OSS in China Photo Group

[Dirk]

Recently acquired a small photo collection associated with a Marine serving with the OSS near Hengyang China in the winter of 1945. Most of the photos appear to be Signal Corps photos, but the uniform and equipment details they yield might be of interest to some Forum members. Most of the images involve American forces training Chinese guerrillas, moving out and the aftermath of several successful raids they had. The name Walter Mansfield is associated with this OSS team who wrote several accounts of the activities seen in the photos. Enjoy.

[Dirk]

Training, briefing and moving out for an ambush

[Dirk]

Examining captured weapons

[Charlie Flick]

Dirk:

 

Those are some very interesting images. Thanks for posting them.

 

I was looking for some USGI handguns but saw none. I wonder if that British Enfield .38-200 revolver, shown with the captured weapons in the last pic, was something that the Japanese captured at Hong Kong or Singapore and put to use. Nice shots of the M1A1 Thompson SMG, too.

 

In photo #2 I was not sure what the weapons were being carried on slings by the guys at the back of the crowd in the near center of the photo. Maybe bazookas or mortar tubes?

 

Great stuff.

 

Regards,

Charlie

[Dirk]

Charlie thank you for your comments! I thought there might be some interest in the details. Thank you adding those weapons details! I think bazookas, as Mansfield writes they had taken four of them on one ambush but noted the bazooka operators had a bad habit of firing early. Mansfield left a good written account of his activities it's these men.

[Ronny67]

wow, very cool

[kanemono]

Great photographs Dirk! I saw them on the other post but I cannot leave comments with my tablet. Thanks. You should post them on the Thompson site.

Dick

[Dirk]

Thanks guys! Not sure Dick I know the Thompson site. Can you post a link. Thanks!

[TheMariner]

These are spectacular period photos of OSS men in china! I love all of the weapons in these too! Thanks for sharing

[1SG_1st_Cav]

WOW! Great photos!

[teufelhunde.ret]

Great fotos for your extensive collection: http://chinamarine.org/SouvenirsandEphemera.aspx

[Dirk]

Thank you gentleman for your kind words....there are a number of other pictures in this grouping that I will try and add over time.

 

D: thank you as always! Not sure how to weave SACO and the OSS into the sites narrative. An area I have done little research on.

[Timberwolf]

Seriously some cool photos.

[Captainofthe7th]

Thank you for sharing Dirk. I think it's something to see these photos from late 1945...it seems so much of the information on OSS and OSS in China predates this, but I get the impression that there was still serious stuff going on in late 45 and after the war. I recently figured out that an officer I've been researching was assigned as an adviser to the 1st Parachute Battalion and even after requesting his OSS records I have not learned much.

 

These pictures are super cool.

 

Good thing they learned how to use those Thompsons so they could use them against us in Korea a few years later....

 

Rob

[eagle5036]

Very nice photos of OSS in China!

[bobgee]

Great pics, Dirk!

[Eric Queen]

Great photos and content Dirk. Not sure how I missed them the first time. Anything USMC/OSS/China related is very interesting (to me).

 

Here is part of a little grouping I have to Marine 1st Lt. John C. Bradley. He was with the OSS Detachment 101 in Burma and later in China. He jumped onto Hainan Island on August 27, 1945 with Singlaub during the "Pigeon" mission.

 

Locally made Chinese jump wings and notice he painted his 101 bar USMC colors !!

[Eric Queen]

Whiskey flask with his initials " J. C. B."

[Dirk]

Eric I just saw your addition! Thank you for sharing.....just amazing stuff you have managed to gather... really like the locally produced wings....myself, I tried to avoid SACO and the OSS in China but a friend passed this grouping on to me so I could not say no.

[JDK]

Great Items guys. The photos are really fantastic!

 

JD