waste from furniture production and which survivors testify, leaked terribly. These barracks were a distinctive feature of the Dachau sub-camps in the Kaufering/Buchlöe area.

iv)The brief Wiki article tallies fairly well with the photos and my comments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaufering_concentration_camp

Hope this helps,

Taff Simon

The Snapshots

Thanks to the careful research of Taff Simon, we now know that the camp shown in these snapshots is Kaufering IV. A closer look at the details within the images supports his findings. One particular photograph offers the clearest confirmation: it shows an older man in civilian clothing with a closely shaven head, a haunting detail that anchors these scenes to the history of this Dachau subcamp.

Snapshot of SS Commandant Johann Baptist Eichelsdörfer

When I first wrote about the snapshot collection in 2017, I was unable to identify the man since he was in civilian garb. Artificial intelligence image searches at the time were unable to attribute the image to any individual, so I was under the assumption that he was a local civilian who was brought in to help with the burial of the camp victims. But now, with the attribution of the snapshots to Kaufering IV, I was able to find more images of Eichelsdörfer. His shaven head with the lopsided squirrel-tail appearance confirms his identity when compared to the images below.

Color Photo of Johann Baptist Eichelsdörfer (US Holocaust Museum image)

(SS officer Johann Baptist Eichelsdoerfer, the commandant of the Kaufering IV concentration camp, stands among the corpses of prisoners killed in his camp. US Holocaust Museum image)

Who was he?

Johann Baptist Eichelsdörfer was a German military officer and concentration camp commandant during World War II. Born on January 20, 1890, in Dachau, Germany, he served as a non-commissioned officer in the Bavarian Army during World War I and remained in the military after the war, retiring in 1924 with the rank of lieutenant. He rejoined the military in 1940 and served in various locations, including France, Poland, and the Soviet Union. In 1944, he was assigned to the Dachau concentration camp system, where he served as the commandant of several subcamps. In January 1945, he took command of Kaufering IV, a subcamp of Dachau located near Hurlach, which was designated as a “hospital camp” but was, in reality, a site where sick and dying prisoners were abandoned without adequate medical care. Under his command, thousands of prisoners died due to starvation, disease, and mistreatment.

Eichelsdörfer’s actions came to light when American forces liberated Kaufering IV on April 27, 1945. U.S. soldiers discovered hundreds of bodies and surviving prisoners who had been subjected to brutal conditions. Eichelsdörfer was captured and photographed standing among the bodies of dead inmates, a stark image used as evidence during his trial. He was tried at the Dachau Trials, a series of military tribunals held by the U.S. Army to prosecute Nazi war criminals. On December 13, 1945, he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. Eichelsdörfer was executed by hanging on May 29, 1946, in Landsberg am Lech prison. His trial and execution highlighted the atrocities committed in the Nazi concentration camps and served as a reminder of the need for accountability in the aftermath of war.

The Other Snapshots

Now that we know the snapshots from the 2017 blog post were taken at Kaufering IV, the other images captured by an unknown US GI make more sense. I will post them here with some updated commentary. Feel free to weigh in if you have any comments or suggestions for descriptions.

In the above image, we see a recently liberated survivor of his time at Kaufering IV. He’s using his bandaged hands to tie on a pair of shoes, likely a pair provided to him by US soldiers. He also appears to have some soup in a small can as well as a striped blanket wrapped around his head and body. In the back of the image appears a US T28E1 which was likely one of the 12th Armor Division’s anti-aircraft mobile vehicles. The painted sillouettes of 14 German aircraft on the side hint that the operators of the T28E1 shot down lots of German aircraft as the war came to an end.

Local German Civilians Listen to US Officers

I really don’t know how to close this sobering post update from 2017. I did pass the snapshots along to a WWII veterans museum based here in the United States, but I’m unsure of what they ended up doing with them. I hope that his post will help educate those researching Kaufering IV and bring some closure to the mystery of when and where these snapshots were taken.

If you want to see some footage from the camp liberation, please check out the video here.

Easy Co. 506th PIR, 101st Airborne, Band of Brothers at Kaufering IV

HBO’s Band of Brothers covered Kaufering IV briefly in one episode. The unit was involved in the liberation of the camp, along with the 12th Armored Division. See below for a dramatized version of the events. The small earthen huts described by Taff can be clearly depicted. The HBO historical accuracy consultants did a great job!

