wwii photo

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 Studio Portrait Photo – 9th AAF Mechanic Georges G. Bond in St. Dizier, France

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Another nice studio portrait taken in 1945 in St. Dizier, France in 1945.   A member of the 511th Fighter Squadron during WWII, Georges G. Bond later went on to serve in Korea.  His wartime address was 415 West Pine St. in Enid, Oklahoma.  Georges was born on July 10th, 1920 and passed away on September 7th, 2007. My condolences to his family.

 

 

Source: FindaGrave.com

WWII 9th Air Force Portrait Photo – Ervin G. Collins of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

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Another great WWII interior studio portrait arrived in the mail yesterday. The subject of the photo is Ervin G. Collins of (wartime)  391 Liverpool Ave, Pawtucket, RI.  The photo was taken in France and shows Ervin posed with a studio prop – a French Louis XVI Style gilt rectangular center table. The photo was taken in St. Dizier by a photographer named Andre Dirler.  St. Dizier is roughly 120 miles east of paris; the 511th was stationed at Clastres (A-71) during the tail end of 1944.  He was 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 112 pounds when he enlisted on July 3rd, 1942.  Before the war he was able to graduate high school and worked as a salesperson.

 

Mr. Collins was born on March 5th, 1921 and passed away on November 2nd, 2001.  He is buried in Notre Dame Cemetery in Pawtucket, RI.

WWII Photo Collection – 226th Signal Corps Invade Southern France 1944

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All in all, a pretty well rounded collection. The unnamed photographer made sure to captured shots of German equipment, a few Panther tanks, U.S. aircraft, lots of vehicles and trucks, destroyed buildings, local people and some great painted signs. Essentially this collection contains everything that makes a good wartime ETO photographic grouping.

226th Signal Corps – From what I can tell they were in charge of transmitting info from the front back to London. They operated specially fitted trailers with radio and signal equipment. I found the address of the 226th historian and will write him a letter.

D-Day Southern France

German Panther Tank

WWII Nose Art – Hal Olsen, the Last Living WWII Nose Artist

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I recently had the esteemed pleasure of acquiring five nose art photos of PB4Y-2 airplanes.  Using the power of the internet, I was able to look up four of the  planes, the Green Cherries, and the Lady Luck II.  With a bit of luck I tracked down the name of the original artist.  Hal Olsen painted over 100 nose art pin-up ladies on various planes in the PTO during his stint with the US Navy during WWII.  He charged $50 per painting and eventually used the money to enter formal art school and travel with his wife.  He is considered the last living nose art painter of WWII.    Having tracked him down, I wrote him a nice letter asking for his autograph and promising that I would send along some copies of my photos. He graciously signed all of my photos and added an inspiring letter with the group.  Thanks Hal!  You’re one for the story books.

Thanks Hal!

Lady Luck II
Green Cherries

Hal’s Autograph
"Gear Down and Locked Up" - an image shot by Lt. Theodore Rowcliffe, USNR before the plane was shot down in August of 1945Special thanks to Dave Rowcliffe for providing this image watermark free!

“Gear Down and Locked ” – an image shot by Lt. Theodore Rowcliffe, USNR before the plane was shot down in August of 1945
Special thanks to Dave Rowcliffe for providing this image watermark free!

The 82nd Airborne Division and Fort Bragg, NC: 1945-1948 Negative Collection

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From the vaults of PortraitsofWar comes an amazing archive of images taken by an enlisted paratrooper with the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division.  The collection is comprised of roughly 225 images taken between 1945 and 1948 with a small portion of wartime material compared to the postwar activities of the 82nd.  Included in the collection are a grouping of shots of the 555th PIR “triple nickles” as well as airborne drops, life around camp, tank maneuvers, and paratrooper horseplay.  Please enjoy and don’t hesitate to contact me with any requests.

Rare Color Transparency

Airborne Drop

Jeep and Glider

Our Photographer

WACO Glider Landing

Bazooka Girl

758th Tank Battalion

Division Cartoonist

Fort Bragg PX

555th Vs. 325th Boxing

Kissing Booth

Fayetteville Lions Club

WWII 42nd Division, 222nd Anti-Tank Company and German Prisoners of War – April 11th, 1945 Schweinfurt, Germany

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From the negative grouping of Edward Majchrowicz

From time to time I will cull through my backlogged collections and pull out interesting images for posting here to PortraitsofWar.  My collection of 42nd Division negatives from a member of the 222nd Anti-Tank Company is comprised of nearly 600 B/W negatives and an additional 200 prints.  The collection is one of the best I own, and is ripe with juicy frontline photos.  I’m even friends with a veteran from the company, who can tell me the stories behind the images.  Here’s a nice shot of a group of dejected German POW’s.  Apparently, the line consisted of nearly 1,200 soldiers who surrendered somewhere outside Schweinfurt, Germany.

WWII P-51 Mustang 35mm Color Slide Photo – 44-74976 – Currently Still in Operation as Jeffrey Michael’s “Obsession”

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Picked this little gem off eBay for a great price and couldn’t help but do some research on the plane.  It appears to have been taken while it was with the New Mexico Air National Guard.  Likely in 1945 or 1946.  I missed out on another listing from the same seller showing the plane with it’s full insignia painted on the side, which was the New Mexico state symbol.  I believe this photo may be considered rare, as I can’t find another shot of the 44-74976 on the web, and certainly not in color.  I hope the current owner finds my site!

From what I can gather, as pictured, this aircraft was used by the New Mexico Air National Guard in WWII and in the 1940s and then was sold to Indonesia in 1958 or 1959.  It was then recovered in 1978 from Indonesia and purchased by a Ralph W. Johnson of Oakland, CA and registered as N98582.  It’s first flight after being recovered from Indonesia was in 1983.  It was then purchased by it’s current owner, Jeff R. Michael and restored to airworthy and redesignated as “Obsession” with it’s original tail code of 44-74976.  Phew!