WW2 Photographs: Information Required...

[astraltrader]

Over 20 years ago I bought an album full of small war photographs for about a fiver at an auction. When I say small they were really tiny! Anyway I paid a photographer I knew £20 at he time to enlarge them. The quality was not brilliant - but nevertheless there were some interesting shots.
Anyway they have not seen the light of day until I re-discovered them a few weeks ago whilst scouring the attic for Naval photographs - so I have decided to upload them for your perusal here!

I have no further information about them but have a feeling they were probably taken in North Africa somewhere between 1941-1942.
Any comments or info` are welcome!

[astraltrader]

Second batch of these...

[astraltrader]

Third batch of photographs...

[astraltrader]

And the final batch...

[astraltrader]

I wasn`t particularly after the aircraft types although there are a few that I dont know. The ones that I can identify are [not in order] :
Spitfire
Blenheim
Beaufort
Beaufighter
Hawker Hind
Lysander
Wellington
Dakota
Kitty Hawk
Fokker Tri-motor.
If you can add to this then please do. What I was more after was possible dates, locations etc...

[tjstoneman]

Agree North Africa - at least for the majority - afraid I can't be more specific. Identifications:
6 Henschel Hs129
9 Spitfire
11 Lockheed Lodestar?
12 Heinkel He111
13 Douglas DC-2
14 De Havilland Dragonfly
16 Same photo as 14?
17 Lockheed Hudson? (without turret) - may be Lockheed 12)
18 Supermarine Spitfire - with tropical filter
19 Junkers Ju87
20 Supermarine Spitfire - Mk XVIII and Bristol Beaufighter (nasty crunch!)
21 Curtiss Tomahawk (don't think it's a Kittyhawk (usually given as one word))
23 Vickers Valentia
24 Westland Lysander (Free French)
25 Consolidated B-24D
26 Bristol Blenheim Mk I
27 Vickers Wellington
28 Bristol Beaufighter
29 Douglas DC-2
30 Hudson
31 Hawker Hart?
32 Junkers Ju52/3m
33 Vickers Wellesley
34 Captured Messerschmidt Bf110
35 Douglas DC-3

Not sure I can spot the Beaufort.

[astraltrader]

As I said it was the location I was interested in getting opinions about. Thank you for agreeing my guess at North Africa.

[stewart mcloughlin]

Yes, North Africa seems to be favourite.
Re No's 6, 12 and 19, I would suggest you post them on the twelveoclockhigh site, or similar. The aircraft I.D. numbers are visible and some researcher may have collated losses of that type and may be able to identify the squadron letters and the serial number to a particular loss on a particular day.
Are the photos consecutive on a film roll or just a loose collection?
Stewart.

[astraltrader]

One film roll Stewart. I have literally hundreds of complete film rolls from Naval to War [1 and 2] Trains. Cars, Royalty, Raj, Exeter etc, etc...

[CGRET]

Hello,

My guess from the first patch of photo's, the first 3 photo's are in the CBI theatre of operations. As for the others I would agree Africa.

Regards
CGRET

[david06]

Over 20 years ago I bought an album full of small war photographs for about a fiver at an auction. When I say small they were really tiny! Anyway I paid a photographer I knew £20 at he time to enlarge them. The quality was not brilliant - but nevertheless there were some interesting shots.
Anyway they have not seen the light of day until I re-discovered them a few weeks ago whilst scouring the attic for Naval photographs - so I have decided to upload them for your perusal here!

I have no further information about them but have a feeling they were probably taken in North Africa somewhere between 1941-1942.
Any comments or info` are welcome!

hi they look like burma,1st two the rest look like the western desert and the others well could be spitfire blast pens on malta wonderful shots!!!

[astraltrader]

Thanks David - I have literally hundreds more like it which I will start to dig out when I get time!

[maureen]

I have just registered on the forum with a view to sharing some of my late father's photos from 1936-1945 when he was in the Mediterranean, North Africa and Indian Ocean. While searching the site I came across this thread in which I saw a photo very similar to two of his. I wondered if I could send them for comment, and to break me in gently to what seems like a very high quality site before I go any further.
My father was Wilfred Timms (1918- Dec 2009): RAF Cranwell 1934 Aircraft apprentice-RAF Locking 1973, Squadron Leader. However, from 1936-1947,from what I understand from his Service record, he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm (Hms Glorious)and the Royal Naval Air Service, which is how I found my way to this forum before trying the RAF. He often talked about his time on the French riviera, Malta, Gibraltar, Dekheila (Egypt) and Burma.
The photo in question is the fourth one in the very first thread (30-5-2008, ID950). My father told me that when in Burma they used Dakotas for supply missions dropping bags of rice to inhabitants of isloated villages in the jungle, of whatever nationality. The photos were in a batch from late 1945. He was with 233 Sqn, and then 267Sqn from December 1945. Unfortunately parts of the image are blurred, so identifying people is not easy, but the experts will probably recognize the aircraft.
I hope they will be of interest, and would be pleased to know if anyone has recognized a relative.

[Mitch Hinde]

Hi All

Last three photo's of batch one. I agree they appear to show an air raid on Takali airfield in Malta and blast pens made from old fuel cans at same airfield.

Mitch Hinde

[astraltrader]

Thanks for posting these Maureen and welcome to the forum - you are right in that they do seem to feature a Douglas Dakota the ever reliable transport that saw service in every major theatre of war and in passenger form [DC-3] is still in service today.

Unfortunately the size and quality of your pictures although still of interest make it next to impossible to ascertain details of location, etc.

Maybe one of our other members might be able to add something more??

You mentioned that your father served in the Fleet Air Arm at some point in his career do you have any other pictures from that period??

[maureen]

Thank you for the comments.
The photos were definitely in a batch (numbered) covering what would probably been a port of call in Ceylon, Calcutta Oct. '45, and Burma.
I am working on deciphering the service records to tally with the other photos I have. They are mainly of Hms Glorious (with group photos in Nice, Malta). There's also one of Hms Daedalus personnel on land, civilian and Navy. I'll get them into reasonable order and post them as soon as I can. Where should I post them?

[astraltrader]

Maureen - we would always love to see any pictures of warships!!

The pictures of Glorious would be fine in our carrier thread to which I have provided a link below....

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1864&page=18

Regarding the Daedalus crew pictures - just start a new thread calling it if you like HMS Daedalus crew pictures and that would go into the RN ships section.

If possible could you try and scan them at a far larger size than the ones here??
It is easy to do - you should have an icon on your desktop [computer screen] for your scanner and it will allow you to select different sizes - try at least 300 dpi if not larger. :):)

[WGVSr]

Aircraft 25 appears to be an LB-30 vice B-24. Transport version, note the 'skylight' windows.
Bill