Photographs

Then and Now: A stroll through Bucharest

bucharest then and now world war ii

From the architectural diversity of so many wonderful buildings, to grey communist standardization, the Romanian capital is a city which wears both its rich history and deep wounds on its sleeve. Having suffered heavy bombings at the hands of both Allied and Axis forces during the war years, Bucharest is …

Love during World War Two #3

1) An American soldier walking with his sweetheart in the Kensington Gardens, London, 1945, likely after the end of the war. 2) A British soldier whispers into his girlfriend’s ear as he prepares to leave for the front. Unknown location, 1939. 3) Cadets from the Local Army Flying School and …

Celebrations on Strøget street after the liberation of Denmark

stroget street ww2

A group of women with Danish flags are celebrating the liberation from German occupation on May 5th, 1945, on Strøget street (Copenhagen). Strøget is a famous and popular pedestrian area located in Copenhagen’s Old City. It is actually one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe (1.1 kilometers), and …

Message left by Germans during the Lapland War

Lapland war

A sign left by German Soldiers as they were evacuating Finnish territory in October 1944. The sign reads “As thanks for not demonstrating brotherhood in arms”. You could speculate that they had left some ‘gifts’ for the Finns there. Finland and Germany had been fighting together against the Soviet Union …

British tank men with a puppy in North Africa

British soldiers dogs ww2

Two British tank men and a puppy reading a newspaper, sometime during the North African Campaign. They all seem quite relaxed given the circumstances. There were Military Police dog training centres in North Africa, but it’s unlikely that this little fellow was ready for that. 😀 Book suggestion ⤵️ 📖 …

British “Duck” driver in 1944 near Anzio, Italy

dukw duck ww2

A British “Duck” driver receiving directions from an American soldier at the ration supply dump near Anzio, Italy, on March 29th 1944. The DUKW, also known as ‘Duck’, was a 2.5-ton six-wheel amphibious truck used in World War II by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. It served as a …

Damaged US Coast Guard landing craft on D-Day

us coast guard smoke d day

Damaged US Coast Guard landing craft approaching the beaches in Normandy on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. Smoke can be seen coming out of the boat, reportedly caused by a soldier’s hand grenade being set off by German machine gun fire! Despite the eventual success of the landings in Normandy, and …

Katyusha rockets firing on first day of Operation Barbarossa

katyusha rockets

Katyusha rockets firing on June 22nd 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa, Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. Only 40 such mobile rocket launchers were built and ready to be used by the Soviet Army at the start of Operation Barbarossa. It was the first self-propelled artillery piece to …

Heavy cruiser Lutzow damaged in Kiel harbor, 1940

heavy cruiser lutzow

Heavy cruiser Lützow (aka pocket battleship) with a snapped off stern in Kiel harbor sometime after April 13th, 1940. Commissioned by the Weimar government, Lützow was completed in 1933 as the leading ship of the heavy cruiser class “Deutschland”. It was renamed Lützow in January 1940. Damage was caused by …

Guests at the Berghof in rare WW2 image, 1942

berghof hitler guests

This rare World War 2 image shows guests of Adolf Hitler on the Berghof terrace sometime in 1942. The Berghof was Hitler’s vacation residence in the Bavarian Alps at Obersalzberg, near Berchtesgaden. He would often entertain visitors there, whether it was for official business or simply leisure. The picture was …