| Caption | US 101st Airborne Division paratrooper Corporal Louis E. Laird boarded a C-47 transport during dress rehersals for the Normandy invasion, spring 1944 ww2dbase | |||||||||||
| Source | ww2dbaseUnited States National Archives | |||||||||||
| Identification Code | USA C-1050 | |||||||||||
| More on... |
| |||||||||||
| Added By | C. Peter Chen | |||||||||||
| Added Date | 10 May 2007 | |||||||||||
| Licensing | Public Domain. According to the US National Archives, as of 21 Jul 2010: |
Did you enjoy this photograph or find this photograph helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this photograph with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Visitor Submitted Comments
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Passing of Margaret Kelly (25 Jan 2021)
- » WW2DB's 16th Anniversary (29 Dec 2020)
- » Hidekazu Tamura shared his feelings toward his war time internment (2 Sep 2020)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,095 biographies
- » 332 events
- » 38,377 timeline entries
- » 1,131 ships
- » 337 aircraft models
- » 191 vehicle models
- » 352 weapon models
- » 118 historical documents
- » 225 facilities
- » 464 book reviews
- » 27,231 photos
- » 352 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."Winston Churchill
25 Sep 2011 04:48:12 PM
UNIFORM OF THE DAY: AIRBORNE ALL THE WAY!
WHAT THE WELL DRESSED PARATROOPER WORE ON
D-DAY JUNE 6,1944.
EQUIPMENT:
CORPORAL LOUIS E. LAIRD HAS BEEN ISSUED HIS
M1942 JUMP JACKET AND TROUSERS. NOTE THE
SCREAMING EAGLE PATCH ON HIS LEFT SLEEVE.
THE YELLOW ITEM AROUND HIS NECK IS THE
INFLATEABLE MAE WEST LIFE JACKET, PARATROOP
M1 HELMET NOTE THE CHIN CUP W/HELMET STRAP THE M1, WAS MODIFIED, TO GIVE SUPPORT TO HEAD AND NECK DURING JUMPS.
HE HAS HIS RESERVE PARACHUTE ON CHEST, MAIN CHUTE ON HIS BACK, THE PLASTIC BAG UNDER HIS LEFT ARM IS HIS TRAINING GAS MASK.
WEAPONS AND WEB EQUIPMENT:
LOOKS LIKE THE M1 BAZOOKA TO ME, BUT ITS A GUESS. HE COULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING WEAPONS.
M1 GARAND RIFLE, .30 CALIBER M1 CARBINE W/FOLDING STOCK FOR AIRBORNE FORCES, OR EVEN A .45 CALIBER THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN.
PLUS HIS MK.2 HAND GERNADES, M1926 WEB BELT, FOR AMMO, CANTEEN AND OTHER ITEMS. ON HIS LOWER LEFT LEG, IS HIS M3 FIGHTING KNIFE W/M8 SCABBARD PARA'S ALSO CARRIED A SMALL POCKET KNIFE AND CRICKET.
HIS SPECIAL SUPPORT JUMP BOOTS. POCKETS WERE FILLED W/EXTRA AMMO, FOOD, MEDICAL PACKS AND MORE MK.2 HAND GRENADES.
DID YOU KNOW...
THAT AMERICAN PARATROOPERS WERE THE ONLY
AIRBORNE FORCES ISSUED A RESERVE CHUTE.
THEY WERE ALL VOLUNTEERS, MANY MEN WHO COULD HAVE BEEN NCOs IN OTHER UNITS VOLUNTEERED AS PRIVATES IN THE AIRBORNE.
ALL OFFICERS, NCOs AND RANKS SHARED THE SAME TRAINING TOGETHER. THEY WON THEIR JUMP WINGS AFTER FIVE TRAINING JUMPS. MANY WERE KILLED OR INJURED DURING TRAINING, BEFORE THEY EVER FACED THE ENEMY.
I'M NO EXPERT SO ANY COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS ARE WELCOMED. THE WWII GENERATION, IS ONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF...
EVERY GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS SERVED THE
NATION IN PEACE AND WAR. MY PERSONAL WARTIME
US ARMY EXPERIENCE WAS FROM 1966 TO 1970 W/ ONE TOUR IN GERMANY, AND VOLUNTEERED FOR TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM.
I THANK THE EDITOR/WW2DB FOR ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE MY COMMENTS.
BILL