World War II Soldiers in Action

Black-and-white images of soldiers in paddy fields and trenches, showcasing intense military maneuvers during World War II.

Scottish Troops Into North Burma -- To the stirring rhythm of bagpipes, played by the Piper at the right foreground, Royal Scots Fusiliers of the British 36th Division step carefully across a half-submerged bridge as they ford a jungle stream in northern Burma. Another Piper (on bridge) carries both pipes and a shovel. The troops were moving down the Myitkyina-Mandalay railway corridor as part of a new Allied thrust against the Japanese in the north Burma area. January 3, 1945. (Photo by U.S. Office Of War Information Picture).
Scottish Troops Into North Burma -- To the stirring rhythm of bagpipes, played by the Piper at the right foreground, Royal Scots Fusiliers of the British 36th Division step carefully across a half-submerged bridge as they ford a jungle stream in northern Burma. Another Piper (on bridge) carries both pipes and a shovel. The troops were moving down the Myitkyina-Mandalay railway corridor as part of a new Allied thrust against the Japanese in the north Burma area. January 3, 1945. (Photo by U.S. Office Of War Information Picture).
A U.S. Marine of the 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit carries his M-47 Dragon anti-tank assault missile as he prepares to come ashore to assume the management of the port of Beirut. Base: Beirut Country: Lebanon (LBN)Vintage Photograph. French Morocco Locust invasion.Parade of the Bundeswehr on the 20th anniversary of the founding of NATO in April 1969 at Dortmund Airport, Germany, EuropePFC. Dean Richardson, a candidate in the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP), 2nd Battalion, 75th Infantry (Ranger), fires the Swedish-K 9mm submachine gun during special weapons training at Range 31. Base: Fort Lewis State: Washington (WA) Country: United States Of America (USA)Photograph of Tarawa Beach during the Battle of Tarawa. Dated 1944Photographs Just Received From Malta Showing Scenes After An Air Raid -- Are we down hearted No! a cheerful group of soldiers who were called to help clear a street following heavy air-raids. June 30, 1942. (Photo by Sport & General Press Agency).An armed infantryman jumps from a bunker on the Waalsdorper Practitioner.Anefo photo collection. REPORTAGE MOD. September 24, 1947Anefo photo collection. Royal Dutch Brigade Princess Irene training. Dutch cannonniers receive instruction operating 25-ponder. June 1944. BritainWounded woman in the evacuation of Finnish refugees, autumn 1944.Looking For The Axis - In the dim light of a new day and after sappers had cleared the Egyptian desert of Land Mines, British men and machines move relentlessly ahead seeking contact with the Nazi Army. The contact was made. Result: Rommel's forces are still in reverse heading toward Tripoli. November 13, 1942. (Photo by AP Wirephoto).DM-SN-89-05531. Base: UnknownAviation Engineers Of The Ix Engineer Command, Building An Airstrip In Germany For 9Th Af Fighter Bombers, Have Their Noonday Chow In The Open. Food Is Served On The Line With Rolls Of Prefabricated Bituminous Surfacing (Pbs) As "Tables."Photo collection prints Anefo Rousel. Series Print Anefo RVD Own Without Caption. Collection of photo collection prints Anefo Rousel, photo number 157-1093. 1956World War II, A German soldier about to threw a hand grenade in Poland, 1939Landing Operation at Incheon (Battle of Incheon), amphibious invasion of the Korean War; resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favour of the United Nations Command. The UN and ROK forces were commanded by General Douglas MacArthur of the United States Army. The battle was followed by a rapid collapse of the KPA; within a month of the Incheon landing, the Americans had taken 135,000 KPA troops prisoners. The park that welcomed the statue was named "The Park of Liberty" which made the General McArthur a symbol of liberty. This statue was the first statue of a foreigner from the Korean War (1957). The sculptor was Kim Kyeong-Seung (1915-1992)Photo collection prints Anefo Rousel. Series Print Anefo RVD Own Without Caption. Collection Photo collection prints Anefo Rousel, photo number 157-1098. 