Vintage shots from days gone by!

Pardon the fuzz!---------Don

 

ladies misbehaving

 

On February 15, 1943, a dynamite explosion and resulting fire threatened to destroy Dawson Creek B.C.'s main business section along the rail line. The blasts threw stock piles of materials into the air, flying debris caused many injuries, and the fire destroyed equipment and buildings. The U.S. army took over control of fighting the fires and the Red Cross established an emergency hospital ward in its club house. By Sunday five people were known dead and army personel were engaged in keeping people away from blast-damaged buildings.

 

It is great to see so many HAMB patriots, respectful and honoring the sacrifice and horrors of trench warfare more than 90 years ago. The high-tech meat grinder at the front sapped virtually an entire generation of the best society had to offer. The scale of death and savagery left the whole world aghast: some 10 million battle deaths, plus 7 million civilian deaths, and 20 million wounded. If the populace at large was left speechless, the simple, poetic words of men at the front filled a void, lending some glimmer of understanding and comprehension of the carnage.

It is only right that thinking people remember and honor those who fought and died. I believe that World War I tends to get overshadowed -- almost forgotten -- viewed retrospectively through the lense of the even-bigger Second World War. The limits of photography and film in the era exacerbate perception, in that existing images simply cannot convey action and devastation as it was. The following, hopefully, may help convey some small sense of the lethal action. Those who may find these rare and special pix off topic -- or repulsive -- please skip them and move on to subsequent posts. To the rest, I say THANKS for remembering!

German soldiers unload on French at the Somme, 1916.
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Relief detail to the front line at evening




One neg. A windy outpost at Westhoek Ridge



On a muddy road at the Westhoek battefield



Vulnerable to death from above, a crew throws the same back at Kaiser Bill.



A battery of Ausie heavies





Sniping German planes with a canister-feed Lewis. Research of late, incidentally, seems to prove that an Australian gunnery sergeant fired the .303 round that killed the Baron von Richthoven.

What was left of the former Grande Palace in Cambrai by 1918.
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Allied or German tankers? Hard to say.

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peep shows in the Orient

 

She looks like Jabba the Hutt?

 

I like that pic of Bagnell dam. It's a wonder my car wasn't there..

 

if you like trains and photography, then you know of O. Winston Link...
a master of night photography and the use of flashbulb lighting...

 

Looks like a British carrier,, superstructure is on the wrong side,,

 

Dude... Now that is some awesome photography... Thank you once again for sharing it with us, along with all the others. I think this is the best yet.

 

Though..........
I do wonder how many horrific train accidents occurred shortly after a photo was taken of a night!!

Doc.

 

February, 1945
Iwo Jima


























LIFE combat photographer W. Eugene Smith was wounded taking photo of this explosion.

 

1919 NY, NY
Army truck w. sign noting how many US soldiers are home and still abroad during parade celebrating return of soldiers from Europe following the end of WWI

 

same parade

 

Thanks for all those great war memories LowKat.

 

polish aircraft carrier------:d:d

 

Vegas 1942

 

Before "Colonel Cluck" this was THE place for chicken dinners--------Hands down!!!----------Don 1942

 

old tucson pics

 

Don.

You are correct. Mrs. Knott's fried chicken was one to remember. Field trip in 5th or 6th grade, about '61 she was in the kitchen supervising and serving her delicious meals.

 

We remembered yesterday those lost in battle, 2 minutes silence observed all of our country, rain or shine they stopped at 11:11. The Austin Seven in the picture, a military tourer shocked me when I saw it, we see the military Austins all restored and shiny at the shows sometimes forgetting the history they have experienced.

 

I still have a little vile of gold I panned for when I was 8 or so.