Breathtaking Colorized Photos Show the Horror of the War in the Pacific During World War II

Stunning photos of the US Army during the War in the Pacific have been brought to life through vivid colorization. The breathtaking images capture the perils of war, from men being stretchered away to hospital to soldiers fighting at Okinawa.

From December 1941 to September 1945, war raged on across Asia and the Pacific. The conflict, which led to around 36 million casualties, was a turning point in World War II. The unexpected Japanese air strike on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 triggered the USA’s involvement in the Second World War.

On December 8, America declared war on Japan, along with the other Allied nations.

Royston Leonard, from Cardiff, Wales, is the man who brought these photos to life. “The Japanese code was to not surrender and to fight to the death which was their way to die in battle with honour, almost no prisoners were taken unless they were badly injured and could no longer fight,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of photos of the European war in color but almost nothing from the Pacific War.”

US soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division attacking a Japanese blockhouse on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands in 1944. The troops began capturing the islands by landing their forces on the beaches.

U.S. Marines firing an M1919 Browning machine gun during the fighting on the island of Peleliu. These .30 caliber weapons were typically used during World War II.

An Avenger aircraft from the squadron VT-26, after engine failure and a catapult mishap on board the aircraft carrier USS Bataan CVE-29. March 13, 1944.

Spectators from all over the world pick vantage positions on the deck of the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay in September 1945, to watch the Japanese surrender ceremony marking the end of World War II.

U.S. Army soldiers on Bougainville, an island in Papua New Guinea, taking cover behind an M4 Sherman tank in February 1943.

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Fearful 16-Year-Old German Soldier Crying Tears of Defeat, After Being Captured by the US 9th Army in Germany, 1945

A sixteen-year old German anti aircraft soldier of the Hitler Youth, Hans-Georg Henke, taken prisoner in the state of Hessen, Germany. He was a member of the Luftwaffe anti-air squad who burst into tears as his world crumbled around him. His father died in 1938 but when his mother died in 1944 leaving the family destitute, Hans-Georg had to find work in order to support the family. At 15 years of age he joined the Luftwaffe.

As a son of a former Communist sympathiser, Hans-Georg himself joined the Communist party and went to live in Finstewald in East Germany after the war. Unlike the hordes that crossed from East to West Germany during the period before the erection of the Berlin Wall, Hans-Georg did the exact opposite. Perhaps it is for this reason that he changed the story of why he was crying so inconsolably in these photographs.

According to the story that Henke maintained throughout his life – he died in 1997 – he was based in Stettin with a battery of 88mm guns. As the Russians advanced so the German forces were pushed back towards Rostock. It was here where the Russians finally overran their unit, that these photographs were taken.

The alternative story is given by an American photo-journalist John Florea. He alleges that he took these photographs in Hessen, in the village of Hüttenberg-Rechtenbach, which is just north of Frankfurt am Main.

The area in which the photos of Hans-Georg were taken is incontrovertibly Hessen. A number of photos taken clearly show areas of the town which still exist today. Furthermore as these photos indicate, he was bearing boots when captured and not, as he alleged later, with rags on his feet.

On another aspect there is also a difference of opinion. John Florea is adamant that Hans-Georg is not sobbing because his world had crumbled but rather due to combat shock after being overrun by the American forces.

The sole motive for Henke dissembling on this issue must relate to the fact that he elected to join the Communist Party and live in East Germany. The East German Communists regarded all those who had surrendered to the Americans as a potential third force. To cover his tracks, Henke changed the story from being overrun by Americans to being captured by the Russians.

Hans-Georg Henke during an interview with the Western Press at which he presented a conflicting account of the events that led to this episode.

Notwithstanding that, these photographs have been used extensively to illustrate the effect of the world crumbling around the German populace.

The effect of the defeat on a normal youth like Hans-Georg was probably initially worse and that of a member of the Hitler Jugend but probably many members of the Hitler Youth would have been deeply embittered for the rest of their lives.

Hence they would have found it difficult to come to terms with Germany’s collapse and defeat.

(Photos by John Florea—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images, via The Casual Observer)

Faces From the Front: Incredible Before and After Photos Show World War I Soldiers’ Horrific Facial Injuries

These incredible before and after photographs show how British and French soldiers had to have their faces completely rebuilt having been maimed during World War One.

The photos are part of a book, Faces from the Front, looking at the early development of plastic surgery. It highlights the work of young surgeon Harold Gillies, who repaired the faces of those who were injured and shipped back home between 1914 and 1918.