Roy H. Oplinger and the 158th Aero Squadron Survive the Sinking of the SS Tuscania

August 17, 2025August 17, 2025 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

Survivors of the Sinking of the SS Tuscania

The 158th Aero Squadron and the Sinking of the SS Tuscania

On the night of February 5, 1918, the troopship SS Tuscania was steaming off the coast of Islay, Scotland, when it was struck by a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-77. The liner was carrying over 2,000 American soldiers bound for the Western Front as part of the earliest waves of U.S. troops to join the fight in Europe.

Among those aboard were men of the 158th Aero Squadron, a newly formed Air Service unit. Organized in late 1917, the squadron was composed largely of young Americans who had trained in Texas before embarking overseas. Their mission would be to support the burgeoning U.S. Air Service in France, a much needed element of warfare in the late stages of WWI.

When the torpedo struck, chaos erupted. Lifeboats were launched into rough seas, and the darkness made rescue operations difficult. British destroyers and local fishermen rushed to aid survivors. Despite these efforts, more than 200 soldiers and crewmen were lost, making the Tuscania the first U.S. troopship sunk in World War I.

Footage of the Survivors of the Tuscania Sinking

The men of the 158th Aero Squadron were among the survivors. Shaken but determined, they eventually reached England and continued their training before heading off to France. Looking at this group portrait, it’s striking to think that every face here carries the memory of that night in the frigid waters of the North Channel. For the men of the 158th, their war began not in the skies over France, but in the dark Atlantic, clinging to lifeboats and praying for rescue.

Roy Oplinger and the 158th Aero Squadron

While the group photo provides us with an overall snapshot of the 158th Aero Squadron in the days after their harrowing ordeal, the photograph also highlights the wartime experience of an individual soldier who decided to send this image home to his family.

The reverse side of this English postcard has a few unique elements that help point towards the ID of the soldier who sent the postcard home in 1918. The first and obvious clue is that the photograph is likely related to someone who served with the 158th Aero Squadron. The following clues can be found on the reverse side of the postcard.

The additional clues are pretty obvious given the stamp at the top right-hand corner paired with the writing on the bottom. We know his name is Roy, and that his Army Service Number was 250033. Using the powers of ancestry.com and fold3.com I was able to identify the sender as Corporal Roy Holden Oplinger who served as a mechanic with the 158th Aero Squadron. Born on May 8th, 1896 in Danielsville, PA to Adam and Edna Oplinger, Roy went on to enlist for the draft on June 5th, 1917 with a listed address in Walnutport, PA. What doesn’t jive is that he was a private at the time of the sinking of the SS Tuscania, so it appears that he didn’t actually send this postcard to his family (if ever) until later that year when he was promoted to corporal in October.

According to Roy’s WWI Pennsylvania Veteran’s Compensation Application, after enlistment he went on to serve with the 49th Aero Squadron (an obscure pursuit squadron) in August of the same year and then on January 8th of 1918 with the 158th Aero Squadron shortly before his departure aboard the SS Tuscania.

WWI Pennsylvania Veteran’s Compensation Application Form

A Letter Home to a Friend

In a rare stroke of luck, I struck photo researcher gold after searching for newspaper articles related to Roy’s WWI service. In this case, it looks like he sent a letter home to a close hometown friend, Samuel W. Danner on February 13th, 1918 only a few days before the group photo was taken. Anecdotes like this offer a rare glimpse into individual moments during the war, and I was lucky to stumble across it. Here’s a link to the The Morning Call, an Allentown, PA newspaper. Please disregard any typos in the OCR transcription of the article.

Roy H. Oplinger Private in 158th Aero Squadron now in France received the following letter: American Rest Camp, Winchester, England.

February 13, 1918. Dear Sir: best of health and hope you are well I will let you know that I am in the same in America. I will let you know that I have experienced the Torpedoing of the S. S. Tuscania.

The very first ship sunk with U. S. Soldiers on board. I had a narrow escape, I was on deck when we were submarined, but was soon floating on the Atlantic waters on a raft, shortly after we were struck about one hour and a half later we were picked up by a British patrol boat.

If the ship would have sunk as quick as the Lusitania, why I think we would have perished. The S. S. Tuscania went down some hours later, she was torpedoed about supper time somewhere on the Irish coast. How many lives were lost I am unable to tell.

Only a few of our squadron The clothing and my personal belongings I had with me are all the articles I have, all the rest of my stuff is at the bottom of the sea with the Tuscania. But my gold watch which mother presented to me as a present some years ago is out of commission as the salt water did not agree with her very well. I do not like the taste of it myself, it does not feel very comfortable to be in the water this time of the year. But I was kept warm as I was the only one on the raft that knew how to handle an oar. So you see what I had to do to get away from that sinking ship.

