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Pictures of wings and pretty girls


pfrost
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Great photos. It really hits me that these photos pop up for sale most likely because those pictured have passed on. All those memories, hey? Kinda sad that they are gone.

 

-Ski

 

I always try to find out more from the dealer. But so often I find a pile of old photos in a cardboard box, sometimes in an old desintegrating album, with almost no info in them. These were fantastic photos and included a couple of professional quality portrait photos, but no names that could help me ID the guy. It really is rather sad. But I like to drink a beer, look at them and make up my own stories...creepy? Maybe, but it can be fun. At least I plan on trying to honor and preserve them as best I can.

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This one is a little off the track but it may illustrate the service you might be doing by preserving the pictures as you are doing. All my life I knew this c. 1909 picture of a very old man as one of my great grandfathers. Family lore had that he had been a Confederate soldier.

 

When the family history torch passed to me about the time of the popular rise of the Internet, I started digging to see if I could learn more about him.

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Along the way I found a distant cousin who had descended in the family branch that kept most of the family history papers and pictures. In an off handed manner and after a number of exchanges I asked if she had any other pictures of my great grandfather. She did and sent this one taken about 1869. I cannot express in any meaningful manner the incredible experience of seeing, after my 55-odd years, the old man as a young, vibrant lad. It was like meeting him for the first time.

 

He had indeed been a Confederate Sgt. in the Arkansas 4th Infantry, gone east of the Mississippi, fought for the full 4-years of that war, and was one of less than 200 survivors of the original 725 that made up the regiment. Pity that he left little or nothing in his own hand behind but I discovered that he participated in most of the major battles fought by the Western Army under Bragg, Johnston, and Smith at various times.

 

A little wordy, I know…but all these kinds of pictures are potentially priceless treasures to someone, and in their own right fine examples of a remarkable history of our country.

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Excuse my repeats...a further thought to share. In recent months I undertook to find out what happened to some of the planes that my father flew during WWII. Of the 9 planes he flew during his first tour, 5 were shot down with other crews aboard. The results of my research were somewhat unnerving when I discovered that a lot of those innocuous crew pictures show men that did not make it. Perhaps the same is true of these family pictures and that is why they find their way into the wider world. Nevertheless, it's history--good, bad, and otherwise.

 

Paul S.

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General Apathy

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Hi pfrost, thanks for starting this interesting post, regarding the guy leaning against a bar with two women in the first photograph, I feel that he might have been a 1940's Hollywood actor, which would be good to find out or prove if possible.

 

I am adding a photograph here of an English RAF pilot for two reasons, firstly the photo was taken in Albany, Georgia, where he was taking flight training at Turner field Georgia in 1942, his name was Edward Shearing.

 

He was killed in May 1944 ( just 21 years of age ) and buried in a cemetery local to where I lived in Bournemouth, England, I have no other details of his service record.

 

The second part of the post is the two American women that he is stood with in the photograph, I don't know if he was dating one of them, but my choice would have been the one on the right of the photograph, her name being Lara.

 

This is one from a group of about fifty, mainly of him and friends training at Turner field, all the equipment appears to be U.S. and they were stationed in U.S. marked M-34 pyramidal tents.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

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I don't have copies of these, but I was once helping a friend of mine in Texas list some lots on eBay. Like your young lady in the Paris lounge above, he had about a dozen photographs of a thirty-ish or slightly older woman. In every photo she was sitting at a table with a DIFFERENT US Army Aviator. It seems she had a thing for Captains and Majors who wore wings.

 

All of the photos seemed to have been taken in a Dallas or Ft. Worth night club. I imagine they were there for training.

 

Some how it didn't surprise me that these showed up in my friends shop rather than being retained in the family album. Imagine trying to explain to succeeding generations why Grandma or Great-Grandma had so many "friends" who were Army pilots!

 

My, my... the sacrifices made at the home front for the War Effort!

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Gil,

There's no doubt you're on to something...imagine the problems some of today's future grandmothers are going to have trying to explain some of the things they have done that are "out there" now. Poor kids haven't a clue what lies ahead for them.

 

I got into enough trouble with my new wife (now of 30+ years) when she asked what the large snifter full of a collection of "I wait you" and "Texas Bar" matchbook covers from the Far East was all about.

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Got da Penny

Heres Pics out of my Collection.

 

Hope they are worth it. thumbsup.gif

 

Carey

 

 

 

This first pic was found 2 yrs ago in Indianapolis framed for $12.00 at an antique store.

 

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Next these came from various box lots etc..

