Joel Bellviure, the main colorizer at Cassowary Colorizations, started this project out of a desire to learn through historical rediscovery.

Cassowary Colorizations has colorized photos for both media publications as well as regular people (by accepting their commissions) but no matter where an image comes from, it is treated with attention and care.

If you take a look at Cassowary Colorizations' social media, you'd quickly understand just how meticulous their work really is. Every picture comes with a detailed description, providing not only visual information but important historical facts behind them as well.

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#1

Jacob C. Miller (August 4, 1840 - January 13, 1917) was a private in company K, 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment, and was wounded in the head near the Brock Field at the Battle of Chickamauga on the morning of September 19, 1863. The ball impacted in Miller's head during the Civil War, but luckily the buck didn't penetrate his skull. This extract is from a contemporary newspaper: «His name is Jacob Miller and since Sept. 19, 1863, he has lived with an open bullet wound in his forehead. For a number of years the bullet remained in his head but piece by piece it fell out till now. It is thought none of it remains in the wound. During the time it was in the head it at times would produce a stupor, which sometimes would last two weeks, it being usually when he caught cold and produced more of a pressure on the brain. At other times delirium would seize him and he would imagine himself again on picket duty and would tramp back and forth on his beat, a stick on his shoulder for a musket, a pitiful object of the sacrifice for freedom. As these pieces of lead gradually loosened and fell out he regained his usual health and is now at the age of 78 years, one of the most, if not the most, remarkable survivor of the Civil war.»

Image credits: Cassowary Colorizations

Bellviure got into colorizing about 6 years ago, just before starting an Archaeology degree. "Oddly enough, both are related," he told Bored Panda. "I see photographs like an archaeological dig: they are closed contexts that contain a lot of cultural material. It sometimes can be dated really precisely, but just like an archaeological record, we sometimes can only date a picture between one or two decades."

The artist has always been fascinated with how old stills containing so many artifacts, landscapes, and curious interactions seem so captivating but so distant at the same time.

#2

A few of the thousands of wedding rings the Nazis removed from their victims to salvage the gold. U.S. troops found rings, watches, precious stones, eyeglasses, and gold fillings, near the Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany, May 5, 1945. I’m preparing a series on the Holocaust, where I’ll try to represent not only the Jew extermination, but the repression to minorities and the work of the Einsatzgruppen as well.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

"I was appalled by some real color photographs from World War II. At the same time, I was reading about the New Guinea campaign. When I decided I wanted to give colorization a try, I found the first candidate: a picture of a cassowary named Oscar posing with an Australian Lieutenant in New Guinea. I tried using some online services that did a really poor job, but it felt mesmerizing at the moment."

After all this time, the only thing in Bellviure's colorization process that hasn't changed is what he calls archaeological research. "In a similar way to how amphoras and potsherds are researched in handbooks and insignificant pieces of pottery, if researched correctly, it can date a whole context, researching a photograph can be time-consuming but also valuable. Sometimes a uniform, a brand or a style can help to date an undated still." Bellviure also highlighted that in order to succeed at colorizing a photo, it is essential to pinpoint the exact colors that were in the frame.

#3

75 years of Casablanca. Today I woke up in a friend’s house, without having slept too much. Still with half-closed eyes, I opened my phone and the news popped up: today it marks the 75 anniversary of Casablanca. I don’t know what the other passengers might have thought of me, colorizing frenetically in the train back home, while, of course, trying to not fall dead due to lack of sleep. Here it is, my last homage to one of the best films ever made.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#4

US soldier from the 11th Airborne Division shares a bit of chocolate with a local girl, 1946, Japan. One of the main reasons for using chocolate in armies is the high energy content it has and how easy to carry it is. It has a light weight and long durability and was usually carried in simple pockets by any kind of Soldiers. During World War Two, the best-known chocolate was the Scho-Ka-Kola, destined to German Luftwaffe pilots in order to obtain fast and to keep their minds active during the combat. On the other hand, the American Army started serving Hershey’s chocolate to their troops. The result was the so-called "Logan Bars". This same company created in the 90s the "Desert Bar" designed for the operations in Middle East "Shield and Desert Storm", although the soldiers’ opinion of the soldiers on its flavour did not contribute to its later commercialization. This time it was the last one that the American Army used chocolate as energetic food, since in our days it is being replaced by synthetic food which, although it will be of help, will surely not give so much happiness to the troops than a good ol’ piece of tasty chocolate. By the way, you can still buy Scho-Ka-Kola and Hershey’s, which is great. 1946, John Florea

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

Once he is done with the research and has all the details written down, the artist starts the actual restoration process. "I do both restoration and colorization through Adobe Photoshop. Firstly, I adjust the lighting, contrast, and noise in a picture. Then I 'clean' it by manually deleting all the 'dots' and corrosion."

Bellviure said the colorization process is rather simple but he's constantly switching between different methods to see what works best.