There is danger in being too near a sinking vessel as the suction will at times suck persons down that are near. I paddled along and when rescued we eight boys on the raft were a few miles from the ship. We were somewhat soaked. But I am dry by the time you received this letter. Ha Ha.

I will never forget that shock of that torpedo which hit us on that night February 5, 1918. The boys were brave and sang national hymns when we let her go down. Every soldier was coal as jar as I know not one was panic stricken, all left that ship in an excellent manner and can tell you from my experience what I have had in seeing a ship sunk. That you can thank God if you never have to witness that kind of a sight on a rough sea. I am sure glad that I am safe.

It was God’s will that only a few lives were lost in the ship wreck. I will sure do my best to do a little harm towards “Kaiser Bill” as he has to account for the lives that were lost on that cold night (you know). I am yours as before.

Address, Priv. Roy H. Oplinger, 158th Aero Squadron. A. E. (via) N. Y.

And Some Insight From a Friend

Fast forward to 2025, here’s some information about the photo from a WWI researcher friend of mine, Charles “Chuck” Thomas. Thanks Chuck!

Chuck’s Take

Here is a special image of the surviving members of the 158th Aero Squadron shortly after arriving at the American rest camp in Winchester, England. This squadron was aboard the Tuscania when it was sunk by a German submarine off the northern coast of Ireland 5 February 1918. When the 158th AS was reassembled at Winchester, it was determined that seventeen men had been lost during the sinking. After the picture was taken, the flying officers were sent to France for training and the enlisted members were broken up into four flights: one flight was sent to Beverly, Yorkshire and the other three went to Lincolnshire, England.

The squadron would later be reunited and sent to Issoudun on 27 September to finish out their service at that aerodrome.

The squadron officers were:

1st Lt. Phil E. Davant

1st Lt. Herbert B. Bartholf

1st Lt. J. W. Blackman (Gorrells has it spelled ‘Blakcman’ – typo?)

1st Lt. Merle H. Howe

1st Lt. Miner C. Markham

2nd Lt. Kenneth S. Hall

2nd Lt. Freeman A. Ballard

2nd Lt. LaRue Smith

2nd Lt. James McFaddan

Of note is the mixture of civilian attire with military uniforms being worn by some of the enlisted men.

I should also point out that the flag seen here was the only one saved during the sinking of the Tuscania by Corp. Guy W. Burnett.

Meet Punkins – The Mixed-Breed Bull Terrier and Official Mascot of the 27th Engineer Regiment in WWI

June 2, 2025November 19, 2025 / portraitsofwar / 4 Comments

After taking a break from writing, I’m excited to finally share some of the fascinating WWI photos and research I’ve uncovered over the past few years, little hidden gems I’ve been eager to bring to light on this little corner of the internet. In this quick post you will meet Punkins, the official mascot of Company C of the 27th Engineer Regiment. Photographs of unit mascots during WWI are not exceedingly rare, but studio portraits of an identified mascot/dog are nearly impossible to find. Most, if they exist, were kept in personal albums or letter collections and discarded or forgotten about over the past 100+ years, but this shot of Punkins somehow emerged on eBay several years ago.

Sporting a studded leather collar and matching riveted harness, Punkins seems like a quite the bruiser, a fitting mascot for an engineering regiment during WWI. With just the image and brief stamped caption below (the stamping hints at a volumed production of photo postcards for veterans after the return home), it seemed a difficult task to identify the sitter based on contextual clues such as insignia or other identifying material. Although the postcard backstamp suggests a stateside printing of the postcard, I’m guessing the original photograph was taken in France or Germany and replicated stateside for dispersal to fellow soldiers who wanted photographs to remember their wartime experiences.

Luckily, I did some deep diving and discovered a digitized version of a unit history of the 27th Engineer Regiment that included a brief caption mentioning a ‘Punkins’ below a photograph of our mystery sitter with one of his wartime friends.

“Punkins” and PFC William H. Hall of Santa Clara, CA.

Punkins has now been identified as the regimental mascot of the 27th Engineer Regiment! Note that he is sporting a custom coat with markings and insignia showing he was a member of Company C. of the 27th Engineer Regiment with the First Army. His downward pointing chevron on the right means he served at least six months with the unit. Based on the background contextual clues in the unit history photo, this shot appears to have been taken aboard a return vessel from France to the USA in March of 1919. Private First Class William H. Hall of Santa Clara, CA was aboard the USS Dakotan, a US military transport ship that served in both WWI for the US and later in WWII for the Russians starting in 1942.

