Picture of the day

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Canadian soldiers of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division watching tanks of the Fort Garry Horse passing near Munderloh in Germany, 23 April 1945 ����

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"Jose Pimentel
To answer Joaquim, there were several Pumas that served different areas and strategic bases. Sometimes they flew in single file, transporting around 24 soldiers each. In my case, these Pumas left us at distances of between 40 and 60 km, around Quipedro, Nambuangongo, near the Canacassala forests, and other objectives to "treat" as they said in military language! After starting, we still had many kms to do for several days and nights, loaded with material, under the heat, sometimes very cold when it rained during the nights, tropical thunderstorms, when the water was not too bad.
Throughout 1973 it was a reliable transport vehicle, the tours were not very touristy, there was sometimes a fire of artifice, we were far from the cafes of shops and terraces, it was not yet time for revolutions, we did not have time to think neither in politics nor in ideologies.
Returning to the base, without physical damage, despite being tired, taking a shower and a cold beer (s) was an invaluable reward.
As a souvenir, I found a photograph with a Cape Verdean comrade, Furriel Veiga, who I lost sight of, as a nurse, in a moment of rest and recovery for a new "adventure"!
In this photo, we were already clean, washed, in short, we weren't too old to walk in this "crowd"!
 
THE INFERNAL DARKNESS !!! ����������
This photo, taken in August 1944, in Normandy, shows Lance Sergeant Earl H. McAllister (Hamilton, Ontario), a Canadian hero who single-handedly captured dozens of German soldiers. During WWII, Earl joined the Canadian Army and became a member of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. Just before going overseas, he told his parents: "Either I come back a hero or I won't come back at all". During the Battle of Normandy, Earl displayed outstanding courage and became a legend when he captured dozens of German soldiers by himself. Two months later, on October 20, 1944, Earl was fighting in Belgium when one of his comrades was wounded by enemy fire. Without hesitation, he rushed to his aid, but as he approached, he was shot and killed by a German sniper. Shortly before his death, Earl started writing a letter which was found in his pocket. This letter said: "The worst thing we have to contend with is the infernal darkness when we're on patrol and can't see our hand in front of our face, let alone where we are walking". This true Canadian hero is now resting in peace at the Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

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Fastest Medal of Honor ever awarded!

On April 12, 1945 Staff Sgt. Henry R. Erwin was a radio operator aboard a B29 flying a bombing run over Japan. Upon reaching the target area, a white phosphorus canister ignited inside the bomb bay of the aircraft. As the billowing white smoke filled the aircraft, Erwin immediately crawled to his hands and knees, dropped inside the bomb bay, and cradled the 1300 degrees burning white phosphorus canister. With his hair on fire, melting nose, arms and entire upper body, he crawled towards the cockpit, open the cockpit window and threw it out of the plane. With his clothing on fire and face charred beyond recognition, he was barely still alive when the plane made its way back. Upon landing back in base, his body was so stiff, they had to dismantle the side of the plane to get him out. He was transferred to a hospital in Guam where the doctors were sure he was a goner. Erwin was immediately recommended for the Medal of Honor and authorities in D.C. expedited the process so that it could be presented to him before he died. But there was only one Medal in the Pacific, on display in a locked glass case in Hawaii. An officer there, unable to find the key, smashed the glass case and personally flew it to Guam. One week from the bombing run, Erwin was presented the Medal of Honor.

Erwin survived the war, his injuries and lived a full life until he was 81.
 
Given the fired casings in the gun tub, I suspect they were anticipating that they would use them before exposure became a problem.
 
Given the fired casings in the gun tub, I suspect they were anticipating that they would use them before exposure became a problem.

Yeah, this is just the ammunition immediately available for action, being stored on the racks on the splinter shields. Ready service ammo was ordinarily stored in a locker behind the gun mount.
 
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