Saturday, September 17, 2011

Sat/Sun Snapshots - Photos

WW2 photos and news clippings.

Sorry folks, I haven't been writing much but economics has dictated that I concentrate my energy on work (which pays) as opposed to writing/blogging (which is great fun, but doesn't pay). Many of you seem interested in WW2 memorabilia, so I thought I'd post some for the weekend.

US Ration Books, 1942

Good health is part of the war effort. Aspro (aspirin) is touted for treatment of "pain, nerve strain...feverish complaints and ills, chills...as an excellent gargle for sore throat, tonsillitis, and acts as a deterrent." SR Toothpaste keeps gums and teeth healthy; "return all empty tubes to your retailer and help the Red Cross & St. John Fund."

A railway engine after being bombed - looks a bit like a flower. (Undated news clipping.)


Top: "Old Palace scholars often continued their lessons in the strong beamed cellar during raids."
Bottom:  "Graveyard Havoc. - St. Peter's Churchyard, South croydon, in March, 1944."

From "Croydon Courageous", 1939-1945 (Third Edition) Produced by the Croydon Times. This is a really striking collection of photographs and commentary of Croydon, UK during the war. (Croydon was the most "fly-bombed" borough, meaning that it suffered the most strikes from the notorious unmanned V-1 flying bombs (doodlebugs).

Radar installation. Type, date, location unknown.











8 comments:

  1. nice pics Li - I was lucky enough to see an Anderson shelter when back in the UK.

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  2. Wow! I'm a huge WW2 history buff as well, but I know more about the Asian venue. How amazing to imagine what it must have been like in those years in the US through these photos!

    Li, I also wanted to let you know that I sent you the Versatile Blogger Award, but I know how you feel about keeping your blog fiction-related. I really just wanted you to know that I appreciate you and love your work. =)

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  3. These are great -- they remind me of the recent Captain America flick. Pretty sad, that my first association is with a comic book movie...

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  4. The bombed railway engine is wild.
    Looking forward to your picks for the blogfest on Monday!

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  5. We look back almost with nostalgia to the days of WWII and forget the horror. Maybe that's why we keep repeating wars.

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  6. Those are some interesting pictures!

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  7. Hi David - someone a local ex-pat said that when he left in the 70s, several homes still had the shelters in place and had converted them into storage or built stepped gardens over top of them.

    Thank you, Sam!!! I appreciate the award and the sentiment behind it. I'd love to know more about the Asian theatre of operations; all of my relatives served in Europe, except for my Dad who was drafted to serve in Korea during the 50s.

    Nonsense, Milo - comics (and books) are a great way to introduce kids and adults to certain historical periods, events, scientific concepts, and moral issues. Whatever gets you reading!

    Hi Alex! It is a cool pic, isn't it? I wish I had just posted it and let people guess what the heck it was! BTW, I only reviewed one film for your fest, but I feel that is a film worthy of its very own post :-)

    @jabblog - a profound sentiment, and I believe it's at least partially true. That's why I advocate showing high school kids films such as "Schindler's List", "Apocalypse Now", and "Saving Private Ryan" among others. They will learn and retain so much more from graphic images than from dry textbook accounts, and it allows for some very intense discussions.

    @Golden Eagle - glad you liked them :-) I always worry that they'll bore people.

    @Stu - I'll take you up on that at a later date. And no, according to the clip, the engine was unattended so probably no one was injured.

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  8. What interesting photographs. I agree that when we begin to look back with nostalgia, we forget how awful it was for those who lived through it. And so we repeat the process. It's a good idea to try to teach children the realities of war, in the hope that their generation might 'get it'. But looking back over thousands of years, I doubt we'll ever truly learn.

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