Pvt. William Hall heads to France in June of 1918

It’s unclear and likely impossible to know the circumstances of Punkins’ adoption by the 27th Engineer Regiment in WWI, but based on the visual info provided in the unit history, it’s likely that they were adopted at least three months before departure from France in March of 1919 which points towards an adoption date of August or September of 1918 while the unit was serving in Germany at the time. Punkins appears to be a Bull Terrier mix of some sort based on the pointed ears, coloring and general boxy frame. If anyone knows anything else about Punkins please reach out and share.

One last note – Punkins appears to be wearing an actual WWI US dog tag. Dog tags used by the US Army and Marines were primarily aluminum discs that could be hand punched with pertinent information bearing the owners name, unit, serial number and sometimes other personal touches. It looks like Punkins received a set of his own tags although the details are obscured. Note that the ridges on the left tag hole hints that they’ve been worn long enough to encounter some wear and tear. The circular tag to the right doesn’t seem to be a proverbial dog tag but some sort of other identifier or an actual DOG tag.

November, 2025 Update

It appears that Punkins sat for several photographs during his illustrious career as a mascot. Another eBay listing appeared a month or so ago (I didn’t win) that provided a bit more information about our sitter. Amazingly, we now know the birthdate, birthplace and wartime career of Punkins to a level of detail I never thought I would learn. See below for a transcription of the caption from the eBay postcard.

Nov. 2, 2025 Ended Listing for *Another* Punkins Postcard!

Punkins was born Dec. 30, 1917, in Baltimore, was mascot of Co. C., 27th Eng., was smuggled across on a transport in a suit case, thru the worst of the submarine zone, landed in France May 18, 1918. He spent nine months in the front line trenches, went over the top three times at the battles of Chateau Thierry, Argonne and St. Mihiel. He was gassed Sept. 28, 1918, in the Argonne. Punkins is the only dog that ever received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. He received a Medal of Honor from the French Government at Verdun, also wears the U.S. Victory button. Here’s to the Good Old U.S.A. – Punkins

This secondary portrait of Punkins provides a very similar view but shows a few more details that “my” version does not include. Now, we can see a little more detail to the dog tag/medal attached to his collar.

The tag that I had originally assumed was some sort of identifier appears to have a castle at center which may be a 27th Engineers commemorative medal given out to members of that unit. See below (top left) for a possible match from the US Army Engineering collection website. (Image 16 in the first slideshow)

The Last Living Witness to Lincoln’s Assassination

May 17, 2018November 27, 2018 / portraitsofwar / Leave a comment

I really enjoy meeting with elderly citizens who can remember local events of historic significance and always make an effort to ask them where they were during critical national or international turning points in history. But in the case of the man below, I’m not sure I could top his story. At the time this TV show was filmed in 1956, Mr. Samuel J. Seymour (1860-1856) had already lived through the Civil War, the financial depressions of the late 1800s, the Spanish American War, the invention of the automobile, the invention of flight, WWI (he was in his 50s when that happened), the jazz era, the Great Depression, WWII, the nuclear era, the beginning Korean War and McCarthyism. This guy had seen it all!

Although the contestants figured out his story pretty quickly, the story of his traveling to the show and his determination to tell his story are remarkable. Encounters with people who witnessed history like this are examples of what drives me to continue to take the time to chat with WWII veterans when I encounter them. With so few left, it’s important to just… talk to people. Mr. Seymour passed away only 63 days after his filming of the episode shown below. Enjoy.

Collecting WWI Portrait Photos – More Than What Meets the Eye

June 1, 2017June 6, 2017 / portraitsofwar / 3 Comments

The title idiom of this post is an apt description when it comes to the wild world of collecting World War One photography, and especially portrait/studio shots.

More than meets the eye: A hidden significance, greater than is first apparent, as in This agreement involves more than meets the eye. [Mid-1800s]

The hidden significance, as stated in McGraw Hill’s Diction of American Idioms is what makes pursuing,collecting and sharing “lost” photos from the world wars so interesting and important to researchers. The individual men and women who lived and breathed the history of our past are often presented as watered-down versions of the average Joe or Jill of their time period. By finding, researching and publishing these photos, I hope to help the public realize that every story is worth telling, irregardless of perceived heroism involved. In the case of this blog post, I’ve decided to pick a current (May 31st, 2017) eBay auction that will certainly meet the criteria of the Mid-1800s idiom seen above.