1956A member of Marine Air Control Squadron 6 (MACS-6) prepares to remove the fuse from a practice mine during an exercise. Country: UnknownPhotograph of Belgian and British troops retreating during the Battle of Mons. Dated 1914Members of the 82nd Airborne Division relax in a field near the Point Salines Airfield during the multiservice, multinational Operation URGENT FURY. One soldier is resting on the sidecar of a motorcycle seized during the operation. Subject Operation/Series: URGENT FURY Country: Grenada (GRD)DM-SN-93-00990. Subject Operation/Series: PRAYING MANTIS Country: UnknownThe Battle of Dien Bien Phu (French: Bataille de Dien Bien Phu; Vietnamese: Chien dich Dien Bien Phu) was the climactic confrontation of the First Indochina War between the French Union's French Far East Expeditionary Corps and Viet Minh communist revolutionaries. The battle occurred between March and May 1954 and culminated in a comprehensive French defeat that influenced negotiations over the future of Indochina at Geneva.British Army soldiers firing a machine gun during World War II.Kim Jeong-Sook Protecting Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong-suk (1917 - 1949) was a Korean anti-Japanese guerrilla, a Communist activist, North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's first wife, former leader Kim Jong-Il's mother, and current leader Kim Jong-un's grandmother.Aircraft,  Burma, India  &Troops &ParatroopsCamouflaged Springfield Rifle with telescopic sight used by snipers, Badonviller, 18 May 19181920S Man Cleaning Shot Gun Duck Decoys Ammunition BoxDN-SN-85-02098. Subject Operation/Series: URGENT FURY Base: Grenville Country: Grenada (GRD)Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Borneo (1947 February). Soldiers in a Kampong. February 1947. Borneo, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Dutch East IndiesWinter Ambush At Leningrad -- Warmly clad, and armed with long antitank rifles, these Russian soldiers lie in wait in ambush in snow, says the caption of this photograph from Moscow. The tank-destroyers are on duty at the Leningrad front. July 1, 1943. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).German troops surrendering to soldiers of the American 1st Army, near Elsborn, Germany, April 1945. Artist: UnknownWorld War II 1939-1945: German troops firing rockets during their advance into the USSR.  From Signal, 1 May 1943, German propaganda magazine produced by the Wehrmacht.  Russia, Eastern FrontThe British crew on a 5.5-in howitzer in action. These photographs were taken during September 1943 when the Salerno battles were in the balance. (Colour)General Tomoyuki Yamashita was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. He was most famous for conquering the British colonies of Malaya and Singapore, earning the nickname 'The Tiger of Malaya'. He served in Manchuria and North China as well as the Philippines. In 1945 he was convicted of war crimes, and on 23 February 1946, at Los Baños, Laguna Prison Camp, 30 miles (48 km) south of Manila, Yamashita was hanged.Cuban Missile Crisis, U.S. Marines fortifying 'Suicide Ridge' at the Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba, November 16, 1962War Dog Training in Britain, C 1940 Two Canadian soldiers strap a basket to the back of an Airedale dog during a training exercise, somewhere in Britain. The basket contains carrier pigeons.Testing Aerodrome Defences -- ***** The object of testing Aerodrome defence, an ***** was recently held in Southern England. There are airborne landings of troops and a very searching ***** was made. Covering all possible eventualities thought G.H.Q. Liaison kept in contact with all ***** landings and movements.***** fighting patrol fording a stream to come to grips ***** the enemy. July 1, 1941. (Photo by Topical Press).Ejército, servicio militar. Ejercicios de tiro. Campamento Sant Climent Sescebes, Girona. Años 70.Plug of a machine rifle strip in a cavern.Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South-east Europe, 1944-1945. Wing Commander E M Downes (left), Commanding Officer of No. 1320 Wing RAF Regiment, Mediterranean Allied Tactical Air Force, confers with Squadron Leader F G J Allen, Officer Commanding No. 2771 Field Squadron RAF Regiment, during the Squadron's deployment to the front line on the Colle Belvedere, north of Cassino, Italy.An illustration by Fortunio Matania of Germany's parachute troops.     Date: Gettysburg. Pennsylvania:  July, 1922 Marines during an reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.A film crew documents an air drop conducted by the 2nd Honduran Airborne Battalion during the AHUAS TARA II (BIG PINE) operation. Subject Operation/Series: AHUAS TARA II (BIG PINE) Base: Comayagua Country: Honduras (HND)09/30/1909. Photo Rivero. General López Herrero. The new head of the brigade commanded by the unfortunate general ten vicar examining a machine gun.Ukrainian civilians search for their family and friends among the dead, massacred when the Germans and Romanians evacuated Kerch in the Crimea on December 30, 1941. The Germans had first occupied Kerch as they drove on Sevastopol in November 1941. by Dmitri Ballermants (1912-90). Grief, Searching for the Loved Ones at Kerch, Crimea, 1942 ; was not published in the Soviet Union until the 1960s
