My grandfather's WWII photos (PIC HEAVY)

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abeallen

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Hey guys,

My grandfather was a photographer by trade, so naturally he had a camera with him while serving with the R.C.A.M.C in the Second World War. My dad and I have found a few of his photos and I thought I'd share them with you.





























My personal favourite is the Vimy Ridge Memorial one (even though it's double exposed). Does anyone have any ideas where some of the locations might be? Like the bridge? or the monument under the eagle gate? I know he served in Antwerp, and some of the photos say the were taken in Bruges.

Now to put this post in line with being on a milsurp forum I'll add these photos.





This compass was apparently given to my grandfather by a wounded German soldier (possibly a tank commander) that he helped patch up.

I hope you guys enjoy the photos.

Thanks!
 
I have a few more, though the first group are the ones I found to be the most interesting. There's a bunch of self portraits or "selfies" as the kids today call them! I'll post the rest, and if we find any more I'll post those too! Unfortunately I think he may have lost a lot of his albums in a flood. My dad remembers as a kid finding albums with photographs of operations being done on some wounded soldiers (they must have used him to document them).



This one is interesting to me (and funny) because he wasn't in the Air Force. So I'm not sure why he was there. Though if my research is correct I believe there was a Service Flying Training School in his home town of Dunville, Ontario




















I think the text on this might say "The Well. Known historical place 'The Love Water' at Bruges. March '45"






This text I believe says "One off (sic) the first fairs at Bruges. February '45"












These post cards are pretty interesting. The #20 referenced in the cards is his unit No. 20 General Hospital.



This one is pretty interesting as well. Not only has it been colourized, but this is a hospital in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. I imagine he served here when he was a member of the Canadian Army Occupation Force, though No. 20 General Hospital was disbanded before crossing the Rhine. From my research, apparently there was a concentration camp at Wilhelmshaven, where Soviet POWs were forced to work in the naval shipyards, and the camp later became a camp for displaced persons.

Hope you guys enjoy these photos as well!
 
Thanks so much! This is part of our national history in which we can all be proud! Just as a side note. There is most likely a veterans association for your grandfathers unit. Consider sending the photos to them as well. They normally love to receive such photos and can often help in identifying others in the photos as well. They will of course include them in their unit war history. It's a way to preserve them for posterity. Thanks again
 
This one is pretty interesting as well. Not only has it been colourized, but this is a hospital in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. I imagine he served here when he was a member of the Canadian Army Occupation Force, though No. 20 General Hospital was disbanded before crossing the Rhine. From my research, apparently there was a concentration camp at Wilhelmshaven, where Soviet POWs were forced to work in the naval shipyards, and the camp later became a camp for displaced persons.
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.. Yes .. excellent photo's ... fwiw - they were in Wilhelmshaven and Bremerhaven .. I have several "liberated" items my father brought back with Kreigsmarine markings circa this period
 
Mp425 said:
Thanks so much! This is part of our national history in which we can all be proud! Just as a side note. There is most likely a veterans association for your grandfathers unit. Consider sending the photos to them as well. They normally love to receive such photos and can often help in identifying others in the photos as well. They will of course include them in their unit war history. It's a way to preserve them for posterity. Thanks again
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Any idea where my first step to finding them is? Does the Royal Canadian Legion have a database where I could start? I find its difficult to find info on R.C.A.M.C. units as they don't seem to have localized units, like say the R.H.L.I have, and they're all bunched into the R.C.A.M.C...
 
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