1953anewhope

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1942 12 Leningrad Skoda 305 mm Model 1916 howitzer

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Henry "Black Death" Johnson served as a member of Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division, American Expeditionary Forces (The Harlem Hellfighters), during combat operations against the enemy on the front lines of the Western Front in France.

While on night sentry duty, May 15, 1918, Johnson and a fellow Soldier, Pvt. Needham Roberts, received a surprise attack by a German raiding party consisting of at least 12 soldiers.

While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Johnson mounted a brave retaliation resulting in several enemy casualties. When Roberts was badly wounded, Johnson prevented him from being taken prisoner by German forces.

After his rifle jammed, Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding only a knife and being seriously wounded, Johnson continued fighting, took his Bolo knife and stabbed it through an enemy soldier's head.

Displaying great courage, the 5ft 4in Johnson held back the enemy force until they retreated. The enemy raid's failure to secure prisoners was due to the bravery and resistance of Johnson and his fellow comrade. The effect of their fierce fighting resulted in the increased vigilance and confidence of the 369th Infantry Regiment.

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A flight of Airco De Havilland DH.4 Bombers of RAF 25 Squadron set in 1918 by Brian Knight

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...those magnificent men in their flying machines...Royal Flying Corps & Royal Air Force 1914-18. (FTP)

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Battle of the Lys. Serviceman of the Royal Flying Corps shaking hands with a French Cavalryman (possibly 15th Cavalry Regiment) at Hesdin, 14 April 1918.

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American dancer Irene Castle models her version of the British Royal Flying Corps. uniform, in which her British husband Vernon, served as a pilot. He was unfortunately killed avoiding a collision with another aircraft in Texas in 1918.

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The Battle of Menin Road was an offensive operation, part of the Third Battle of Ypres on the Western Front, which saw the first involvement of Australian units (1st and 2nd Divisions AIF) in the Third Battle of Ypres. Two biplanes are seen flying at low altitude over the front line trenches. These might represent RE8 reconnaissance aircraft operated by 4 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, which was detailed with providing contact patrols for the action on 20 September 1917.

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HM King George V with Brigadier General John Becke at the Bray-Dunes aerodrome, 5 July 1917. Edward, the Prince of Wales, is looking at a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 biplane.

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Ginger Rogers in the film 'The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle' (1939) with Fred Astaire, playing the then even more famous dancing couple. She wears the British Royal Flying Corps uniform of her on-screen husband (see story above), very smart! (FTP)

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Royal Flying Corps driver.

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1917 11 15 The Big Push - Anthony Saunders

The Battle of Passchendaele lasted for four months and ended in November 1917. Nearly a quarter of a million British, Canadian and New Zealand troops died while fighting for control of the ridges to the south and east of Ypres. It was a high price for victory.This outstanding painting depicts men and horses of the Royal Field Artillery, swamped by mud in a desolate, shattered landscape, dragging their 18 pounder field gun towards a new position on 15 November 1917, during the final days of the battle. Whilst the army continues its grim fight on the ground, overhead Sopwith Camels from 45 Squadron Royal Flying Corps tangle in a deadly duel with German Albatros fighters of Jasta 6. Flying the lead Sopwith Camel is the RFC Ace Second Lieutenant Kenneth Montgomery. He scored the last of his 12 victories in this dogfight when he shot down the German Ace Leutnant Hans Ritter von Adam, the Commanding Officer of Jasta 6 with an impressive 21 victories to his name.

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Bristol F2B Royal Flying Corp, Training School

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A woman motor driver serving with the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1917

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July 1918: RAF 230 Squadron Felixstowe-F.2A

@ron_eisele via X

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Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front, First World War

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Column of the 21st Panzergrenadier regiment from the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg".

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The atomic cloud over Nagasaki Japan, August 9th, 1945. This is believed to be the earliest photograph taken from the ground, fifteen minutes after the plutonium bomb detonation.