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Mars Task Force Photo Album


siege1863
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Well, here is the first of many images that come from the Mars Task Force photo album just acquired. The album itself is in poor condition and the photos are mounted on the highly acidic black pages typically encountered. Since the photos were placed in no order, and many have already come loose, I am removing them a few at a time, cleaning them, and inserting them in archival sleeves. As best as possible, I am grouping them by location or subject.

 

Some may be more anxious to see the "combat" photos, but these I start with are easily recognized as sets. Any help in identifying location, event, or persons is greatly appreciated.

 

 

Here are three views of a funeral for a man in the regiment. The number of white crosses appear to be in line with the number of men of the 124th Cavalry listed on a Roll of Honor. I have been unable to identify this temporary cemetery. Note the CBI patch worn by the man leading the horse.

 

 

post-211-1286749106.jpg

 

post-211-1286748428.jpg

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Well, here is the first of many images that come from the Mars Task Force photo album just acquired. The album itself is in poor condition and the photos are mounted on the highly acidic black pages typically encountered. Since the photos were placed in no order, and many have already come loose, I am removing them a few at a time, cleaning them, and inserting them in archival sleeves. As best as possible, I am grouping them by location or subject.

 

Some may be more anxious to see the "combat" photos, but these I start with are easily recognized as sets. Any help in identifying location, event, or persons is greatly appreciated.

Here are three views of a funeral for a man in the regiment. The number of white crosses appear to be in line with the number of men of the 124th Cavalry listed on a Roll of Honor. I have been unable to identify this temporary cemetery. Note the CBI patch worn by the man leading the horse.

post-211-1286749106.jpg

 

post-211-1286748428.jpg

 

 

wow,funeral detail for CBIs only moh,jack knigth

 

 

i think i can help with a lot of info

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These photos are from a set of twelve taken at the encampment just north of Lashio, where the locals had been hired to construct shelters from bamboo. The task force remained in this place for several weeks. An interview with a 124th Cavalry officer provided the identification.

 

"Another interesting incident was after we had been out of combat for a while, the boys decided to have a rodeo. They found some mules that would buck and they bought a couple of native cattle."

 

Note that many of the photos taken while campaigning are rather poor in quality. Although one would like to have nice sharp images, these have an almost "ghostly" aspect to them. No doubt the quality of the camera and processing had much to do with the quality. Considering that these photos may be the only to survive to document the events, anything is better than nothing.

 

 

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post-211-1286842570.jpg

 

post-211-1286842591.jpg

 

post-211-1286842614.jpg

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i have an album from a 475th veteran that i have posted before

 

we should swap notes

 

also check my MARS thread from way back

 

keep em coming

 

 

I saw the old thread about the album, but essentially every image has been deleted. The same for the earlier discussion on Mars.

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A lot of imagaes I have from that part of the world are like this in quality. I have leaned towards the heat and humidity effecting the images. Still I love these action shots., keep them coming.

Mike

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The look of the guy to the right tells the whole exhausting story...

 

post-211-1286749389.jpg

 

 

Here is a good description of the experimental tropical uniform worn by the man on the right...

 

Experimental Tropical Uniform

 

In 1943, after extensive testing in the swamplands and jungles of Florida and Panama, the U.S. Army determined that an experimental tropical uniform made of Byrd Cloth (in Britain, Grenfell Cloth), would best protect soldiers from insects and disease while cooling the body and minimizing losses from perspiration. Byrd Cloth, as used in the Experimental Tropical Uniform, was a single-layer uniform of untreated OD long-staple Egyptian cotton, made in a tightly woven herringbone twill to prevent penetration by the proboscises of female mosquitoes. In use, the uniform was intended to cool the wearer even when continuously wetted, as might be expected in a humid, rainy jungle environment.

 

The uniform featured a short-tailed shirt, trousers with cuffs fitted with half-inch boot-top fastening tapes, and a flap-protected fly to keep out crawling insects such as leeches, ticks, and chiggers. Pockets were shallow and kept to a minimum to increase cooling; users carried all their gear in load-bearing belts, suspenders, or in low-mounted field packs designed to minimize body contact (jungle packs). The uniform, always in short supply because of a shortage of Byrd Cloth, was used in combat by members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Mars Task Force (Army 5332nd Brigade-Provisional) in Burma.

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im not 100% thats the Byrd cloth suit,the shirt had center pleats and shoulder straps

 

another thing to remember in regards to clarity of shots is that home development was a big hobby in the 40s,the boys would be unlikely to develop and print photos overseas so most of the goofed negative and exposures is probably due to non labartory conditions in the home

 

remember the Robert Capa D Day pics,botched by a pro

 

i do have some clearer shots of the byrd cloth suit showing the details i mentioned and will egt them posted ASAP (im at work and they are on the home machine)

 

there is some awesome stuff allready and i dont want to hijack the thread

 

should i start a more general MARS general thread again

 

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there is some awesome stuff allready and i dont want to hijack the thread

 

should i start a more general MARS general thread again

 

Perhaps a seperate thread would be best since I have MANY more images to post here. Where appropriate, you can add a link to something posted in your thread. Any comments and additonal info is always welcomed. Regarding your pulling your photos, I can appreciate why. It is for this reason I am watermarking each of mine as posted.

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Now, for a little fun! First of many photos of the unit training. I believe this is after their arrival at Camp Landos near Myitkyina, Burma.

 

Note the painted camo helmets and those with various foliage. Men have their faces "greased."

 

post-211-1286934403.jpg

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This is a favorite! Men have numbers chalked on their helmets. Man to the right is wearing the tropical boots with rubber lowers and canvas uppers. Man in middle, with cigarette, is wearing leather riding (cavalry) gloves.

 

post-211-1286934668.jpg

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Now, for a little fun! First of many photos of the unit training. I believe this is after their arrival at Myitkyina, Burma.

 

Note the painted camo helmets and those with various foliage. Men have their faces "greased."

 

post-211-1286934403.jpg

 

 

the staff at Ramgharg trained the 124th , after the 124th reached Camp Landis the training was continued by 101 Detachment OSS chaps with a focus on camouflage and infiltration

 

Burma Detachment,Troop B,25nd QM Sqn(Remount) provided refresher courses on shodding and packing for the animals

 

the white horse in the 1st post was intended to be ridden by General Willey,but after counting all the crosses at Lashio he chose to review the regiment from the back of a grey saddle mule

 

the byrd cloth uniform or at least shirt is being worn by a bloke in the center photo just posted (with carbine,mag pocket on the stock)

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This is a favorite! Men have numbers chalked on their helmets. Man to the right is wearing the tropical boots with rubber lowers and canvas uppers. Man in middle, with cigarette, is wearing leather jump gloves.

 

post-211-1286934668.jpg

 

 

not jump gloves,cav gloves

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Here is an awards presentation. Note the many Marsmen wearing the experimental tropical uniforms ("Byrd Cloth").

post-211-1286749232.jpg



Tropical shirt being worn here by one of the inpecting offcers,note concealed button on the shirt flap and pleated pocket

this is before the mission,maybe at Ramgharg,that is Milo Matteson (the little chap wearing riding boots with blosed HBTs) he was removed from command of the 124th cavalry and giving a very short run at running the Cavalry School at Fort Riley

he later pops up in the 48 olympic team,here is a bigger pic of the man,it apears that someone in CBI didnt like him and he lost his regiment at the 11th hour

post-22-0-90797200-1401039046.jpg

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