I thought I'd start a thread with some pictures of the better side of the human race. I think such pictures and the subject of kindness during war are sometimes overlooked for the more 'sexy' 'action shot' or the 'blood and guts shot' even still today to fuel the publics desire for such pictures. However I think pictures like the ones below can say so much and you can see so much in the faces of those photographed. Please feel free to add your own pictures. Has anyone got any of Germans extending the hand of kindness to Allied troops? Cheers Andy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Pictures from the US Army Signals Corps. Apologises for any vagueness due to having them for sometime now on my hard drive.
Drew, Can you please remember to say where you found the photos. We've already had a bit of a 'to-do' about acknowledging sources this week.
Owen Drew, Can you please remember to say where you found the photos. We've already had a bit of a 'to-do' about acknowledging sources this week. I go along with your thinking which is very timely and wondered if the forum FAQ covered this subject. A search in FAQ using the term "copyright" drew a blank and I wondered whether or not a small section could be posted there on the lines of "Any photos or documents posted must be the property of the poster or have the original source quoted" Cheers Ron
It's in the 'guidelines' Ron: here. Obviously pictures etc. are a fun part of this place, and it just wouldn't be the same without them but we hope people make their own judgements as it is stated that 'your posts are your own' in there. We'd resolved to reinforce this a little a couple of weeks ago but I haven't got around to it yet . Obviously not all pictures can be cited, this is the Internet, most web users have hard drives overflowing with stuff, and an objector can always contact us to get stuff removed if offence is caused, some sites make it perfectly clear that they object, most are quite sanguine about it - read the site! The main thing is basically attempting to be polite, as most people don't mind a bit of 'quoting' as long a good link is given to their site. Google loves links and if somebody has put some interesting work online they do deserve crediting. It's also friendly practice to host an interesting picture on Photobucket or similar, so you can hotlink it to there saving the source's bandwidth and give a link to the source. Text-quoting is a related thing we're not too keen on. Think of when a book quotes from elsewhere; it's usually a paragraph or so, no more is required when quoting a web page - as a link can take anyone there without clogging up this place with slabs of text. Really don't want to get too heavy on this, and certainly not having a go at any individuals. Just taking what seems like a good opportunity to restate that common sense is the thing to remember, combined with civilised respecting of sources. Most people are chilled enough if you treat them with civility in the first instance, & a lot of good chaps here found the place because their site was referenced. Back to compassion : Seems to me that the need for a fag has often briefly conquered previous animosities: Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database There's also that classic shot of two absolutely knackered looking WW1 British & German squaddies sharing a smoke while lying in the mud, can't find it now though.
Here's another of a Canadian Medic which I think is a great picture Another of an Ameican Medic giving a German PoW a 'piggy back' Pictures from the US Army Signals Corps as far as I'm aware. Apologises for any vagueness due to having them for sometime now on my hard drive.
I did read somewhere very recently of a German medic who was taken POW whilst tending to a wounded 8th Army soldier - the German insisted on staying with him until he had done all that he could. The German decision to accept wounded British soldiers as POW's at Arnhem. I can post two examples from Russia both from Kursk. These I think are a propaganda opportunity. From "Waffen SS-Kursk 1943" (Volume 2) Published by RZM - ( Remy Spezzano 2003). The officer is names as Col. Goryonov of the 29th Tank Corps of the 5th Guards Tank Army. Last two look more realistic. Both these are from "Operational Citadel" by Janusz Piekalkiewicz. (Costello- 1987). I am almost sure I have seen the young lad with Scotish side cap giving a smile and a salute to the camera in another photo . , almost certainly taken on the same day. Below what is reported as being an Allied airman being assisted by members of 12thSS. This is from Hubert Meyer's "Kriegsgeschichte der 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend". Although I don't think I have any photos of it via any books etc I feel it would be unfair not to mention Werner Hartensteins assistance given to the survivors of the Laconia which he sank of the West Coast of Africa - he found that he had torpeoded a ship carrying Italian POW's - he set about giving assistacne to all without regard to nationality and broadcast in plkain language his position , what he was faced with and his willingness to accept any assistance. When Allied aircraft arrived they were ordered to attack even though he had lifeboats in tow and was displaying a red cross - a hard decision to take but when ordered what choice did the pilots have ? Hartenstein might have reacted differently had there been no POW's but I do not think he would have refused aid. There are mixed stories of U-boats ignoring the men in lifeboats , others of U-boatcrews giveing provisions and navigation directions , trying to do what they could for those they had sunk. I just think it fair to mention this . Not trying to go OTT as an ambassador for the "other side" just responding to ANdy's request for some in put from their side.
