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Pictures + More, Need Help

Discussion in 'Military Service Records & Genealogical Research' started by Magistr, Dec 20, 2007.

  1. Magistr

    Magistr Member

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    I know this is bad to do but the pictures kind of got buried in my other thread
    http://www.ww2f.com/military-servic...research/21168-help-finding-his-division.html
    so I'm just going to repost what I said in this thread and hope I get some more hits on it.

    If you'd like to help me out, the information is on the first post in that thread linked above. But here is what I said in that thread about 15 posts down.

    Start

    Each picture I took represents 1 location the group of pictures were taken. If I put a question mark it means I'm not 100% positive.

    Barracks at Basic Training?
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/DSCN3614.jpg

    North Africa?
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/DSCN3615.jpg

    Italy
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/DSCN3616.jpg

    Top Left picture I added just because it was cool in my opinion, it's my grandfathers nephew in the Italian Army Infantry
    Bottom Right picture is the only one labeled of this group which says "Mike and Italy Friends"
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/DSCN3617.jpg

    If anyone can help me out to decipher and be 100% about these pictures, or if anyone can take information from these pictures and be able to figure out what division he was in, which is my entire goal, that would be much appreciated :)

    If anyones on here that recognizes these pictures/locations let me know immediately!
    Also if you need to see a picture more closely, let me know and I'll scan that individual one in so it'll be larger on the screen.

    End
     
    Magistr, Dec 20, 2007
    #1
  2. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Not a shoulder patch in the lot.

    Those guns look like old French 75mm guns.
    The 10th Mountain Div fielded 75mm exclusively, due to the nature of their mission. I'm looking to see what independent artillery battalions still had 75s later in the war. So far the only 75s I am finding are pack 75s

    The lack of helmets in the Italy pics could be a good clue too.
     
    Slipdigit, Dec 20, 2007
    #2
  3. Magistr

    Magistr Member

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    I'd say 10th mountain is a good start but I can't find anywhere that 10th mountain participated in the rome-arno campaign (this is the only campaign listed on his discharge papers). What could no helmets in Italy mean I wonder? Rangers?
     
    Magistr, Dec 20, 2007
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  4. T. A. Gardner

    T. A. Gardner Genuine Chief

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    All of the pictures were taken in the US.

    In the ones you marked "North Africa" note the house in the background (lower middle photo). It is shake sided and has typical American style rain gutters. It is also of wood frame construction. This is very rare in North Africa and even in Europe where houses tend to be build of brick, block, and concrete. Stucco or a similar finish would be expected.
    I would say in those photos they were practicing beach defense as coastal artillery somewhere on the US Eastern Seaboard.

    In the bottom photo note the truck. It is a 1 1/2 ton of a pre-war pattern that didn't see much overseas service. Nor did the M1897A2 / A4 gun shown. These are almost certainly all taken prior to mid 1942 at the latest. Also note the old M1917 helments and 1940 - 41 pattern uniforms being worn.
     
    T. A. Gardner, Dec 20, 2007
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  5. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Good eye, Terry. Didn't even notice that, looking at the guns and uniforms
     
    Slipdigit, Dec 20, 2007
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  6. Magistr

    Magistr Member

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    Wow that is a wonderful eye and knowledge you have T.A Gardner. Thank you for that :)

    I wonder why though, the one where the group of them that I labeled Italy, on the back of the original picture it says "Mike and army buddies Italy"?
     
    Magistr, Dec 21, 2007
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  7. Magistr

    Magistr Member

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    What does that mean?

    Also maybe the picture thats labeled Italy (where their all sitting with bucket hats on) was mislabeled on the original photo by my grandmother if your saying it was taken in America?
     
    Magistr, Dec 21, 2007
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  8. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Maybe he was saying that these are his friend who went to Italy with him, but were also with him in the US before going over?

    It just was not common for combat troops in theater not to wear helmets, unless in a secure location in the rear, or if they were part of some special group, which usually didn't include artillery. In this case, they were way in the rear, all the way back in the US, when the pics were made.

    When I called the 75mm gun "French", I didn't actually mean it was a gun from France, rather they looked like the the so-called French 75 of WWI vintage. The 75s used in WWII combat were, for the most part, if not all, Pack 75s (don't confuse with a PAK 75, which is a German gun) and looked markedly different. The Pack 75s were short barreled guns.

    What Terry has said sounds very plausible and would think he is close to correct. I'd work from that angle.
     
    Slipdigit, Dec 21, 2007
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