Tag Archives: WWII

July 20, 2015

I’m ambushed but I don’t mind

By C.E. Ryan
Smiling WWII soldier. RPPC. Private Collection.

Smiling WWII soldier. RPPC. Private Collection.

This soldier with the wide smile is surrounded by a crowd of one man in pork pie hat and four women (in the shot -looks like there were more people including the photographer). Were they congratulating him, showering him with thanks? We will never know, but what we know is he ate up all this attention! (With his eyes on the brunette closest to him.)

The soldier’s wearing a Brodie helmet -with the camouflage net which was a lot less common. Those helmets were issued for both world wars but to the British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealander and South African troops during the second. Americans wore the more rounded, iconic M1.

RPPC: Divided back.

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July 13, 2015

Crackerjacks cute

By C.E. Ryan

5″ x 4″ portrait of 1940s sailor. Private Collection.

Well, what have we here, a cute as a button American sailor in white crackerjacks with the square knot neckerchief and dixie cup hat? Why, yes!

I guessed this one to be from the 40s by the style of picture portrait. The truth is this uniform is still to this day a service whites. This enlisted sailor could be from the 50s too, but I don’t see this picture to be more recent.

A little interesting factoid: sailors have a tradition of placing a coin in the center of the Neckerchief knot so if they get lost at sea they will have money to pay the ferryman across the river Styx.

~*~

I have this feeling a good section of my tumblr followers will especially appreciate this one. ;)~

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July 9, 2015

WWII soviet army soldier in tree

By C.E. Ryan
Snapshot. Private Collection.

Snapshot. Private Collection.

This WWII era red army soldier was awarded quite a few medals. He’s leaning against a tree branch for an artistic portrait of himself. He’s posing without his ‘pilotka’ side hat on. The photographer may have been one of his ‘comrades’, the peaked top of his hat being the shadow on the sitter’s arm. Yes, that’s a stretch but maybe not too much. ;)

Friend or foe? Depends if this was taken before or after 1941. :)

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Digital restoration work titled WWII Soviet Army Soldier In Tree by Caroline C. Ryan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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July 6, 2015

The WWII German pilot with the model plane

By C.E. Ryan
WWII German pilot. Snapshot. Private Collection.

WWII German pilot. Snapshot. Private Collection.

Ah, the enemy…the one we loathe.

This picture spoke to me. This German pilot is leaning to the side so the model plane is in the shot. The picture gives me the feeling that flying was a dream of his from childhood, and it most likely was. Too bad this one grew up to become a pilot under Hitler’s rule. Sad, sad, sad. This pilot fought for the wrong side and paid the price whether he survived or not.

I collect these pictures because they remind me of the universal tragedy of war. The enemy had a face and family too and a life, and dreams, and not all of them were evil, they followed orders like every soldier has to do.

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May 25, 2015

‘Slinky’ the WWII era U.S. Army fighter pilot.

By C.E. Ryan
Candid. Private Collection

4″x6″ signed snapshot of WWII U.S. army fighter pilot nicknamed ´Slinky’. Private Collection

Brave ‘Slinky’ is in harness and light gear, looking up above where his mind is at. Did he earn his nickname by doing some graceful maneuvers in the sky?

Happy Memorial Day, and let’s remember him and the many others who put their lives on the line to protect this country.

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