Mr Gillies spent years restoring the dignity of men who had been prepared to sacrifice their lives. His incredible skill saw him use a rib to reconstruct a jaw. He also spent six years and 19 operations restoring a cheek, upper lip and nose of another soldier.

Impressive before and after images of Private Harold Page, of the Norfolk Regiment, who lost an eye in the Battle of the Somme.

Private William Thomas of the 1st Cheshire Regiment on the first day of his admission (left) and his final appearance (right).

Captain J.G.H Budd shown in May 1919 who had reconstructive surgery on his nose.

Private Arthur Mears is captured during treatment (left) and afterwards (right) following the repair of his jaw using his rib.

Lieutenant T.H. Elderton, of the 3rd Batallion, Bedford Regiment, before the war (left); on admission to Sidcup on February 10 1918 (center) and after being worked on by Harold Gillies (right).

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24 Rare Studio Portraits of Union and Confederate Soldiers With Their Friends During the American Civil War

Photographs of soldiers during the Civil War (1861–1865) were very popular. These ambrotypes and tintypes, and small card photos called cartes de visite represent both Union and Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War.

The portraits often show weapons, hats, canteens, musical instruments and painted backdrops. Other photo topics include flags, city views, veterans, and ships. Among the most rare images are portraits of soldiers with their friends.

This might be first, only, and/or last time one of these men might be able to get his picture taken. So it’s striking how many of these men wanted that picture to be with a friend. It’s especially touching how they made sure to display the affection they felt for one another, with arms on shoulders, linked arms, and even held hands.

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A German WWII Prisoner Is Reunited With His Daughter for the First Time Since She Was 1 Year Old, 1956

Helmuth Pirath, the winner of World Press Photo in 1956 captured the most touching moment when a German WWII prisoner, released by the Soviet Union, reunited with his daughter who had not seen her father since she was one year old.

This man was one of the last prisoners of war to be released by the Soviet Union since the end of World War II. Most German prisoners of war returned home through the Grenzdurchgangslager Friedland, in the German federal state of Niedersachsen, which was then located at the East-German border. Lager Friedland was set up in September 1945 as a transit camp for refugees, home comers, soldiers and displaced persons.

(Photos by Helmuth Pirath/World Press Photo of the Year 1956)

Portraits of John Clem, Who Was 12 Years Old When He Became a Civil War Hero

Johnny Clem was a soldier in the service of the United States for most of his life. He was born on August 13, 1851, in Newark, Ohio. His actual name was John Joseph Klem.

When President Abraham Lincoln in May 1861 issued the call for volunteers to serve in the Union army for a three year term, one of those who tried to answer was Ohio resident John Clem. Not yet 10 years old, Clem’s service was refused by the newly formed 3rd Ohio. Undeterred, Clem later tried to join the 22nd Michigan, where his persistence won over the unit’s officers. They agreed to let him follow the regiment, adopting him as a mascot and unofficial drummer boy. The officers also chipped in to pay his monthly salary of $13 before he finally was allowed to officially enlist in 1863.

Clem became a national celebrity for his actions at Chickamauga. Armed with a musket sawed down for him to carry, Clem joined the 22nd Michigan in the defense of Horseshoe Ridge on the afternoon of September 20. As the Confederate forces surrounded the unit, a Confederate colonel spotted Clem and shouted either “I think the best thing a mite of a chap like you can do is drop that gun” or called him a “damned little Yankee devil,” according to various sources. Rather than surrender, Clem shot the colonel and successfully made his way back to Union lines. For his actions, Clem was promoted to sergeant, the youngest soldier ever to become a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army, and became known as the “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga.”

Clem’s legend grew following the battle, although some stories may be apocryphal. One holds that his drum was destroyed at the Battle of Shiloh, earning him the nickname “Johnny Shiloh” and serving as inspiration for the song, “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh.” However, the 22nd Michigan, Clem’s unit, was not mustered until the summer after the Battle of Shiloh, making it unlikely Clem saw action in the battle with that regiment.

Clem went on to fight at Perryville, Murfreesboro, Kennesaw and Atlanta, where he was wounded twice. Clem was discharged from the Army in 1864 at age 13, but sought to rejoin the military in 1870. Nominated to West Point by President Ulysses S. Grant, Clem failed the entrance exam several times before Grant appointed him a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Clem enjoyed a successful second military career, rising to the rank of colonel and assistant quartermaster general by 1906. He retired on the eve of U.S. entry into World War I with the rank of major general, the last Civil War veteran to actively serve in the U.S. Army. Clem died on May 13, 1937 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

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62 Emotional Pictures That Capture Private Moments of 'Soldiers at Rest' During World War II

War brings pain, sacrifice. It is really cruel, especially for the soldiers directly involved in combat. Private moments of these soldiers are really something rare and worthwhile.