Looking at the young lad in Andy's post. From the same roll of film, no details of location - taken from Ken Bell's "Not in Vain" ( University of Toronto Press ). And Sgt. MacDonald "Giving first aid to the dismay of a squeamish onlooker". The human face of war. Just makes you wonder what the children now in the later yewars of their lives remember of Sgt MacDonald and the other youngman ? Poor youngsters , can children really comprehend what they have had live through ?
Small world James. Your picture prompted me to run off too google and a quick search returned: Lance Corporal W.J. Curtis, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, fixes the burned leg of a French boy, while his young brother looks on. Between Colomby-sur-Thaon and Villons-les-Buissons, Normandy, 19 June 1944. Photo by Ken Bell. Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada, PA-141703. The source is in the quote Cheers Andy
Any Army or large organisation reflects the society of that day. This means that there are good, bad and indifferent people within its ranks. It is also typical for all Nationalities and as James has already said there was compassion given by some on all sides. Regards Tom
Ken Bell must have a war photographer- his book covers photos taken in Normandy through to the Rhine , contrasting them with photos taken "now" , much as ATB do. When you get a look at their PIN / Ruckmarsch - some of his photos show the same places in Allied hands - look for the town at the junction of the N138 and N313 K2 I-] on the wall , today a restraunt/ Hotel , lots of photos of armour retreating through the town. Knew I had seen the lad before.
Another sharing a fag photo. IWM photo NA 1344 A wounded soldier from the Durham Light Infantry shares a cigarette with a wounded German prisoner during the Mareth line battle, 22-24 March 1943.
Right you are James, on Ken Bell's books. I have two and there may be others. Remarkable to stand in the same place at different moments in time. phil
Phil , what are his other titles ? The N.I.V. book I bought back in 1977 - the format was quite something - having never seen it before. The grand sum of £5.75 being paid out for it !
Andy Compliments on the idea behind the thread (the pics are super, wherever they originated from) but I couldn't help the nagging feeling, as others have mentioned, that propaganda motives inspired their taking. In my Army Album I've got a handful of German propaganda leaflets that illustrate my point. Click on: Ron Goldstein's Actual Army Album then scroll down to pages 59 & 60 to see the propaganda at work (click on the pics themselves to enlarge them)
Not a photo, but an extract from 1I.G. WD, 30/3/43: The sequel to this battle occurred at 11.45hrs, when the Medical Officer, D/Sgt KENNY and Sgt THOROGOOD went out to rescue RICE [who was wounded and pinned under a carrier] and rescue the bodies. When within 50 yds of M’DAKRENE FM, 6 Germans appeared and tried to march them in the direction of the German lines. The doctor refused to go. A German officer and 6 other ranks then appeared. The officer ordered his men to help to extricate RICE and then to render all possible assistance.
Cheers Ron, I don't doubt for a minute your right, (Great pictures too) I saw a similiar of propaganda in Iraq (There's some anti Jewish/Zionist pictures in the Iraq thread). While I agree that some of the pictures posted are maybe purely for propaganda puposes (I doubt all of them) sometimes acts of kindness whether staged or not tend to have an addictive feel good factor to them and I believe that would encourage the good in people to go away and perform similiar acts of kindness independtly on their own free will. Cheers for the post Miss D. I seem to remember reading a similiar story (On here I think) where a German Lt. saves a US tank commander from a burning tank after hearing his cries for help. Here's a few more pics different theatres that all have one thing in common-all the casualties are civilians. I saved them to my hard drive sometime ago. Source unknowm but they look like they are US Army Signal Corps shots in the main. US Medic working on a native North African in the desert From the Pacific theatre and another on what appears to be a make shift stretcher North West Europe
