Checking out these old photographs of the war can lead you to the rediscovery of many an unusual artefact. These retired and long-since forgotten tactical balloons are a great example of this phenomenon. What you’re looking at is a barrage balloon lined up in an unnamed base in Weymouth, Dorset, England on May 1st, 1944. It flies above the structure, attached to cables below.
Barrage balloons look like a small-sized zeppelin and were used by the Allied forces to deter low-flying aircraft sent to sneak in undetected and drop bombs. These balloons were threats to the aircraft, posing as collision risks.
Bringing D-Day To Life Through A Colorful Documentary
This is a photograph of one of the many places devastated during the bloodiest war in human history. It is a mere specimen of the bigger picture, that can now also be relived through a documentary titled D-Day in color. It is a 120-minute film that is narrated by John Hurt, who guides viewers through the inexplicable scenes and experiences the Allied soldiers underwent during the infamous battle.
From the heavy preparations prior to the Omaha landing, to the psychological effects of the war on the soldiers, this digitized footage brings back the harrowing scenes of WWII. A reminder for us to never let such a tragedy happen again.
Before The Bloodbath
Based on the wide scale and importance of the Battle of Normandy, high casualty rates were to be expected on both sides. It wouldn’t be easy to cross channels without any place to hide against a well-prepared enemy shooting straight at you, and to land on the shores of Omaha Beach meant testing your luck running across a territory that was heavy-laden with landmines.
Determined to minimize war casualties as much as possible, military ambulances are here photographed streaming into the belly of Landing Ship Tanks. This was taken at Portland Harbour, Dorset before the D-Day landings in 1944. Despite the rules of war that allow medical vessels to pass unharmed, many medical ships were shot at, or destroyed, during battle.
The Past In Striking Colors & Detail
With all the advances in photography available to us today, Photoshop experts challenge themselves by delving into old files and restoring black and white pictures that have yellowed on the edges; faces blurred.
This D-Day picture was merely part of a YouTube tutorial from David Galvan. Allied troops are seen wading, as they had during so many training maneuvers, on the beach of Normandy, France. The water has never looked so green on an original D-Day photograph, the soldier’s pans etched, the skies grey.
IX Bomber Command
These are the same aircraft that bombed Saint-Lô to smithereens after the Allied forces took control of the shores of Normandy. Flying in formation, they look so proud and tactical; 100% strike-ready. These birds are B-26 Marauders with the 344th Bomb Group.
They are part of the United States Air Force. The 344th is nicknamed, “Silver Streaks,” and they led the IX Bomber Command formations on D-Day. Before the Normandy invasion, Caen, Saint-Lô, and the Falaise Gap, these bombers conducted raids over the skies of German-occupied Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.