A collection of emotional pictures from MacArthur Museum that shows rare private moments of soldiers resting during the World War II.

Bottle baby

Bravery amazes homeland

Britain’s home guard studies guerrilla warfare

British girls pour tea for yanks

Chow for yanks in Buna

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Germans During WWI Through Incredible Colorized Photos

A collection of colorized photos from DURIEZ Frédéric that shows Germans during the First World War.

Flamethrower pioneers of Assault Battalion No. 5 (Rohr)

9 cm Batterie Hoffman in Fuerstellung, Ersatz Btn. 44

101st Grenadier Saxon, 1914

A German mortar section with horse-drawn transport moving through wooded country on the Montdidier - Noyon sector of the front, June 1918

A sharp 1918 field portrait of a young sergeant from an unidentified Saxon formation

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‘Killed’ in Vietnam and Buried With Comrades, This Marine Came Back to His Family 5 Years After He Died

He was 17 when he signed up with the Marines in 1967. He was 18 when he was captured, 19 when his funeral was held and 23 when he was released from prison in 1973.

A 1973 photograph of Ridgeway after his return to the United States. (Matthew Busch for The Washington Post)

Ronald L. Ridgeway was “killed” in Vietnam on Feb. 25, 1968. The 18-year-old Marine Corps private first class fell with a bullet to the shoulder during a savage firefight with the enemy outside Khe Sanh.

The Battle of Khe Sanh began when the North Vietnamese attacked one of America’s northernmost garrisons near the border between Vietnam and Laos. When the North Vietnamese attacked on Jan. 21, 1968, it quickly became clear that the preparations weren’t enough. According to the Stars and Stripes, 6,000 troops were attacked by an enemy force that would eventually grow to an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 enemies, and the carefully hoarded supply of artillery and mortar rounds were 90 percent destroyed by an enemy artillery attack that hit the ammo dump.

Khe Sanh, South Vietnam. March, 1968: US Marines scramble for cover as another volley of Viet Cong shells lands on the besieged base at Khe Sanh. (Photographed by John Olson for Stars and Stripes)

Back home, his family received word that Ridgeway had died on the battlefield. Mildred, the Marine’s mother, even received a folded American flag in his honor after his burial at a national cemetery in St. Louis, Mo., on Sept. 10, 1968.

After his disappearance, Ridgeway’s name was etched onto a tombstone in a St. Louis cemetery, along with those of eight fellow Marines who went missing in the 1968 ambush. (Fred Waters/Associated Press)

But as his comrades and family mourned, Ron Ridgeway sat in harsh North Vietnamese prisons for five years, often in solitary confinement, mentally at war with his captors and fighting for a life that was technically over. At the hands of the enemy, Ridgeway said he contracted malaria, developed lice and lost about 50 pounds. He was certain the soldiers were going to kill him.

Ridgeway was eventually released from Hanoi Hilton prison in March 1973 after the U.S. and Vietnam had agreed on a peace agreement before withdrawing American troops from the country. What Ridgeway took with him was his freedom, the pink-and-gray striped prisoner’s pajamas and his rubber sandals he wore.

Marine Sargent Ronald L. Ridgeway upon his arrival at a Houston airport. (BETTMANN/BETTMANN ARCHIVE)

After his release, Ridgeway got married, went to school and even visited his tombstone. A new memorial was later raised with Ridgeway’s name removed.

“I came back in basically one piece,” he said. “I came back able to live my life,” he told The Washington Post. “We went over with a job to do. We did it to the best of our ability. We were lucky enough to come back.”

Retired Marine Ronald Ridgeway poses for a portrait at his home in Hallettsville, TX on Thursday, June 8, 2017. (Matthew Busch for The Washington Post)

(via The Washington Post)

56 Incredible Colorized Photos That Revived 'Russia During WWI'

These incredible photos were colorized by Olga that show Russia during World War One.

Shell hole, 1914

Colonel Grigory Kuchin, 1914

General Aleksei Brusilov, circa 1914

Michael A. Dashkov, Captain of the 9th Russian Army under the command of General Lechitsky, November 19, 1914

 Portrait of a Russian nurse, 1914

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