33 replies to this topic

[Airchallenged]

Skytrain Football Team, England, 1943


Churchill Demonstration Jump, England
March 23, 1944

[Airchallenged]

Paratroopers at Rest, Camp Mackall NC, 1942

©Most photos were taken by Ellis Brown and provided by Bill Galbraith unless otherwise stated

Edited by Airchallenged, November 20, 2008 - 09:28 PM.

[Airchallenged]

Paratroopers at Rest, Camp Mackall, 1942


Posing for the Camera, Camp Mackall, 1942

Edited by Airchallenged, November 20, 2008 - 09:33 PM.

[Airchallenged]

The next few posts are what I like to call the GQ collection.
I believe the location is England, 1944.

Edited by Airchallenged, November 20, 2008 - 09:34 PM.

[Airchallenged]

Edited by Airchallenged, November 20, 2008 - 09:31 PM.

[Airchallenged]

[cyberia]

US Paras, excellent topic for a thread.

[Airchallenged]

US Paras, excellent topic for a thread.

Thanks more will come. I know the names of the subjects so far but have left them out for personal reasons.

[Airchallenged]

Training Jump, 1941


Paratrooper about to land
Fort Bennings Georgia, 1941
Note the football style training helmet

[Airchallenged]

Almost There!


Feet Hit First

[Airchallenged]

Then Side of Legs and Butt


Lastly Shoulders and Back
Safe Landing!

[Tom Houlihan]

Nice PLF pictorial! Never seen that before, like that.

[Airchallenged]

Nice PLF pictorial! Never seen that before, like that.

I know. it's great!

I found it on Google as part of the new Life Magazine collection that was just released. Most of the pictures after this are from that.

[Airchallenged]

A Trooper suited up for a jump
Probably 17th AB, Operation Varsity
March, 1945


On Parade in DC, 1942

[Airchallenged]

Lt. Col. Robert Wolverton, CO 3 BN, 506 PIR
preparing for Operation Neptune
5 June 1944

Wolverton's Prayer:
"Men, I am not a religious man and I don't know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask his blessing in what we are about to do.

"God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world.

"We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right.

"Oh Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you."

Robert Lee Wolverton was killed machine gun fire in the early hours of 6 June while still in his chute. Hanging in the orchard where he land his body was mutilated (by the machine gun fire I think) and left to rot. Many 3rd BN POWs were held in the field next to this orchard and saw there commanders body hanging in the tree.

[Airchallenged]

Okay time for a much needed update:

Pvt. Don Ross
Formerly of I/506 but in 3HQ/506 at time of photo
5 June 1944 photoshoot

This became a fairly famous photo that most will recognize


Paratroopers in plane just prior to D-Day
the two men in the passageway are crew of the plane

[Airchallenged]

At least nine troopers of the 82nd AB talk to French civilians
~7 June 1944
Ste. Marie-du-Mont, France

The signs at back are direction markers for the Douve Bridges (3/506) just East of Carentan and the Cabbage Patch (3/502)

Edited by Airchallenged, January 09, 2009 - 07:05 AM.

[Airchallenged]

Gen. Eisenhower chats with paratroopers
5 June 1944
Greenham Commons, England

[Airchallenged]

US Paratrooper and German Medics gather outside a aide station
June 1944
Normandy, France


Paratroopers move in on the church in Ste. Marie-Eglise
June 1944
Ste. Marie-Eglise, France


Dummy of Pvt. John Steele on above church from similar angle

[Airchallenged]

Paratroopers on the Move
June 1944
Normandy, France


A reverse image of Paratroopers on a wagon


On horseback same street
Maybe cart w/ original owner in background


Paratroopers marching Prisoners to the "rear"