WW2 In Original Colour

[Red Hander]

I am sorry I don't know much about this image but it is striking.

 

[Stovepipe]

There was more that a little suspicion and yes hostility amongst a significant proportion of the US public and media towards Britain, especially of course with the Irish Americans, but leaving aside the latter's particular gripes the Empire was not seen as a 'good thing' at many levels of the US public, including of course the President qv all the shenanigans in SEAC in 1945.

Don't forget to include the Italian-Americans, who ran the docks in New York and actively interfered with dock operations under the guise of the Mafia and the German-Americans, who actively engaged in sabotage of war materials. The FBI found sabotaged locomotives and aircraft and it was traced back to former members of the Amerika-Bund.

 

[winged]

Don't forget to include the Italian-Americans, who ran the docks in New York and actively interfered with dock operations under the guise of the Mafia and the German-Americans, who actively engaged in sabotage of war materials. The FBI found sabotaged locomotives and aircraft and it was traced back to former members of the Amerika-Bund.

Have you got a link to any of that please ?
Aware of the U.S. dislike of Brits via Media et al , prior to 1945 - but would appreciate confirmation ?

I have NO intention of using anything you send me , as 'a cause celebre' or for onward transmission..

 

[ches]

Don't forget to include the Italian-Americans, who ran the docks in New York and actively interfered with dock operations under the guise of the Mafia and the German-Americans, who actively engaged in sabotage of war materials. The FBI found sabotaged locomotives and aircraft and it was traced back to former members of the Amerika-Bund.

IIRC it was the mafia connection - Lucky Luciano if memory serves who was released from prison to lead the reaction to the sabotage. I think it was all relatively low key anyway & not a serious threat to the convoys. I think Luciano then also became involved under a similar aegis in the invasion of Sicily.

 

[Roadster280]

That one reminds me of Sarajevo in the 90s. Particularly the broken trams, sludgy craps on the roads and bomb damage. Thoroughly depressing.

And that one reminds me of school in the 80s. The music classrooms had blackboards with painted music staves on them. I suppose it was only 35 years later.

 

[Stovepipe]

The sinking of the Normandie in New York was actually claimed by the Mafia. The reference to sabotaged aircraft was from a claim that aircraft built by Brewster Corporation were so badly manufactured, by a very disgruntled workforce, dominated by Germans, that the FBI were sent in to investigate, as the Air Force kept rejecting the aircraft (Corsairs under license) during acceptance procedures. One officer was said to have queried why a workforce could persistently turn out such badly finished aircraft,to the point where it was considered actual sabotage, because the training and skills were found to be as good as anywhere, but the final product was unsuitable. It was blamed on a hard core of ex-Bund men, who dominated a local Union and intimidated good employees. The same applied to a quantity of locomotives that were meant to be shipped overseas as Lend-lease but were rejected and it was put down to disgruntled employees.

 

[winged]

The sinking of the Normandie in New York was actually claimed by the Mafia. The reference to sabotaged aircraft was from a claim that aircraft built by Brewster Corporation were so badly manufactured, by a very disgruntled workforce, dominated by Germans, that the FBI were sent in to investigate, as the Air Force kept rejecting the aircraft (Corsairs under license) during acceptance procedures. One officer was said to have queried why a workforce could persistently turn out such badly finished aircraft,to the point where it was considered actual sabotage, because the training and skills were found to be as good as anywhere, but the final product was unsuitable. It was blamed on a hard core of ex-Bund men, who dominated a local Union and intimidated good employees. The same applied to a quantity of locomotives that were meant to be shipped overseas as Lend-lease but were rejected and it was put down to disgruntled employees.

Thanks for that - much appreciated.

 

[loofkar]

Don't forget to include the Italian-Americans, who ran the docks in New York and actively interfered with dock operations under the guise of the Mafia and the German-Americans, who actively engaged in sabotage of war materials. The FBI found sabotaged locomotives and aircraft and it was traced back to former members of the Amerika-Bund.

I read somewhere (yes it's not very good but that's all I can say) that elements of the Mafia assisted the US war effort within Italy.

 

[QRK2]

I read somewhere (yes it's not very good but that's all I can say) that elements of the Mafia assisted the US war effort within Italy.

Yes

Mafia Allies: The True Story of America's Secret Alliance With the Mob in World War II

The subtitle of this book misleadingly promises more conspiracy than is delivered. Newark goes out of his way to refute the myth that the Allies struck "a deal with the Mafia to win the war in Sicily." They won through the hard slog of combat, and the Mafia's resurgence after the war came...

www.foreignaffairs.com

 

[scalieback]

I am sorry I don't know much about this image but it is striking.
View attachment 524429

Certainly one for the 'Ally' thread. RNVR Pilot HMS Indomitable March 1943 according to this picture, sitting in the plane rather than standing on the wing:

In colour:

A bit on Seafire variants where some of the images come from.

It looks like they did a publicity shoot with the pilots and planes on HMS Indomitable in either March or May '43 as the sources differ on the month, but not the year or the aircraft carrier:

Armoured Aircraft Carriers

An overview of the combat history and performance of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fleet fighter the Supermarine Seafire

www.armouredcarriers.com

Fleet air arm during the Second World War

The Fleet Air Arm was a branch of the Royal Navy that operated aircraft from navy ships. During the Second World War, aeroplanes became a key weapon at sea. Find out more about the aircraft carriers of the Second World War.

www.iwm.org.uk

 

[Red Hander]

Certainly one for the 'Ally' thread. RNVR Pilot HMS Indomitable March 1943 according to this picture, sitting in the plane rather than standing on the wing:

In colour:

A bit on Seafire variants where some of the images come from.

It looks like they did a publicity shoot with the pilots and planes on HMS Indomitable in either March or May '43 as the sources differ on the month, but not the year or the aircraft carrier:

Armoured Aircraft Carriers

An overview of the combat history and performance of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fleet fighter the Supermarine Seafire

www.armouredcarriers.com

Fleet air arm during the Second World War

The Fleet Air Arm was a branch of the Royal Navy that operated aircraft from navy ships. During the Second World War, aeroplanes became a key weapon at sea. Find out more about the aircraft carriers of the Second World War.

www.iwm.org.uk

Excellent research there.
Interesting to read on the Armoured Carriers website one airman writing that Eric Brown underestimated (due to his skill as a pilot) how challenging it was for pilots to land the Seafire on a carrier.