Combat Photographers

US Marine Corps photo, Guam (Who took this picture?)

When you watch the TV news, videos or newsreels and see the daring reporter enter a combat area – ask yourself – ‘who went in there first to record that moment?’  The unsung heroes of combat photographers have been supplying the public with information since their cameras were invented:

Adolph Hitler being installed as Chancellor of Germany and all of his subsequent conquests across Europe; Mussolini’s troops in Ethiopia; the Battle of Britain and the invasion of Russia were all captured and seen in newspapers and newsreels shown in 14,000 local U.S. neighborhood theaters.  When Japan invaded China, two American newsreel cameramen were there – Norman Alley of Universal and Eric Mayell of Fox Movietone.

Norman Alley & Eric Mayell, USS Panay, 1937

Enlisted, drafted or civilian, the men often dropped their cameras to pick up a rifle and so few people realize the price often paid.  But during WWII, the home front was hungry for news of the war and their loved ones – and the cameras were rolling.

To name only a few ….

Ken Bell

-Fred Baylis of Paramount, enroute from Germany’s invasion of France to Sicily was killed when his plane burned.
– Ken Bell, a Lt. in the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit, worked in the ETO.
– Margaret Bourke-White, the first female war correspondent and only foreign photographer in Moscow when Germany

Margaret Bourke-White

invaded Russia, moved on to cover more of the ETO.

Robert Capa

– Robert Capa, filmed the Spanish Civil War, Sino-Japan War, the ETO and while at the First Indochina War, stepped on a land mine and died with his camera in his hand.
– Dickey Chapelle, only female photographer on Iwo Jima, also covered Okinawa and continued to work in Vietnam.

Dickey Chapelle

-Earle Crotchett of Universal, caught in a Japanese air raid on New Guinea, broke his leg – but caught the attack on film.
– Harold Dunkley, one of Australia’s longest serving photographers, captured the CBI, the Philippines and returned for the Korean War.

Harold Dunkley

– Lee Embree, a US Army SSgt., took the first air-to-air photographs of Japanese pilots bombing Pearl Harbor and then went out to cover the PTO.
– 2nd Lt. Donald Mittelstaedt, saw action in most every battle of the Pacific, including the 11th Airborne Division while they were in Battangas Province, south of Manila, P.I.

Donald Mittelstaedt w/ the 11th A/B near Manila

-Dave Oliver of Pathe News, skipped clear of a German shell while picturing the 5th Allied Army in Italy.

– Damien Parer of Paramount, traveled with the Marines from Pearl Harbor to Palau, where he was shot and killed by machine-gun fire in September 1944.

Rey Scott

Rey Scott, wrote, produced and shot the documentary “Kukan, The Battle Cry of China” and traveled to Chongquing and filmed the Japanese bombings of the city from the rooftop of the US Embassy building.  He flew 9 missions for the taping of “Report From the Aleutians” and continued to film as both a civilian and soldier.

William Clothier

Major William Wyler, more widely known as a director, flew missions for the filming of “Memphis Belle” along with Captains Harold Tannenbaum and Bill Clothier.  Wyler was awarded the Air Medal for his 5 sorties, but came home deaf.  Tannenbaum was killed in action.  Clothier rose to LtColonel and flew 17 missions for the ‘Belle.’

Sadly, not all will be mentioned here, the US Navy had 11 combat-photography units and there was the US Army Pictorial Service.  Other countries sent there their units.  Sgt. Bert Balaban took Wake Island aerials; Sgt.’s Norman Hatch & Obie Newcomb were at Tarawa; Cpl. Arthur J. Kiely Jr. in Saipan and Lt. Dewey Wrigley was on Attu, Alaska and in Sicily & southern France.

Norm Hatch speaks with Herb Schlosberg.

USMC SSgt. Louis Lowery took the original [and to me, the most noteworthy] picture of raising the flag on Iwo Jima.  The second photo (and most famous) was orchestrated by Joe Rosenthal, but taken by Bob Campbell and Bill Genaust.  Genaust was killed in action nine days later.

Capt. Lou Lowrey

These men and so many more deserve higher honors than they ever received for the perils they withstood to give the world the pictures we are all still privileged to see today.  They captured History.

Click images to enlarge.

###############################################################################

Military Humor – S.N.A.F.U.

##############################################################################

Farewell Salutes – 

Alexander Bonnyman Jr. – Knoxville, TN; USMC, WWII, Lt., PTO, Medal of Honor, KIA > Body returned home.

John DeMarco – Troy, NY; US Coast Guard, WWII, PTO

Paul Gaeke – Hobe Sound, FL; US Army, Vietnam, artillery

Robert Lutes – Mountain Home, AR; US Air Force, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, pilot, Bronze Star, DFC

Francis J. Menchey – Gettysburg, PA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class

Michael Metcalf – Boynton Beach, FL; US Army, Pvt. 1st Class, Afghanistan

Paul Piché – Nanalmo, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, ETO, 443 Squadron

Donald Sirl – Cleveland, OH; US Army, Korea

Lilian Gladys Tompkins – Hamilton, NZ; WWII, nurse, Changi POW

Eldridge Williams – Miami, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Tuskegee airman,/ Korea

################################################################################

I am having a difficult time with the new Reader program.  Should I happen to miss anyone’s latest post – please leave a comment so that I can get back to you – THANK YOU!!

################################################################################