Historical Military Operations

Black and white photos document historical military activities, aircraft handling, and supply operations during earlier conflicts, showcasing ground crew efforts.

Men unload supplies from a Douglas C-47 which landed at Nadzab Airstrip in New Guinea on 11 September 1943.

Whenever a heavy bomber...

Air transport squadrons which kept the ground forces supplied with ammunition, food and fuel in the advance through Libya are now keeping the advanced striking force of the Allied Air Forces supplied with bombs. Here are bombs being loaded into

Before The Night Reconnaissance Mission Over Breteuil, France, Huge Cameras Must Be Installed In The Aircraft By Experienced Installer-Repairmen Of The Eighth Air Force In England.

Unceasing credit must be given to those men of the ground crews of the U.S.A.A.F., who kept their ships, like this North American B-25 medium bomber, in the air to continually pound the rapidly retreating Axis hordes fleeing through the Western

Men unload supplies from a Douglas C-47 which landed at Nadzab Airstrip in New Guinea on 11 September 1943.

Scrapers drawn by tractors clean cinders and ashes, caused by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on 23 March 1944, off the field so that the bombers can be towed out of the danger zone and repaired.

Crash crew salvages useable parts from a disabled plane at Poltava Airbase, a shuttle mission base in Russia. 11 April 1945.

Maintenance crew filling the gas tank of a Douglas C-47 "Skytrain." Gasoline for Nichols Field is supplied by the Bulk Plant near Nielson Field, Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 31 May 1945.

"Spare Parts" Consolidated B-24 Liberator, which suffered battle scars in an attack on Neunkirchen on 27 May 44 is getting a new No. 3 engine. Left to right, crew members: S/Sgt. Samuel Woolcox, crew chief, of Palmer, Alaska, removing accessories

The Day's Work Is Done For Combat Crew Members Who Are Unloading Their Flying Equipment From A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group, Based In England. The Group Attacked Enemy Installations At Cologne, Germany, 5 March 1944.

A Northrop P-61 Black Widow On Iwo Jima, Attempted A Blind Landing In A Fog Aided By An/Mpn-1 Unit. Cross Wind Carried The Plane Off Line And It Landed On Top Of Another Northrop P-61, Finally Coming To A Stop As Shown.

The pilots arrive at the line just before they take off for a mission. Only in action a short time, they recently had a celebration marking a holiday they had when two of them caught a two engined Jerry bomber on the ground and flamed it. The

The "Flying Nurses" who will serve with Maj. General C.L. Chennault's 14th AAF have arrived in China. On flying status, the comely young ladies will serve on the aircraft that evacuate the wounded from the forward areas.

Capt. Howard W. Slaton, pilot of a B-24 Liberator, shown leading his crew off the field in England after a mission over Berlin. Capt. Slaton is from Courtland, Ala. (Kodachrome #2389 & A).

Time Out For The 'Flying Tigers' As They Play Cards In Front Of A P-40. The Tiger Markings On The Planes Are Different From That Of General Chennault'S Former Group - The Markings On These Ships Are That Of Regular Tigers.

PARACHUTE BRAKES-When its hydraulic system had been shot out during a U.S. Army 8th Air force raid over Germany, this Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber had to use parachutes for brakes to land at its base in England. Fastened to the interior of the

Within sight of the Italian battle-lines, Air Service Command Technicians came to the rescue of a crashed Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber recently. In 12 days they had made complete repairs and even constructed a landing strip for the plane's

Crash Crews Of The 364Th Fighter Gorup, 67Th Fighter Wing, Prepare To Move The Damaged North American P-51 (A/C 44-14076) Which Crashed At Its 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 29 April 1945.

An armament crew of the First Brazilian Fighter Squadron bombing up one of the Republic P-47's for a mission. ITALY.

Near the new runway, Sgt. Niebuhr, Cpl. Carning and Cpl. Zamoidu patch a bullet hole in their Consolidated B-24 "Liberator".

Luzon, Philippine Islands - While The Patient Is Being Loaded Aboard The Plane, The Pilot, A Flying Sergeant, Records The Name Of The Wounded From His Form #1, Picks Up The Transfer Papers On His Passenger And Is Ready To Get Into The Air As Soon As The L

The Crew Members Of The Boeing B-17 'Schifless-Skonk' Stand By As One Of Their Buddies Who Was Wounded On A Mission Is Transferred To An Ambulance At The 390Th Bomb Group Base In England, 6 March 1944.

