Airborne stick in a C-47 D-Day photo

[General Apathy]

 

Hi Forum Members & Readers, this photo I believe is credited with being a June 5 -6 photograph. While checking this photo out for forum member Ben who has recently purchase a C-47 body section and is looking for interior body details I spotted that there are a few interesting items to look at.

 

What really caught my eye was the lead guy, take a look to the right of his chest pack, just sticking out from there is what appears to be the mouth piece of a bugle. Now we know that the airborne appeared to or tried to carry everything they would need into battle, but I had to smile at this

 

I was taken with why this guy should be jumping into battle with the bugle, was it for use post battle once the situation on the ground had stabilized, or were there some thoughts of leading charges against the enemy with accompanying bugle sounds.

 

Cheers Lewis

[pararaftanr2]

Hello Lewis,

Nice catch on the photo. Maybe it's to rally the troopers after the jump? I like that he has his finger on the trigger of his Tommy gun! Regards, Paul

[hawkdriver]

Hello Lewis,

Nice catch on the photo. Maybe it's to rally the troopers after the jump? I like that he has his finger on the trigger of his Tommy gun! Regards, Paul

 

Yes, but no mag in the well. May be a training jump, hence the bugle to rally everyone. :think:

[SKIPH]

I'm not sure what that thing is, does look like a mouth piece. But, from personal experience you could not tuck a trumpet or anything close under a reserve parachute. It would be crushed, just when the straps were all tightened, or when the trooper sat down. Not counting any discomfort to the stomach. Opening shock is another experience w/ any equipment. Tends to want to fly off. Then there is the landing, a trumpet could disinbowel you. I have seen the photos of guys jumping w/ weapons tucked behind the reserve. How many jaws were broken on impact? It's got to be something else. I have seen units try different things for assembly at night, usually flashlights(red/or green lens), now chemlights. I don't know! Very interesting. SKIP

[SKIPH]

Looked again. That may be the valve on the B2(?) life vest. SKIP

[J_Andrews]

The British airborne often used bugles and hunting horns, even big kazoos, to rally units on DZ/LZs. The man in the photo has had some marking on teh front center of his helment censored, so he is probably an officer, and a Company commander or Platoon leader would be most likely to carry such a signalling device.

[pararaftanr2]

Hello all,

After brightening the image, I think you can see the bell end of the bugle as well as the mouthpiece. Regards, Paul

 

[General Apathy]

Hello all,

After brightening the image, I think you can see the bell end of the bugle as well as the mouthpiece. Regards, Paul

 

 

Hi Pararaft, yes, fully in agreement with your further identification :thumbsup: , I did see it when I returned to my copy of the photograph to ensure that it did look like a mouthpiece to everyone in the smaller version of the photo that I was looking at before downsizing for the forum.

 

Thanks everyone for checking the photo and the photo out. :thumbsup:

 

Cheers Lewis

 

The ' bell end ' I take it that, that is a technical description :think:

[SKIPH]

The self inflation tube is under the right side of his chin, facing up. If it was a bugle , it was a broken one after impact, along with a lower rib. It's just a bad spot to carry it. Plus they used "crickets" on D-Day, not bugles. You want noise discipline at night. He's also taking a real chance jumping w/ a submachine gun that way. At least secure the sling through the belly band. How many guys lost weapons in containers on the invasion, quite a few. Never mind one in the hand. It actually may be a publicity shot. Just my opinion. This is a fun photo. SKIP

[AustinO]

I've got a broken bugle, prepare to see the rare 506th D-Day "rally call" on ebay later this afternoon! (kidding! what a weird item to try and jump with...)

[pararaftanr2]

Lewis,

I consulted my technical advisor for that information....................my 14 year old son who plays in his high school band. He seems to know which end to blow into, so I'll take him at his word! Regards, Paul

[earlymb]

this photo I believe is credited with being a June 5 -6 photograph. While checking this photo out for forum member Ben who has recently purchase a C-47 body section and is looking for interior body details I spotted that there are a few interesting items to look at.