"I like colorizing because it is like excavating a site. You divide the process by layers, and each layer needs to be researched and matched with the most accurate colors. Over the years, the eye gets used to seeing black and white images already in color and it is really enjoyable."

#5

A picture I did two years ago. Men (and a dog) of the Seaforth Highlanders rest in a trench, near La Gorgue, France, August 1915. Note how the bayonets are fixed, possibly pointing to the staging of the picture, as in 95% of the occasions. Swipe to see "8 Section panorama: Taken from: - La Gorgue. Direction: - Auber, Neuve Chapelle.".

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#6

Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the Bombing of Dresden. Here pictured is the destruction of the city as seen from the Rathaus, or town hall, months after the bombing. The bombing of Dresden took place between 13 and 15 February 1945, when 1249 British/American heavy bombers directly attacked the city of Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony, dropping more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the own city, destroying 6.5 km² of the city's cultural centre. Up to 25,000 people were killed, most of them civilians, and leaving hundreds without roof. The official version pointed out to a “strategic target” referring to 110 in the area. Half of the attacks occurred directly to the city centre, dropping a total tonnage of 2659.3, the biggest in the whole bombing, and without any rational explanation. Only one raid targeted industrial areas, and three a railroad. Moreover, a considerable part of the actual military and industrial terrain was never bombed, instead a great part of the Dresden cultural landmark with little or none strategic significance was transferred into ashes.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#7

An Italian Alpino mountain specialist ziplines from one peak to another, c. 1917. Although ziplines might be seen as an indicative of amusement or military operations, they have been used as easy and cheap transportation method during centuries, specially on mountainous regions, such as China’s Yunnan, where even ziplines were used instead of bridges. In Australia, for instance, they were used for delivering food, cigarettes or tools without the need of crossing valleys and rivers, something adapted in war times.

Image credits: Cassowary Colorizations

However, Bellviure said that often no matter how close you've looked at a picture, a small detail can always pop out and surprise you. It can be a little something behind a table or inside a pocket, like a piece of jewelry, and it can reveal plenty about the picture, for example, its reflection might tell what part of the day the picture was taken at. So you always need to stay vigilant.

Sometimes, Bellviure even 'restores' lost memories that otherwise may have died with time. "I once tried to colorize an archive picture of an unnamed captive from the Spanish Civil War. It turned out to be an unknown picture of Irish Brigadier Frank Ryan. Something similar happened with the last picture of Gerda Taro, that was collectively identified after Sir John Kiszely had posted it on Twitter."

#8

Wojtek the Bear with a fellow Polish soldier, Iran, 1942. Wojtek (1942-1963) was a brown bear purchase at a railroad station in by Polish II Corps soldiers who had been evacuated from the Soviet Union. He was eventually enlisted officially as a soldier with the rank of private, and was subsequently promoted to corporal, fighting in several battles in various fronts. After the war, mustered out of the Polish Army, he was billeted, and lived out the rest of his life, at the Edinburgh Zoo, where he died in 1963, aged 21.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#9

Happy Australia Day! An soldier at an advanced Allied base, with his pet kangaroo, location unknown, most likely NQ. Pets were something relatively new in WWII, but amazingly common. Although since the beginning of war animals had been used for different proposes it wasn’t until modern times when animals where used as company and not as means of military ends. Several battalions, divisions or armies had their own pets; however, platoons used to find lost animals because of the war itself and took them around. That’s why most of the pets we can find in WWII photos are usually attached to an only individual. Frequently, soldiers came across with those animals, which could be dogs, cats, bears, kangaroos, and even cassowaries -check my very first post-, and trained them, which eventually led to the creation of capable animals that would help in combat, more than simply pets. 10/09/1942, John Earl McNeil

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#10

An original colour picture from World War II. While most pictures taken both by press and propaganda offices, and, of course, soldiers, were in black and white, several journalists or servants were giving new colour cameras. Innovations such as Kodachrome (1935) and Kodacolor (1942/1958) brought never-seen-before results to photography and nowadays are a faithful guide to colourisers.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

"Some people are against colorizing," the artist said. "They [say that by going through this process, the picture loses its meaning]. [But I feel that] leaving a picture in black and white should be mandatory only in academic research; it should not be restored either, because every detail ought to be left in its original state."

#11

Two female Russian snipers shooting from a trench somewhere in the Eastern Front, 1943. Sniper’s baits were common in the Second World War, and were supposedly born during World War One, with even whole mannequins portraying infantry soldiers. Here depicted, a helmet bait, that would trigger the enemy soldier to shoot from the other trench and therefore to be within range of the allied sniper.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#12

U.S. soldier wearing a Brewster Body Shield, 1917. The Brewster Body Shield, also and more accurately known as Brewster Body Armor, was the first American body armour to really be useful developed by and for the United States Army in World War I. Essentially, it consisted of a breastplate with an attached headpiece, both able to stop machine gun bullets at an average speed of 820 m/s. The main problems were its heaviness, which was nearly 28 kg. and its discomfort for soldiers. An adapted armour of 5 kg was later created, which fit close to the body, and was considered more comfortable.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#13

