Bluehawk Posted June 16, 2018 Share #1 Posted June 16, 2018 We came across some family bring-back photos from places in the ETO of WWII, taken by a family member whose headstone I am posting here in this first window. We are helping his son, my wife's elderly uncle, identify the images in whatever possible way, even in small ways. His dad died when he was very young, so there was never a chance to ask him about the stories, and few of them have any inscriptions. I'll gradually post the ones that may be of interest or have clues to go by, asking for help with ID from our historians here, if at all possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted June 16, 2018 First up are 2 images of (I think) the same post, encampment, garrison, base - something, possibly U.S. Army (?) possibly somewhere in Italy? The sign on the fence at bottom right reads "One Way Trains Only" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted June 16, 2018 Next, some sort of Army GI vehicle on an unknown beach somewhere in ETO or possibly MTO, soldiers having a break in the sunshine. What kind of vehicle is that, and what might it have been used for in such a way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 16, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted June 16, 2018 More to come, gradually. Thanks to everyone who takes a look. ANY kind of small insights will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share #5 Posted June 17, 2018 Up next is one of the few that does have an inscription on reverse side: "German ditches stop tanks" Maybe that mountain peak in the background will be familiar, or the terrain or something? And, IS that a German tank trap ditch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted June 17, 2018 Share #6 Posted June 17, 2018 Hi, The vehicle looks like a Dodge WC variant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_WC_series Unfortunately, I don't see any unit markings on the bumper which would have been a good clue. Good luck and hopefully someone will recognize those mountains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USARV72 Posted June 17, 2018 Share #7 Posted June 17, 2018 Was he in 7th Recon. Photo Group? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted June 17, 2018 Hi, The vehicle looks like a Dodge WC variant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_WC_series Unfortunately, I don't see any unit markings on the bumper which would have been a good clue. Good luck and hopefully someone will recognize those mountains. Thank you! That info will figure into things, by and by. Much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share #9 Posted June 17, 2018 Was he in 7th Recon. Photo Group? Yes, to the best of my ability to sort out family lore and what the records Golden Arrow got for us suggested. They got a DUC for photo sorties over Normandy in 1944, but there was no record of that in the material we received. However, based on some of the other photos in the bunch, it looks like maybe soonish thereafter he was on his way south and then back home? Here are a couple of images which infer (?) troop ships at his war's end, headed from an unknown port back home. If/since the 7th PRG was based in England, then the photos we have strongly imply that he was spending a lot of time not in England but in Italy, there and/or somewhere else down south on the mainland or North Africa, somewhere. For example: > Top photo inscribed on front - "Africa Ariabs selling wine Boat Africa coming home" (Spelling/speaking the word "Arabs" as "Ariabs" would have been common vernacular for someone from Missouri or Ozarks in those days and in some parts even now.) > Bottom photo inscribed on reverse - "Mine chaser boat, chase Germans" (The small vessel at sea nearby, ship's name on side appears to be "Ambrose") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USARV72 Posted June 17, 2018 Share #10 Posted June 17, 2018 A few of the pics look like Italy, anti tank ditch for 1.My Dad was an Officer in MAAF, had all his stuff, gave it to son. Researching( was) units the 21st Aviation Engineers supported. He took lots of pics, PSP, drainage ditches, bombed out towns, even had several rides in B-17s. The 5th Photo Recon Gp. was in Italy. Perhaps your guy was in N.Africa and Italy temporarily? Have you looked for any reunion groups? Met a guy through The Shotgun News before fleaba who's Grandfather was Co of the next 21s Eng. Battlion to my Dad! Joined the reunion group, sadly they are all gone now. In 88 was invited to display at the roll out of Shoo, Shoo Baby in Dover, met several guys that flew off my Dads airfields and helped them find some guys they were looking for. Way easier now with the internet. Interesting research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted June 17, 2018 Share #11 Posted June 17, 2018 > Bottom photo inscribed on reverse - "Mine chaser boat, chase Germans" (The small vessel at sea nearby, ship's name on side appears to be "Ambrose") resized_IMG_1091.jpg I was about to say it looked like a lightship, but then when I read the text again to see the name on the side, it confirmed my initial thought on seeing the photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightship_Ambrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #12 Posted June 18, 2018 Thank you so much for these insights! As it turns out, we have a number of bombed out town etc. images too. Somehow, I had kept thinking, "Geez, some of this looks a lot like MAAF territory here in these pictures!" One such: A few of the pics look like Italy, anti tank ditch for 1.My Dad was an Officer in MAAF, had all his stuff, gave it to son. Researching( was) units the 21st Aviation Engineers supported. He took lots of pics, PSP, drainage ditches, bombed out towns, even had several rides in B-17s. The 5th Photo Recon Gp. was in Italy. Perhaps your guy was in N.Africa and Italy temporarily? Have you looked for any reunion groups? Met a guy through The Shotgun News before fleaba who's Grandfather was Co of the next 21s Eng. Battlion to my Dad! Joined the reunion group, sadly they are all gone now. In 88 was invited to display at the roll out of Shoo, Shoo Baby in Dover, met several guys that flew off my Dads airfields and helped them find some guys they were looking for. Way easier now with the internet. Interesting research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #13 Posted June 18, 2018 A few more along those lines: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #14 Posted June 18, 2018 Wow... someone aboard his ship must have said that Ambrose was a mine chaser? Fascinating trails to follow... I'll make note of this for the photo. Thanks I was about to say it looked like a lightship, but then when I read the text again to see the name on the side, it confirmed my initial thought on seeing the photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightship_Ambrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted June 18, 2018 Share #15 Posted June 18, 2018 Hi, Here is an idea I had; do any of the photos have numbers on the back? You might be able to match up sets of photos by size and number and that might aid figuring out his timeline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted June 18, 2018 Wow... someone aboard his ship must have said that Ambrose was a mine chaser? Fascinating trails to follow... I'll make note of this for the photo. Thanks Maybe what he intended to note was that HE was on a mine chaser? In any case, since the Ambrose was stationed in New Jersey, I am assuming that he was close to arriving home from ETO when he took that photo. I wish I knew enough about naval vessels to be able to determine from what little can be seen of the ship he was on when he made the picture, what kind of ship it was. I didn't know the U.S. Navy DID any "chasing of mines" and cannot imagine what that would entail anyway. Piece by little piece, it is coming together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #17 Posted June 18, 2018 Hi, Here is an idea I had; do any of the photos have numbers on the back? You might be able to match up sets of photos by size and number and that might aid figuring out his timeline. No numbers anywhere, good idea to trace though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #18 Posted June 18, 2018 Some more interesting images, a small damaged (by whom, I don't know) village, children and woman, where, I don't know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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