Truck is backed to waiting plane and first bomb is shown being hoisted toward bomb bay of Boeing B-17.-ENGLAND

Immediately After This Consolidated B-24 Of The 7Th Bomb Group Crashed At Its Base At Pandaveswar Army Air Base In India, Maintenance Crews Set To Work To Repair The Damage. 1943.

At An Airbase Somewhere In Germany, A Casualty Of 9Th Troop Carrier Command Is Placed Aboard A Douglas C-47, Which Will Transport Him And Many Others To A Hospital Far Behind The Lines. 21 April 1945.

RUSSIA-Lt. Brian Robson, Bellingham, Wash., Mager Gildyncoryn of Gdynia, Poland and Capt D.A. Thomas of the 1st CCU, whose home is in Hollywood, Calif. The Polish lad, now 15 years old has been fighting for four years. He fought with the Polish

Refueling a Kittyhawk fighter of the U.S.A.A.F. on a forward airfield in Tripolitania. Another Kittyhawk is taking-off behind them. Tripolitania, Libya.

At an advanced American Fighter Base in North Africa, 31 May 1943. The ground crews of the Lightnings take better care of their planes than many a world champions trainer. Pilots are lavish in their praise of the crews. Shown is a typical crew

Ground Crewmen At An Advance 12Th Air Force Base Stare In Wonder At The Mangled Tail Of A North American B-25 'Billy Mitchell' Bomber Which Received A Direct Hit By An 88Mm Anti-Aircraft Shell While On A Mission Over Yugoslavia. Although It Had To Fly For

It's not a skylight window shown on the wing of this Marauder, but a flak hole made during the recent raid on Chievres, Belgium, which 1st Lt. D.I. Simkinson, bombardier-navigator on the above Martin B-26 is happy to be able to look through.

Capt. F.L. Gaunt Of North Platte Nebraska, Flight Commander Of The 44Th Fighter Squadron, Is Shown In His Curtiss P-40 On Munda, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands, 14 August 1943.

KNOCKING DOWN ZEROS, HIS BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS IS GOOD: T/Sgt. Arthur J. Benko of Bisbee and Tucson, Arizona, member of 14th Air force, bags 7 of 29 Japanese interceptors (Zeros) in aerial duel of Consolidated B-24's over Japanese Base of Haiphong

American Airmen Timeout To Eat A Bit Of Lunch, Seated On A Bomb At An Advanced Air Base In Southern France After Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Air Force Ferried Supplies For Allied Planes In France. In The Background Are Two Spitfires.

Martin B-26 "Marauder" damaged by flak.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,RESCUE War

Aircraft, Burma, India &MEDICAL, EVACUATION,Air War

Lt. Colonel James G. Hall Of Fort Worth, Texas, Commanding Officer Of The 7Th Photo Group, Briefs Reconnaissance Pilots From The Hood Of A Jeep Before They Take-Off On A Mission From Their Base At Mount Farm, England. 1 July 1943.

Crash Landing Of The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Princess Pat' (A/C No. 42-102453). 303Rd Bomb Group, England. 25 July 1944.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Operations War

MAIN CAPTION: Highly-trained units of the Chinese forces have occaisionally taken to the air as a means of transportation to vital areas of the Far Eastern war front. Transport planes of the India-China Wing, U.S. Army Air forces Air Transport

2nd Lt. Bill A. Disbrow, of 3333 E. 40th St., Sacramento, Calif., stands under the wing of his Consolidated B-24 Liberator looking up at the damage it sustained while on a mission over Vienna on 26 June 44, as heavy bombers of the 15th AF attacked

Crew Members Gather Around Their Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group Which Bogged Down As It Landed At Its Home Base In England After Participating In A Bombing Attack On Paris, France, 16 December 1943.

Armorers Install A Gun In The Tail Component Of A Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" At An Air Base In China.

Service Command mechanics attach a wing to one of the gliders.

The Volcania munitions...

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

If her ground crew had waited until the flak-punctured vertical stabilizer had been repaired, it might have been days instead of hours that it was grounded. Replacement with stabilizer from an old-styled battle painted hangar queen (note contrast of

Liberator "Flak Alley" gets a thorough going over by members of her ground crew.

Nose View Of A Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 12Th Af.

804Th Medical Air Evacuation Transportation Squadron. Loading Patients On A Plane At Dumpu, New Guinea, December 1943.

