Photos Colour and Colourised Photos of WW2 & earlier conflicts

French soldiers from 1916. I'm not sure where they are - French words don't transliterate well from Russian.

Lt. J. Fathergill, CO of ‘B’ Squadron, 107 Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps, 34th Tank Brigade, assists his gunner loading 75mm ammunition into the turret of his Churchill tank in Normandy. 17th of July 1944.

NebrHogger said:

French soldiers from 1916. I'm not sure where they are - French words don't transliterate well from Russian.
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The two with fur look like they're getting ready for the Krampus holiday.

Conhoon said:

Two Soviet Bryansk partisans, one of them a child, pictured in 1943.

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"You have the safety on, right?"

SMS "Bremen", 1907
(Budgetary name "Kleiner Kreuzer L" Builds. No. 135)


Laid shipyard "AG Weser" in Bremen on 1 August 1902, launched on 9 July 1903, introduced into the German Navy on may 19, 1904, from 27 March 1914 to may 27, 1915 in reserve, from 1914 to 1915 upgraded at the shipyard
"Kaiserliche Werft" in Wilhelmshaven, December 17, 1915 and sank as a result of blasting on 2 Russian mines in the Baltic sea at coordinates 57°31N, 20°24E.

Soviet and german officers having a chat at the polish City of Brest in september 1939

No caption, but appears to be winter of '44/'45.

Scouts before going on a combat mission in the area of the Zhizdra River, Russia, September 1942, photo by Arkady Khodov.


Colour by Olga Shirnina "Klimbim"

A ISU-152 Self propelled gun crosses a shallow river, Russia, 1944.


The ISU-152 is a Soviet self-propelled gun developed and used during World War II. It was unofficially nicknamed zveroboy (Russian: Зверобой; "beast killer") in response to several large German tanks and guns coming into service, including Tigers and Panthers.
Since the ISU-152's gun was mounted in a casemate, aiming it was awkward, and had to be done by repositioning the entire vehicle using the tracks. Therefore, it was used as mobile artillery to support more mobile infantry and armor attacks. It continued service into the 1970s and was used in several campaigns and countries.
Colour by Olga Shirnina ("Klimbim")

11 November 1940
One of the least known episodes of the Battle of Britain concerns the participation of the ‘Corpo Aereo Italiano’, or ‘CAI’ for shorts.

The Battle was entering its final stages when Mussolini decided to give the Luftwaffe a hand and thus, against Goering’s wishes, the CAI was formed on 10 September 1940. The force consisted of about 200 aircraft: 2 ‘wings’ of Fiat BR.20M medium bombers (13º and 43º Stormo), 1 wing of fighters divided in 2 Gruppos (18º Gruppo equipped with G.50bis and 20º Gruppo equipped with Fiat CR.42s biplanes), and a ‘Squadriglia’ of Cant Z.1007bis for tactical reconnaissance.
During September and October, the Italian units arrived from Italy to their assigned airfields in Belgium, a move that led the Belgian government in exile to declare war on Italy. Operations started on the 24 of November with a night bombing raid on Felixstowe and Harwich, followed by an attack on Ramsgate on the 27, and another on the 29 (considered to be the last ‘official’ day of the Battle of Britain). Other attacks followed during November with the largest one taking place on November 11, curiously the same day in which half the Italian battle fleet was put out of action by the British at Taranto. On that day, 10 BR.20Ms carrying three 250 Kg bombs each, and escorted by 42 CR.42s, 46 G.50s and supporting Bf 109s were to attack Harwich. Due to bad weather the G.50s and Bf 109s were forced to return to base, leaving only the CR.42s to act as escort for the bombers.
Hurricanes of 17 and 257 squadrons were scrambled to meet the Italians, being later joined by elements of 46 and 249 squadrons. The final tally of the ensuing air battles was 3 BR.20s and 3 CR.42s shot down against 2 Hurricanes damaged. To give an idea of how exacerbated claims usually were during these chaotic clashes, RAF pilots claimed a total of 9 BR.20s destroyed, 1 damaged, and 5 CR.42s destroyed, 4 probable and 3 damaged. In return, the Italians claimed 9 enemy fighters.
One of the 3 Fiat BR.20s actually shot down, and the only Italian bomber (in addition to a few fighters) to ever have crash land on British soil, was the one in this photo, (243-2/MM22621) flown by Sottotenente Pietro Appiani. Pursued by a 46 Squadron’s trio (Leggett, Hedley and Walker), it was damaged and forced to crash land in Tangham Forest, Bromeswell, near Woodbridge, Suffolk.


The radio-operator, 1o Avieri Armando Paolini, had been killed in the air. The co-pilot Sergente Pilota Giuliano Rigolone and the flight engineer, 1o Avieri Motorista Emmanuelle De Gasperi, were wounded (Rigolone later died of his wounds). The pilot Sottotenente Pietro Appiani, De Gasperi, the unit’s photographer Avieri Sc. Mario Pensa, and a sixth crewmember, 1o Avieri Elvino Cerrosi (front air gunner and bombardier), all survived the crash and became POWs.
MM22621 was later removed to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough for evaluation, but not before being visited by some British soldiers (judging by the waist size, probably Home Guard), who were more than delighted to find in the wreckage a case containing Italian delicacies and a couple of bottles of wine. No doubt a more then welcome change to their war-time British diet!
(Source - IWM)
(Colorisation by Rui Manuel Candeias

British infantry travelling on the Sherman tank in Netherlands, 24 September 1944.

Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle walk down the Avenue des Champs-Elysee during the French Armistice Day parade in Paris.

santana said:

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Winston Churchill and General Charles de Gaulle walk down the Avenue des Champs-Elysee during the French Armistice Day parade in Paris.

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looks like Hitler far right in the light coat

World War I, British and French allied soldiers together.
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^^^ who is the tall guy behind Churchill's hat? What a freak of nature for those days, looking at the height of almost everyone else present.

Wounded Canadians taking cover behind a pill-box. Battle of Passchendaele. November, 1917.


Library and Archives Canada / PA- 002139
Colourised by Mark of 'Canadian Colour' for the The Vimy Foundation.

Swedish soldier from the Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 27) tasked at guarding the POW camp for the German crew of the SMS Albatross, Tofta socken, Gotland, c.1915.


On 1 July 1915, a Russian squadron of armored cruisers under Admiral Bakhirev left their harbours in order to bombard Klaipeda (town in modern day Lithuania, then part of the German Empire). While sailing through thick fog the cruisers Rurik and Novik separated from the main group and later acted independently.
On the same day the German mine-laying cruiser SMS Albatross, protected by other German vessels, was laying mines off the Åland Islands. After completing his mission, Kommodore Karpf reported back through the radio. Karpf's message was intercepted and decoded. When Bakhirev became aware of the German squadron's whereabouts, the bombardment of Klaipeda was canceled. The squadron then focused on intercepting the German minelayers.
In the early morning of 2 July 1915, the Russian squadron spotted and immediately opened fire on the Albatross and other vessels. Karpf commanded the Albatross to find shelter in Swedish territorial waters. However, Russian cruisers managed to catch up with the Albatross and opened fire. The flaming Albatross ran aground in Östergarn, Gotland.
Of the fatalities, 26 of the German sailors were buried the same evening the battle was fought in a mass grave just east of Östergarn Church. One member of the crew had fallen overboard and could not be found. Two of the crew members who died during transportation to Roma were buried at Björke cemetery. The surviving German crew were interned, first in Roma, then at Blåhäll in Tofta.
The Swedish guard force rotated after 14 days and consisted of 4 officers and non-commissioned officers as well as 125 troops.
Cultural initiatives among the internees were encouraged as well as competitions in all kinds of sports. The albatross men even created their own musical band.
Photograph taken by Måns Birger Bruzelius and was provided by the Swedish National Archives - Regional State Archives in Visby. (Riksarkivet - Landsarkivet i Visby)

Conhoon said:

Swedish soldier from the Gotland Infantry Regiment (I 27) tasked at guarding the POW camp for the German crew of the SMS Albatross, Tofta socken, Gotland, c.1915.

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On 1 July 1915, a Russian squadron of armored cruisers under Admiral Bakhirev left their harbours in order to bombard Klaipeda (town in modern day Lithuania, then part of the German Empire). While sailing through thick fog the cruisers Rurik and Novik separated from the main group and later acted independently.
On the same day the German mine-laying cruiser SMS Albatross, protected by other German vessels, was laying mines off the Åland Islands. After completing his mission, Kommodore Karpf reported back through the radio. Karpf's message was intercepted and decoded. When Bakhirev became aware of the German squadron's whereabouts, the bombardment of Klaipeda was canceled. The squadron then focused on intercepting the German minelayers.
In the early morning of 2 July 1915, the Russian squadron spotted and immediately opened fire on the Albatross and other vessels. Karpf commanded the Albatross to find shelter in Swedish territorial waters. However, Russian cruisers managed to catch up with the Albatross and opened fire. The flaming Albatross ran aground in Östergarn, Gotland.
Of the fatalities, 26 of the German sailors were buried the same evening the battle was fought in a mass grave just east of Östergarn Church. One member of the crew had fallen overboard and could not be found. Two of the crew members who died during transportation to Roma were buried at Björke cemetery. The surviving German crew were interned, first in Roma, then at Blåhäll in Tofta.
The Swedish guard force rotated after 14 days and consisted of 4 officers and non-commissioned officers as well as 125 troops.
Cultural initiatives among the internees were encouraged as well as competitions in all kinds of sports. The albatross men even created their own musical band.
Photograph taken by Måns Birger Bruzelius and was provided by the Swedish National Archives - Regional State Archives in Visby. (Riksarkivet - Landsarkivet i Visby)

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Now that's how I would have wanted to serve out WW1.

I would have stayed there afterwards if they let me! Missed a lot of unpleasantness down the road.

Stretcher bearers of the 18th Infantry Division on the country roads. 1915.


"MARCEL CHATENAY" PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION (1914-1918)

USS Washington (BB-56) at anchor at Scapa Flow, Scotland,as seen from the flight deck of USS Wasp (CV-7). April 1942