May/June 2017 eBay Auction

I will post auction details at the conclusion of this blog post, but I wanted to start with a breakdown of why this photograph will sell for hundreds of dollars more than a normal, unidentified U.S. soldier/Marine/sailor from WWI. First, lets see some of the auction details (the seller did a great job of pointing all these out and deserves credit for his research!) that make this a 10/10 snag for the lucky bidder.

What makes this a 10/10 photo for the WWI portrait collector?

Photo aesthetics – The young man in the French studio photo (Carte Postale postcards are French) is striking a casual pose with the intention of showing off multiple pieces of his uniform/accessories. He’s sporting a bold eagle/globe/anchor (EGA) insignia on his cap, a very nice privately purchased trench watch on his left hand (indicating that he’s right handed), an overseas chevron, wound chevron and a nice set of sergeant stripes on his right sleeve.
Identification – The period inked identification on the bottom right hand corner gives the intrepid researcher a good place to start searching. I own dozens of shots signed in the same manner. Jos L Moody 6th Marines, ex “SS San Juan” is a good jumping off place…
Written content – The back of the postcard gives a vivid description of his service time to a friend who he appears to have some strong connection to. He mentions the occasion of his wounding, his promotion of sergeant “I was made charge of Bombers” as well as an ominous mention of being “bumped off” as well as his pending commission. Further, the reverse tells us that the photo was taken and sent at least two months before the end of the war, being dated September of 1918, and therefor raises it a few notches in desirability.
Research! – The most vital piece of elevating the significance of a photograph is the story behind the photo. What do all the other key elements tell you? In this case we have, with further research, a photograph of a U.S. Marine who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions at Chateat-Thierry. His Silver Star valor award reads:

By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Corporal Joseph L. Moody, Jr. (MCSN: 92820), United States Marine Corps, is cited by the Commanding General, SECOND Division, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Corporal Moody distinguished himself while serving with the 79th Company, Sixth Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, American Expeditionary Forces at Chateau-Thierry, France, 6 June – 10 July 1918

Additionally, he is further mentioned in the unit history for the 6th Marines and some additional info can be gleaned: “The six men above {Moody included} named delivered messages through intense machine gun fire from the front line to their battalion commanders , going and returning with important messages…”

Postcard back (officer censured)

So where does this leave us? I’ve pointed out all the salient points that make an interesting photo. But my observations don’t need to be valued in any specific way. I enjoy collecting extraordinarily interesting portraits that don’t need to include identification or a “cool story”. On the flip side, a junky shot of a well-identified soldier/Marine/sailor with a cool history won’t make me open my wallet. It’s really about what you want. Go with your gut!

Ok – so here’s my prediction based on my 10+ years of buying/selling/trading WWI portrait photos. This photograph should sell for anywhere between US $175-$275. It may go for much more if someone has Sgt. Moody’s uniform, medals or has a specific affinity for the 79th Marines. I wouldn’t be surprised if it topped $350 on a good day. Tax returns are coming in?

As of 8:00 PM Eastern Time on 5/31/2017 the bid is at $23.49. I will update the post once the auction ends.

Here’s the address for those of you who have some cash to spend! (Also, $7.75 is a crazy price for shipping!)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWI-US-Marine-Silver-Star-Winner-Signed-RPPC-USMC-AEF-79th-CO-2nd-Bn-6th-Mar-/182599306597?hash=item2a83c44d65:g:5LwAAOSwblZZLgWN

Gossip Column

Los Angeles Times, April 16th, 1937

FILM PRODUCER’S EX-WIFE SUES Divorce Action Filed Against Retired Officer Faith Cole MacLean Moody, ;former wife of Douglas Mac- ‘Lean, film producer, yesterday filed suit for divorce from’ Capt Joseph L. Moody, United States Marine Corps, retired, charging , incompatibility. Capt. Moody, a brother-in-law of Helen Wills Moody, tennis star, married Mrs. MacLean in Shanghai in January, 1932, while he was stationed in China as an adjutant in charge of American shore forces during the Sino-Japanese troubles. He now is in theatrical work here. The couple separated March 19, according to the complaint filed by Attorney A. S. Gold- ‘flam. There are no children.

eBay Auction Result

Surprisingly enough, my estimate on the final result of the photo sale came in slightly higher than the exact average of my original estimate of $175-$275. Well, maybe it’s not that surprising given that I’ve bid on over 1,000 WWI portrait photos in the past decade….

Here’s the result! – The photo sold for $239.50 plus shipping.