Gasoline tanks are filled and final adjustments are made on North American P-51s which were shipped to Renfrew Airfield, Glasgow, Scotland from the United States for use in the ETO. 18 October 1943.

Crew Of Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Stands By Helplessly As One Of Their Injured Buddies Is Carried To An Ambulance After Raid Over Chateaurox, France, On 10 March 1944. England, 401St Bomb Group.

Thirteenth Air Force officers at Clark Field were stumped only momentarily only momentarily when it came to providing an ornament for the field in keeping with the Air Corps. They just mounted a captured Japanese plane on a ten foot beam.

At an 8th AAF Bomber base in England a serriously wounded tail gunner is rushed to a waiting ambulance by medical corpsmen. Members of the ground and flying crew look on.

Major General Claire L. Chennault And Brig. General Edgar E. Glenn Inspect Engine Repair On A Curtiss P-40 'Warhawk' At An Airfield, Kunming, China, 3 November 1944. 16Th Combat Camera Unit. P-51 Mustang

Lt. Col. Marvin E. Childs, commanding officer of the 23rd Fighter Bomber Squadron is asssisted by his crew chief T/Sgt. Fogler H. Harrison prior to a gunnery mission at Wheelus Air Base, Tripoli, Libya, North Africa. 8 March 1952.

North Africa-Consolidated B-24 "Liberator," which nosed over and cracked up slightly in landing at its 9th Air Force home base after returning form the first bombing raid on Rome, Italy.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Maintenance,MISCELLANEOUS War

A ground crew changes two of the engines on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands. August 1945.

Consolidated B-24H After Crash Landing At Seething, Norfolk, England 9 September 1944. (A/C No. 42-5212).

S/Sgt. Henry H. Yoder of Sonderton, Pa., and Sgt. Lloyd Dunker of Portland, Oregon, handle with the greatest of respect the rockets they are inserting into the launching tubes of an 8th Fighter Command. The rockets demand respect because of the great

Tail Of Republic P-47 Is Hoisted Into Bore-Sighting Position By Armorers Of The First Air Commando Group Somewhere In India. Left To Right: Sgt. Jack M. Kubler, 26 W. Maple St., Allendale, N.J., Cpl. Robert W. Bowers, 947 Cartaret Ave., Trenton, N.J.; L

Mechanical Hopper, Capable Of Carrying 2,700 Pounds Of Paris Green Dust On Each Mosquito Mission, Was Improvised For The Douglas A-20 Havoc; An Agitator, To Insure Even Flow Of The Dust, Operates In Front Of A Wide Ventura In The Bottom Of The Fuselage.

Ferry Command Ground Crew Members, S/Sgt. R. Mocklin Of Royalton, Pennsylvania And Sgt. J.L. Freeman Of Canton, Illinois, Talk To A Chinese Pilot As They Stand Beside The Pilot's Republic P-43 At An Airfield Somewhere In China. 17 September 1942.

Maintenance Men Of The 2Nd Base Air Depot Check The Consolidated B-24 At Their Base In Lancashire, England. 20 September 1944.

Ready for his 90th mission on Photo Recon., in a North Amerian P-51 Mustang, Lt. F. S. Aldridge, Jr., of Greenville, Miss., chats with his crew chief T-Sgt V.G. Person of Hannibal, Mo., at a 9th AF base in France.

Martin B-26 "Marauder" Rear view of damage caused by flak hit to landing gear lock

England - As His Buddies Look On In Sympathy, This Wounded Crew Member Is Carried Away From His Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" After Return From A Mission Over Hitler'S Europe.

Sgt. David G. Gilden of Madison, Wis., shown shortly uponn his return from attack on Augsburg on 16 March 1944, looking over his tail compartment after tail wheel of his ofrt gave way in landing.

Aircraft, Burma, India &BOMBLOADING War

Aircraft, Burma, India &MEDICAL, EVACUATION,Air War

Algiers, Algeria-Wrecked Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" used to repair others.

White awaiting the arrival of generals at Comiso Airfield, Sicily, members of the 12th Combat Camera Unit set up their cameras to photograph the inspection and maneuvers of the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing. 1943.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,ARMAMENT War

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,BOMBS War

Air Force Pilots Looking Over A Damaged Japaneseanese Zero At An Airfield On Saipan, Marianas Islands, 23 June 1944.

