National Archives US Military Aviation (Kodachrome) …

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Chris Brame]

I spy another old soldier: A-17 (RA-17) 35-157. Written off soon after?:

157 crashed on takeoff at Camp Davis, NC Jul 14, 1943.

14th Tow Target Squadron, Taxiing Accident, Damage Code 3 (Substantial)

Also doomed, it seems:

(42-)2993 crashed 30 mi SW of Moses Lake, WA Jun 21, 1943. All 8 crew killed.

Note that David Osborne lists it with a question mark:

Delivered Long Beach 10/11/43; Pueblo 27/1/43; Biggs 4/3/43; Blythe 14/4/43; Walla Walla 15/5/43; Redmond 15/6/43; Assigned 592BS/396BG Moses Lake with Lyle Graham crashed 30miles SW base 21/6/43, 8 Killed in Service ; (?Walla Walla 18/7/43; Ephrata 9/8/43; Pinecastle 10/6/44; McCook 18/6/44; Biggs 22/7/44; Syracuse 9/4/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 10/10/45?)

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Michel Lemieux]

That series is outstanding Mark......

Like always thank you!

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Dan K]

Mark, words can't express how much fun I've had scrolling through all this. Many thanks for ending 2023 with a bang!

This pic jumps out at me for a couple of reasons:

1) The XB-39 in the left background. I don't believe I've ever seen another pic of it in color.

2) The Invader on the right is the speed mod XA-26F (with a J-31 in the rear fuselage). Can't recall seeing this bird in color before either.

https://i.imgur.com/88WwEN2.jpeg

Again, many thanks for your time and effort!

[Duggy009]

Is that Jimmy Dolittle in the desert Spitfire?



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Yes it is "Brigadier General James H. Doolittle in a Mk Vc Trop HL-M "Lobo" of the 308th FS. Tunisia."

[Mark Allen M]

My pleasure folks. It’s certainly been a labor of love posting them. I’m hoping I haven’t been doing them a disservice by cleaning each image up and correcting the color and tone. It’s been a bit of work in photoshop but I’m convinced they are reading correctly. Again I hope Dana Bell stops by and approves of my work. He’s the REAL expert.

All the thanks to Dana for his research and efforts at the National Archives to bring these images to all of us. Words can’t describe how grateful I am personally, and for a vast array of people who take their research seriously and appreciate and respect historical facts, these images are priceless.

I plan to put in the effort to post them all. (I will most likely just concentrate on the early 1940’s thru late 1950’s images only from the original link I posted)

There’s also a similar US Naval color image folder that is accessible online as well, and I’ve posted those images quite a while back. I can repost that link here as well if anyone is interested.

Happy New Year

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Steve Birdsall]

Sixty years ago I used to poke around in the second-hand bookshops looking for anything about World War II aircraft. One of my prize finds was the March 1945 (I think) issue of The National Geographic Magazine. The photo above was featured in an article entitled “8th Air Force in England”. Seeing two other photos taken that very same day of the same planes in dazzling high-resolution was an experience I won't forget. Thanks again Mark (and Dana).