 

Sorry for the off-topic post, but this might interest you. A friend of mine buys whole C-47's for parts. Although he is mainly interested in the cockpit-sections, wingtips, engines and skin panels he might have some other stuff laying around. He has a website:

 

http://www.avionart.nl/

 

Don't worry, the planes he strips for parts are well beyond restoration and any airworthy parts usually go to C-47 operators worldwide. :thumbsup:

 

Greetz

 

David

[APO472]

This photo was taken on June 4th (note lack of faces being blackened) by the Signal Corps and was staged for them. The 'Trooper carrying the bugle is Don Ross who was HQ 3/506th. And yes, the 3rd Battalion of the 506th did train and were to use a bugle call to assemble in their DZ on D-Day. Hope this helps.

[SKIPH]

APO472- That is some very interesting information. Thank you for truly enlightening us. Did they actually use the bugle on D-Day? As a former jumpmaster, he would have had to place that thing somewhere else. He would not have passed my inspection. THX SKIP

[APO472]

APO472- That is some very interesting information. Thank you for truly enlightening us. Did they actually use the bugle on D-Day? As a former jumpmaster, he would have had to place that thing somewhere else. He would not have passed my inspection. THX SKIP

No, Ross was captured on landing. The Second Battalion of the 506th did get a string of amber lights working to mark their assembly area. Keep one thing in mind, a good number of official jumping techniques & practices used since the war were in the infancy & developmental stages in WWII. If you think the bugle was bad, I have interviewed 506th men who jumped with mortar base plates and MG tripods under their harnesses. Many without reserves to accomodate these items. Something that I am sure would not "fly" today. Hope this helps.

[SKIPH]

In light of that, I've seen guys jump w/ 60mm mortar base plates, the small ones used for direct fire. The bipods in weapons containers, along w/ the tubes. 81mm were door bundles. As I recall the Rangers jumped into Grenada w/o reserves. I do agree in WW2 they played everything by ear, made up the rules as they went along. THX SKIP

[General Apathy]

This photo was taken on June 4th (note lack of faces being blackened) by the Signal Corps and was staged for them. The 'Trooper carrying the bugle is Don Ross who was HQ 3/506th. And yes, the 3rd Battalion of the 506th did train and were to use a bugle call to assemble in their DZ on D-Day. Hope this helps.

 

Hi Jake, thanks for the clarification on the date of the photo and i.d. of the lead jumper, well done. :thumbsup:

 

Cheers Lewis

[hotlead]

It looks like the second guy in the stick has loops sewn in his ammo bag, my guess is to keep thompson mags from rattling around, was this common?

[glenm]

It looks like the second guy in the stick has loops sewn in his ammo bag, my guess is to keep thompson mags from rattling around, was this common?

 

I always thought that they were slits cut into the bag to slip a strap through to tie it down to his leg?

 

He just hasn't done this yet for this staged photo.

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[Plankowner]

Here is a picture that I scanned out of a magazine. I am not sure if it is 101st or 82nd but if you notice the name on the trooper's musette bag, it is "ROSS". Could it be the same guy? Ross is fairly common for a name I guess and I know of two in the 101st, one which is the Don Ross in the picture with the bugle and another trooper named Walter Ross who was in the 506th PIR, HQ, 3rd Battalion, 81mm Mortar Platoon.
[img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4346775965_2844c8248f_o.jpg[/img]

[APO472]

Here is a picture that I scanned out of a magazine. I am not sure if it is 101st or 82nd but if you notice the name on the trooper's musette bag, it is "ROSS". Could it be the same guy? Ross is fairly common for a name I guess and I know of two in the 101st, one which is the Don Ross in the picture with the bugle and another trooper named Walter Ross who was in the 506th PIR, HQ, 3rd Battalion, 81mm Mortar Platoon.

Great photo and thanks for posting. Your man in the picture is most likely Joseph Ross from D/502 of the 101st. IIRC this is from the series of Signal Corps photos taken around (after actually) the Visit from Ike. This would make sense as Ike visited 2nd Battalion of the 502 and D was part of that organization. Also notice the partial "G.V.M" stencil on the belly band of the 'Trooper on the right. GVM was the equipment marking system of the 502.

 

Hope this helps.