Two Crew Members Of The 379Th Bomb Group Inspect The Tail Section Of A Boeing B-17 Which Was Damaged During A Mission Over Enemy Territory On 20 April 1944. England.

Mechanics Of The 400Th Air Base Squadron At Alexai Point Airbase, Attu, Aleutian Islands, Use Engine Heater To Warm Their Hands While Installing A New Allison Engine In A Curtiss P-40. 1943.

Personnel and their baggage being loaded in Curtis C-46 preparatory to evacuating. CHINA.

Missing From Box

Engine Check-Up On Boeing B-29 Based In The Marianas.

Loading bombs in Liberators prior to an operational flight is the job of three ordnance men, member of a group commanded by Col. Luther J. Fairbanks of Burt, Iowa. Left to right: Pfc Jean F. Pentz, 1307 Seventeenth Street, Anacortes, Washington; Cpl.

Troops of the Chinese army about to go for a ride in a Curtiss C-46 Commando along the routes of the India-China Division, ATC,. In addition to keeping open the supply line over the Hump, I CD moves troops and munitions about the China theatre

With only ragged pieces of tail left, this B-17 ofrtress was brought back safely to its base in England. Crews of other planes had seen the ofrtress, "Hang the Expense Again III", have its tail almost entirely shot off over France and figured it had

Douglas A-20 (A/C 139194) Of The 410Th Bomb Group Crash-Landed At A 9Th Air Force Base In France. 30 April 1945.

Wreckage Of The North American P-51 'G.I. Buzz Buggy' (A/C 14703) Of The 364Th Fighter Group Base, 67Th Fighter Wing Which Crash-Landed At Its 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 9 November 1944.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (A/C No. 891) Of The 379Th Bomb Group Made A Belly Landing At Its 8Th Air Force Base In England When It Returned From A Mission On 22 December 1943.

Incendiary Bombs (#1 Of Two Pictures) Twin Belly Tanks Of This P-38 Lightning Of The 13Th Aaf Fighter Command Based In The Philippines Are Filled With Napalm Gel Transferred From The Drums By Air Pressure. These Tanks Will Be Jettisoned Over Japanese T

A Pilot Of The 94Th Fighter Squadron, 1St Fighter Group, Sits In The Cockpit Of His Lockheed P-38 Lightning At An Air Base Somewhere In Italy.

Lt. Gillespie Of The 367Th Fighter Group Poses Beside His Lockheed P-38 'Royal Flush' At An Airfield In England. 25 May 1944.

North American B-25 Which Was Damaged During The Eruption Of Mt. Vesuvius On 23 March 1944. Note Ashes And Cinders Piled Around The Place. 340Th Bomb Group, Italy.

The Official Designation For The Troop-Ferrying Operations Now Being Carried On Between Istres And Le Tube Airport, Near Marseilles And Casablanca In North Africa Is The "Green Project". It Is Being Conducted By Two Heavy Bombardment Groups Under The Sup

North American P-51 (A/C No. 415699) Of The 78Th Fighter Group Belly-Landed At 8Th Air Force Station F-357 In Duxford, England. 3 January 1945.

North Africa-Flying Fortress makes safe landing at base though landing gear damaged by flak in raid on Naples Harbor, April 4, 1943. Nearly 100 Fortresses hit the harbor in the first raid on the European Continent by the Northwest African Air Forces.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Maintenance,REFUELING War

French Military Men And Civilians Look Over The Wrecked Douglas A-20 'Bill' Of The 410Th Bomb Group Which Crashed At A 9Th Air Force Base In France. 4 November 1944.

Captain Fred E. Thompson (center), of Abernathy, Texas, took part in the interception of an armada of Japanese raiding planes over Wau, New Guinea on February 6, and shot down one of the 23 enemy planes destroyed. The Nipponese were routed without

Captured German Gliding Bomb, England. 10 September 1944.

Next Morning She Is Ready To Go Again. And As You Read This, Bomb-Boogie Still Will Be Winging Over Europe, Dropping Tons Of Bombs On The Reich, Dodging The Flak, And Battling The Focke-Wulfs. Typical Od The Big U.S. Bombers Based In England, She Is Pay

A Curtiss P-40 Which Has Been Converted Into A Two Passenger Plane For Observational Purposes Is Given A Final Check-Over By Men Of Trhe 27Th Air Depot Group At The Port Moresby Air Depot, Papua, New Guinea. 1943.

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