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Cpl Punishment

I picked this one up about 5 years ago at antique fair. It's a whopping 13.5"x10.5" which led me to believe it may have been a promo shot for a magazine or something.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
gliderflyboy

Know why all these pretty girls are with pilots dontcha? Because airmen not only wore the best uniforms, but they were also the ladies' men of the whole military in the 40's. :)

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IMPERIAL QUEST

I found this 12x14 in original studio folder at a garage sale along with another shot of the same couple in a different pose.

 

 

 

Wings and decorations

 

 

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I found this 12x14 in original studio folder at a garage sale along with another shot of the same couple in a different pose.

 

 

 

Wings and decorations

 

 

This fellow was a former USMC enlisted pilot in the 1930's. He lived out in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. His stuff was family-sold at an auction house in Rosenberg, TX after he passed and then was later sold on EBay by the major auction buyer, who was I believe from Galveston, in numerous lots. I got a few photos and a friend got an enlisted Flying Log Book from the 1930s which he gave to me. I have seen this same photo framed, hanging in an antique store in Rosenberg for a long time. His mounted medals, less the GCM which the family cut off the group and kept, were also sold. He wears the Bronze Star, Air Medal, GCM W/ 1 Star, 2nd Nic, American Defense with Star, American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific w/2 Stars, WWII Victory and the Nicaraguan Medal of Merit with Star. I'm sorry but I don't recall his name but when I find the Log Book (it's around here somewhere!) I'll let you know.

Best......Bobgee

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IMPERIAL QUEST
This fellow was a former USMC enlisted pilot in the 1930's. He lived out in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. His stuff was family-sold at an auction house in Rosenberg, TX after he passed and then was later sold on EBay by the major auction buyer, who was I believe from Galveston, in numerous lots. I got a few photos and a friend got an enlisted Flying Log Book from the 1930s which he gave to me. I have seen this same photo framed, hanging in an antique store in Rosenberg for a long time. His mounted medals, less the GCM which the family cut off the group and kept, were also sold. He wears the Bronze Star, Air Medal, GCM W/ 1 Star, 2nd Nic, American Defense with Star, American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific w/2 Stars, WWII Victory and the Nicaraguan Medal of Merit with Star. I'm sorry but I don't recall his name but when I find the Log Book (it's around here somewhere!) I'll let you know.

Best......Bobgee

 

 

 

Wow....this is most incredible Bob. w00t.gif Thanks for the info.

 

I just took a few more shots of the other photo. The lady has sweetheart wings pinned over the left part of her blouse.

 

 

 

Looks like the photographer's signature is an original.

 

 

 

This is on the outside of the fold over flap.

 

 

 

The lady's wings.

 

 

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  • 6 months later...
FrankEaton01

I just found this thread and wanted to add a couple of photos from my collection. The first one's of an unidentified pilot who earned the Silver Star.

 

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FrankEaton01

The second one is a family shot of a bombardier that is dated November 6, 1943. The girl on the right is wearing a set of sweetheart wings.

 

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  • 1 month later...

This is a recent series of pictures. The first is a guy who already earned his gunner wings and is in the pilot cadet program.

 

The later photo of him and his wife on their wedding day as a captain with his pilot wings, and what looks like the AM with 3-4 OLC, a GC ribbon and the EAME ribbon with 3 or 4 stars.

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This is a recent series of pictures. The first is a guy who already earned his gunner wings and is in the pilot cadet program.

 

The later photo of him and his wife on their wedding day as a captain with his pilot wings, and what looks like the AM with 3-4 OLC, a GC ribbon and the EAME ribbon with 3 or 4 stars.

 

One of the other wedding photos. So sad that no one is named! Still, a nice set of pictures, I think.

 

Patrick

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Found one other interesting picture. I suspect that this is one taken in England. A 50 mission cap, silk scarf, A2 jacket and a cold stare. Big difference from his earlier photos and this wedding photos!

 

I think he's name was Clyde Jr. That is the only thing written anywere. Darn!

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As much as I like collecting wings, I also enjoy finding those pictures of guys wearing wings. I ESPECIALLY like pictures of guys wearing wings with pretty girls (and sometimes not so pretty).

 

Here are a few of the photos from my collection.

 

This first one is of a service pilot wearing what looks like an LGB service pilot wing. The gal on the left has a USN cap badge pinned on her blouse.

 

Ran across this photo in a junk shop years ago. Don't know who it is but I thought it was a great picture. Thought you might enjoy it.

 

Terry

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John Cooper

Patrick - not much I can say about all your photos that I have not said... always a treat. As for Terry,s photo two :thumbsup:

 

I took the liberty of playing a bit with the photo I hope you do not mind.

 

Thanks for posting guys.

 

John

 

terrymorris.jpg

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