World War Two

Gallery
            
    
      
This gallery will be an ongoing project to archive digital images of World War Two as my parents and my wife's parents lived it! It is being developed for educational purposes and dedicated to the memories of Ray S. McCoy and Carroll D. Holland and to the lives of Marlene McCoy and Marguerite Holland.
 

All images are personal family property and have no other known use restrictions. They are free for download purposes, so long as credit is attributed to this site. If visitors desire to use the images, they must download them--do not link to this site.
              
Each Semester a special theme of archived photos will be presented.
 

 
       

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

A PHOTO JOURNEY FROM THE 314th BOMB WING PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORATORY

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EYES OF THE 20th AIR FORCE
 
U. S. pilots and air crews in every World War II engagement enjoyed some fun in the midst of battle by decorating their planes. Looking back, the names Pacific Theatre air crews gave their craft give us some unique insight into the pride and memories of these soldiers. Some of the name's are downright risqué as male crews regretted the lack of female company. Other names were dedicated to lost crew members, family, and even pets. Over three hundred photos of bomber crews from the 20th Air Force have been digitized and indexed in my collection. Just a few are shown here for your enjoyment.
 
 

This mascot character was drawn by an artist known as W. R. Downey and symbolized the mission of the 314th--as flying photographic eyes.

ww2_pacific_314mascot.jpg (25294 bytes)
 

ww2_pacific_bobmcrew7.jpg (18847 bytes)

The "Bachelor's Den" and her crew.
 

The crew of "The Squaw" complete with a fearsome array of bombs painted on the fuselage to indicate "kills".

ww2_pacific_bombcrew1.jpg (22406 bytes)
 

ww2_pacific_airplane.jpg (18256 bytes)
  
   

ww2_bombcrew20.jpg (20756 bytes)
  

The crew of the "Hell's Belle" complete with devils trident spears thrust toward the enemy below.

ww2_pacific_bombcrew10.jpg (20921 bytes)
 

ww2_craspass.jpg (44330 bytes)

Pvt. Ray McCoy, photo lab technician, needed a pass to get close enough to crashes to take pictures during training operations in Kansas.
 

"Patricia Ann" and crew.

ww2_pacific_bombcrew11.jpg (19882 bytes)
    

photlab.jpg (27439 bytes)

War era photograph developing.

drying.jpg (18956 bytes)
  

 

ww2_okla.jpg (11563 bytes)

    
 

ww2pacific_bombcrew14.jpg (22363 bytes)

Round Trip Rosie. Notice the puppy in the front row.
 

Uncle Sam's niece dressed in skimpy, but patriotic attire.

ww2_pacific_bombcrew15.jpg (27795 bytes)
 

ww2_pacific_bombcrew16.jpg (25369 bytes)

ww2_bird.jpg (11065 bytes)
 

The crew of "Ten Fighting Cocks" --could some of these guys have come from South Carolina?

ww2_pacific_bombcrew2.jpg (29677 bytes)
 
 

waiting.jpg (29406 bytes)

Sometimes you just had to wait.

    
   

ww2_pacific_bombcrew3.jpg (20938 bytes)

Yankee Fury.
 

The Virgin Vampire? Draw your own conclusions.

ww2_pacific_bombcrew4.jpg (25313 bytes)
 

ww2_pacific_bombcrew5.jpg (33869 bytes)

20thairsymbol.jpg (26092 bytes)
 

As you can see some of the names are sexist and inappropriate by today's standards. Currently military practice disallows such creativity.

ww2_pacific_bombcrew6.jpg (30085 bytes)
      

all_bombcrew.jpg (27350 bytes)

This one has it all--apparently the female inspiration is included in the picture, along with the dog, and holstered pistols.
 

ww2_pacific_airplane4.jpg (14943 bytes)

 ww2_pacific_airplane3.jpg (17628 bytes)
    

ww2_pacific_bombcrew9.jpg (28085 bytes)

negatives.jpg (13800 bytes)

Records of the 318th show 226,500 negatives processed and over 700,000 photos printed!
 

ww2pacific_bombcrew13.jpg (30675 bytes)
     

  ww2_cat.jpg (12087 bytes)

  ww2_ready.jpg (13611 bytes)

     ww2_pluto.jpg (12829 bytes)
   

  ww2_bombcrew21.jpg (21207 bytes)
      
 

ww2_pacific_concrete.jpg (25684 bytes)

Pouring concrete runways for the crews.
      

andy.jpg (8619 bytes)

stinky.jpg (4532 bytes)

spady.jpg (7162 bytes)
   

A rare photo of General Douglas MacArthur testing the microphone before a speech to airmen in 1945.

ww2_pacific_macrare.jpg (29487 bytes)
     
 
  
If you want more information and analysis--here's help. The best web site for World War II is the Information Services Center of the Canadian Forces College:

http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/milhist/wwii.html

Two books of interest might be:

Michael Sherry, "The Rise of American Air Power" (1987).

Eric M. Bergerud, "Fire in the Sky: The Air War in the South Pacific" (1999).
      
If you have any information about bomber air crews and the names of their planes, or any photos you would like to share, please contact me. Reid A. Holland, hollandr@midlandstech.edu 
      

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