A Polish partisan of the Baszta battalion on the move ca. 1944. The May First Celebration in Moscow -- Members of the 1st Moscow Rifle Division before the parade.On May 1st, the international proletarian holiday, the people of the Soviet Union again demonstrated their love and devotion to the Party, to the Government and to the beloved leader of all the working people, Joseph Stalin. Again the Soviet nation demonstrated their unceasing readiness to work further over the prosperity of their native land and the strengthening of the defensive power of the U.S.S.R. May 1, 1938. (Photo by Soyuzphoto).American troops in normandy. 1944. Men Of The 10Th Air Depot Group Leave The Marshalling Area, South England, For The Port Of Embarkation. 7 July 1944.Anefo photo collection. Netherlands brigade maneuvres.is set o.k. Exercises Princess Irene Brigade. radio well?. {1940-1945}. BritainThese American troops have loaded their equipment onto an LCT and are waiting the signal for the assault against the Continent. June, 1944Italian soldiers engaged in a difficult ascent, World War I, photo by Grasselli Barni from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XLIII, No 20, May 14, 1916.SGT Frederick O'Neal checks his data book prior to going to the firing line for the annual requalification with the M-16A1 rifle. Base: Mcas, Cherry Point State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Inspection travel General P.L.G. Doorman (September-October 1946). General Doorman at a sandbags reinforced observation post. September 1946. Indonesia, Dutch East IndiesThe Dutch army is practicing in La Courtine. Pay attention! The above description is a generic series description based on the information stated by the army film and photo service. In the long term, this global description will be specified.09/30/1936. Militants Prepared with their Masks against Asphyxiant Gases, in one of the Sectors of the Center.DN-SN-88-07604. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT Base: Pohang Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)Canada's soldiers arc as tough as they come, and one reason is the training they get before they go overseas. Canada's battle schools rank among the most strenuous in the world, RS these photos taken at Vernon B.C. indicate. Lance-Corporal Henry Wong adjusts the face netting of Lieut. Howard MacAllister's sniper camouflage suit. Corp. Wong hopes to use one against the Japs.  December 13, 1943. (Photo by National Film Board).Two hunters hiding in shrubsMilitary taking the horses to water in camp. February 27, 1939.;Military taking the horses to water in camp.Bridgeschool in Hedel. Genists in a rubber boat.World War I 1914-1918: Barbed wire entaglements protecting French soldiers in their trenches. From Le Pays de France, 2 September 1915. Military, Army1940S Sergeant In Army Uniform In Profile Posing With Rifle Helmet Backpack And BootsBattle School. This is a confidence test. Men jump of a platform 14 feet to the ground. August 22, 1942. (Photo by Paul Popper).Lance CPL. J. W. Jacobs, left, Lance CPL. S.M. Racort, center, and Lance CPL. D.M. McCaffrew take part in a sand table command post exercise during Operation Desert Shield. The three are members of Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Plt., Headquarters and Service (H&S) Co., 1ST Bn., 3rd Marines.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)DM-SN-90-01254. State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)España. Guerra civil (1936-1939). Soldado de la legión Cóndor examinando los restos de un obús en el frente de Aragón. Marzo de 1938.Second World War. For billeting. Soviet Union. Relatives of the German Wehrmacht when celebrating outdoors2LT Robert Reneau, 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron, communicates with a C-130E Hercules aircraft flying overhead during an airdrop. Base: Marine Corps Base, Camp Fuji State: Honshu Country: Japan (JPN)1940s APRIL 1944 NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY BRIGADE LOOKING FOR ENEMY SNIPERS IN BOMBED OUT BUILDINGS BATTLE OF CASSINO ITALYDN-SN-86-00510. Subject Operation/Series: URGENT FURY Base: Point Salines Country: Grenada (GRD)Participant in some Maneuvers of the parachute brigade in the Cuenca area of Estremera and in Alcalá de Henares, in March 1978.Preparing For Country's Biggest "Black Out"Corporation workmen in decontamination suits running out lengths of hose in practice for Friday's black-out test.Members of the fire brigade and the corporation staff here were practicing today for Friday's blackout here - one of the biggest over carried out since the air raid precautions plan was introduced. Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd, parliamentary secretary to the home office, is to return from the continent on Thursday to be present at the black-out test. January 25, 1938. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).Pte. Caldwell-Smith R. 56 Peclar Avenue, South Granville, NSW and Pte. Chant W. of Armiidale, NSW., both members of the Assault Pioneers, 3 Bn Royal Australian Regiment chat in broken English and Japanese with two ROKs contacted on their left flank. The mail box in the centre was made by the pioneers at a bivouac near the bombed-out village, part of which can be seen in the picture. December 5, 1950.Service eruption of Vesuvius in April 4. 