Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Share #1 Posted February 5, 2014 What are your favorite photos of GIs wearing German insignia and/or equipment? Here are two of my favorites. The trainload of helmets was at Wabern, Germany. The GIs are pilots from the 365th Fighter Group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted February 5, 2014 This photo shows recently released American POWs in Rumania. I like the guy wearing the Kriegsmarine minesweeper war badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted February 5, 2014 Share #3 Posted February 5, 2014 only one I've ever owned... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted February 5, 2014 Share #4 Posted February 5, 2014 My favorite is the word picture created by Ernie Pyle: "NORTHERN TUNISIA, May 8, 1943 – Before the first day of the great surrender on the Bizerte-Tunis front was over, I believe half the Americans in the area had German souvenirs of some sort. There was very little of what one would call looting of German supply dumps. The Germans gave away helmets, goggles and map cases, which they will not be needing anymore. The spoils of war which the average doughboy has on him are legitimate, and little enough recompense for his fighting.Practically every American truck has a German or Italian helmet fastened to its radiator. Our motorcycles are decorated like a carnival, with French flags and the colorful little black-and-yellow death’s-head pennants the Germans use for marking their own mine fields. Many soldiers have new Lugers in their holsters. Lots of our men clowningly wear German field caps. German goggles are frequently seen on American heads." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 5, 2014 Share #5 Posted February 5, 2014 I love this thread as this is exactly what I collect. I have probably a thousand or more original photos of GI's posing with war souvenirs. I will post some. Hey Bob, which book is that quote from Ernie Pyle from? I'm always looking for primary source documentation on souvenirs as well. Thanks. Paul PS: Planning a display of same at the 2014 MAX show with an English buddy of mine so please stop by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted February 5, 2014 Paul, I look forward to seeing your display at the SOS. It's always great to see unpublished photos of GIs posing with war souvenirs. We've all seen the image below about a million times. Nice to see new stuff instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #7 Posted February 5, 2014 Here are GIs from the 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion demonstrating German garb and weapons at Matching airfield, England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted February 5, 2014 Members of a B-24 crew in Sicily with Italian booty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #9 Posted February 5, 2014 USAAF non-com modeling Luftwaffe flight gear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted February 5, 2014 Souvenir hunters have removed the swastika from the tail of this Ju-88 downed in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted February 5, 2014 B-24 crewmen with a souvenir canopy from an Me109 ... great trophy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack's Son Posted February 5, 2014 Share #12 Posted February 5, 2014 There are some fun pictures here...good thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted February 5, 2014 Airmen from the 401st Bomb Group, August 6, 1944 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted February 5, 2014 A gift from the 42nd Infantry Division to the 305th Bomb Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted February 5, 2014 82nd Fighter Squadron, June 18, 1945, Duxford, England Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share #16 Posted February 5, 2014 B-17 pilot Lawrence Townsend of the 100th Bomb Group became POW after being shot down over St. Lo in July 1944 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 5, 2014 Share #17 Posted February 5, 2014 Wow. I love love love these. I especially like the shots of the GIs with the aircraft parts, the cut swastika from the JU 88 etc. I have several of GI's with cut swastikas from German aircraft but my favorite is a before an after shot of a GI with tin snips in the process of doing just that. I also own a swastika cut from the tail of an ME 109 from the Sicilian invasion by a US navy vet who served on the USS Savannah. I have many but here are just a few that I scanned. Thanks for sharing yours! PS: Not sure if you care but it's not a bad idea to watermark you photos. Sadly, people are scofflaws with everything in collecting including photos....I know of people who have had their photos online, downloaded printed and resold...or used in books without the owners permission so be careful with yours. Paul First up: GI's of the 10th armored with a pile of German panzerfausts, potato mashers, rifles, rifle with grenade launcher, etc. etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 5, 2014 Share #18 Posted February 5, 2014 Second shot are some unidentified GI's fooling around...with a captured NSDAP flag and the MP 44. I have 6 or 7 MP 44 shots. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 5, 2014 Share #19 Posted February 5, 2014 Last one for today. Some GI's in the 9th AF posed by a German 88 dug in in Belgium somewhere. Notice the Nazi podium banner and peaked cap of course. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 5, 2014 Share #20 Posted February 5, 2014 Hey Indexred. I just looked closer at the shot of the 8th AF soldiers. I love the inscription to them from the 42nd Divison. That is a super shot. Please let me know if you ever decide to let that go or want to trade as I have a soft spot for the 42nd and have a lot of great photos and some souvenirs 42nd Vets brought back. Thanks for sharing! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDUNE Posted February 5, 2014 Share #21 Posted February 5, 2014 Sneaking up on the 'enemy'. I picked this image up at the flea market, no info on the back -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share #22 Posted February 6, 2014 All the photos I have posted are from the National Archives and are the work of USAAF and Signal Corps photographers. There are no copyrights associated with them and therefore no watermarks by me. All are in the public domain. I wonder if this Me109 rudder became a trophy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share #23 Posted February 6, 2014 Souvenirs from Luftwaffe aircraft brought down in Belgium during Operation Bodenplatte (January 1, 1945). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share #24 Posted February 6, 2014 Here's another shot of an American POW liberated in Romania. I expect these ex-prisoners participated in the Ploesti Raid. The airman shown here wears an EKII (or is that a Ritterkreuz given the length of the ribbon?). He also has a badge that may be Romanian, but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indexred Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share #25 Posted February 6, 2014 Here's a detail shot. Too bad he has his finger over the suspension loop on the cross. That would indicate whether it's an EKII or RK. I'm not good enough with TR awards to say beyond that criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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