1906 a man. At Fort Revere, Hull, Mass., members of battery "M". 241st Coast Artillery, man a 3-inch anti-aircraft machine gun in a camouflaged nest, awaiting an airplane attack. Revere is the oldest fort on Boston's mainland. April 27, 1941. (Photo by ACME).Air Raid Precautions: Set of 50 cards issued by WD & H0 Wills, Britain 1938, in preparation for the anticipated coming of World War II. Civilian First Aid party running with a stretcher to rescue the injured. Numerous first aid posts were set up so as to be within easy access of those in need.1920S Cowboy Among Rocks Aiming RevolverSølvertsen mining . Dated 1890A Marine from the 1ST Marine Division stands beside his cot as he cleans out his canteen cup. The Marine's unit is camped in a Kuwait City parking lot following the withdrawal of Iraqi troops during Operation Desert Storm. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT STORM Base: Kuwait City Country: Kuwait (KWT)Poll photo collection. Prince Bernhard visits Dutch troops on their army base in Great Britain during the Second World War. The troops present the gun. 1940. Great BritainGunners manning a captured Breda Gun ready to fire at any German Aircraft that venture within range.Tobruk, although besieged the enemy is by no means inactive. The garrison is busily engaged in preparing defences, repelling enemy attacks, and is fairly humming with activity. These give one a peep behind the scenes, Illustrate many of the activities of the Beleaguered fortress in the desert. May 25, 1941. (Photo by British Official Photograph).US Army trainees learn to fire the snubnose Thompson sub-machine gun, Mitchell Field, New York 1942Anefo photo collection. Strikes in Brussels. December 27, 1960. BrusselsItaly's Mechanised Bersagliere -- One of the mechanised Bersagliere motor-cyclist taking part in the manoeuvres. The Italian grand manoeuvres are being held at Abbruzzo. August 29, 1938. (Photo by London News Agency Photos Ltd.).Anefo photo collection. Touring angel by Witer by South Moluccans; (N Nr. 17) Soldiers clean weapons. December 8, 1975. Beilen, DrentheMarine Air Control Group 28 holds their quarterly prayer breakfast at Shady Grove. Base: Mcas, Cherry Point State: North Carolina (NC) Country: United States Of America (USA)Cooks from the Task Force Ripper mess hall prepare to serve Thanksgiving Day dinner at the 1ST Marine Division combat operations center (COC) during Operation Desert Shield.. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Saudi Arabia(SAU)Ejército, servicio militar. Ejercicios de tiro. Campamento Sant Climent Sescebes, Girona. Años 70.The spontaneous strike, here on 10.9.1969 by the miners of the Minister Stein colliery, was one of the starting points of the strike movement of what later became known as the September strikes in the coalfield, Germany, EuropeAnefo photo collection. Catastrophe at Liège. February 4, 1961. LiègeWireless Telegraphy For Infantry -- The set in use during an exercise. Infantrymen with the B.E.F. in France equipped with portable wireless sets for radio telephony. As will be seen, they are carried on the back and resemble ordinary packs. They are invaluable for transmitting and receiving information and orders during operations. April 15, 1940. (Photo by British Official Photograph).The basic training of conscripts in 1965 in a barracks in Dortmund and on a military training area in the Lueneburg Heath, Germany, EuropeGerman infantry with machine  gun.        Date: 1940A Marine sniper, covered head to foot in camouflaged, shows his rifle to Vice Admiral James R. Hogg, commander, 7th Fleet, during his visit to the camp. Base: Camps Hansen And Courtney State: Okinawa Country: Japan (JPN)07/31/1936. An advanced post at the Gates of Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres), covered by a Militia and a native of the Region.Launching of "E-9" Destroyer Escort. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and PersonnelSiege of Leningrad, January 1943. Leningrad was encircled and besieged by the Germans from September 8 1941. In January 1943, the city's defenders and troops of the Volkhov Front launched a combined offensive known as Operation Spark. After fierce fighting, the two Russian armies linked up and established a land bridge via which Leningrad's starving inhabitants could be supplied. But the siege was not completely broken for another year. The photographer is unknown.A member of a US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit prepares to detonate several mortar rounds during a ordnance disposal exercise. Country: UnknownMarines sit aboard a captured Soviet BRDM-2 Amphibious scout car, foreground, and an LVTP7 tracked landing vehicle during Operation URGENT FURY. Subject Operation/Series: URGENT FURY Base: Saint Georges Country: Grenada (GRD)