An Austrian lance corporal with a thousand-yard stare. I’ve talked with you before about the thousand-yard stares. Do you know where does the expression come from? The phrase was popularized after Life magazine published the painting “Marines Call It That 2,000 Yard Stare” by World War II artist and correspondent Tom Lea. The painting depicts a Marine during the Battle of Peleliu, from whom Lea said: “He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign. He has had tropical diseases. He half-sleeps at night and gouges Japs out of holes all day. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?” 1918

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

"We luckily work with a scanned version of the picture, so the original is not altered and we always count on [it to remain unaltered]. Now, I find that most romanticizing views on black and white are not related to this fact, but to an idealization of the past that is usually related to the idea of 'leaving the past as it is. These ideas are usually related to especially raw and debated themes of our recent past. When it comes to the Holocaust, for example, many people would prefer to leave these pictures untouched. I believe not colorizing these pictures means betraying our past."

#14

I’ve been waiting more than a week to make this public. A month ago, we published a monographic book about colorization on Germany and France in WWI. The books illustrate the war in the Western Front with detailed attention in the captions of more than 80 pictures in full color colorized by me. It is named ‘German & French Armies in the Great War’ and has been published by Soldiershop.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#15

German Mountain troop, awarded with the Infantry Assault Badge during a celebration, c. Summer 1943. Since it’s nearly impossible to make a serious post about this picture, I leave you with a joke my grandfather used to tell me. The Führer was once being driven in his amazing Mercedes by the German countryside, to a small location in Prussia to give a war meeting. Halfway there, some stones from the road he was going through, which was in very bad condition, punctured a wheel and the Mercedes was stamped on a fence, killing a pig that was eating nearby. Angry and hysterical, the Führer shouted to his driver to go to the nearest farm to seek help. The driver, fearful, ran to the farm where he had run over the pig. Five hours later, he appeared in front of the Führer with a bottle in his hand. The dictator, extremely angry at the wait, and seeing that he did not come with help, asked him what he had been doing. "You will see my Führer," said the driver clearly drunk, "I went to the farm and told the villagers that I was carrying Adolf Hitler in my car when, on the road, I ended up killing the pig. And then, they started to congratulate me, and offered me all the bottles of champagne they had. "

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#16

Afrika Korps, shortened DAK, soldier sitting on two M24 Stielhandgranates in the North African theatre, 1942. Although this picture seems pretty dangerous, the chance that the grenades denotated was very difficult and even those could be neutralised grenades. I’ve just realised that I have hardly even made DAK posts, so I am going to explain a little bit what and how it worked. The Deutsches Afrikakorps was -and this is something people ignore in many occasions- an expeditionary force, not any kind of formation as a division or a battalion, mainly made out of motorised divisions, created in 1941 and handed directly by Adolf Hitler to Erwin Rommel, both having very close relations. The first intention of the force -another ignored fact- was not to conquer or to expand Germany’s colonial control, but to support the Italian fascist forces trying to reconquer Libya, which had had serious trouble. After outstanding military victories, and after the brave yet disastrous fights of El Alamein, the DAK was dissolved on 13 May 1943.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

"All events in history have happened in color; photographers from the early 20th century would have shot in color if they had the opportunity (Robert Capa did when he was offered the chance). Colorizing is nothing more than a kind of restoration, it brings back to reality something that was lost or that is imperceptible. Restoration can never be completely precise, but like paintings, detail can be restored with an amazing level of accuracy."

Bellviure believes that all pictures should get this chance.

#17

Sergeant Joseph Levin of the American Army Chemical Warfare Service testing a gas mask with his horse “Buddy”, Governor's Island, New York, 1928. This picture has long been credited as a Frenchman during the Battle of Verdun (something incredibly thoughtless because of many indications). More ironically, and what hurts me the most, is that Getty Images credits it as being an early 1930s picture and then, in another shot of the same man and day, as a 1917 picture. After I took some research, I discovered a similar photograph taken the same day in the Popular Science issue of October 1928. It is sad that a corporation as Getty, which charges colossal fees to its photographs doesn’t even bother to make a five-minutes research. I’ve transcribed you the original article: “ARMY DEMONSTRATES A NEW GAS MASK FOR WAR HORSES / Buddy, an Army horse stationed at Governor's Island, New York, is shown wearing the latest mask designed to protect war horses and mules during gas attacks. The bag of the mask fits tightly over the nostrils of the animal and is held in place by straps buckled over its head. Buddy demonstrated the effectiveness of the new protection recently when he carried Sergeant Joseph Levin of the Chemical Warfare Service, through a deadly screen of poison gas without suffering ill effects. Levin is seen wearing the newest equipment developed by Army experts to protect soldiers.” The American Chemical Corps was and still is one of the many branches in which the United States Army is divided. It was created the 28 June 1918, few months before the First World War ended, named the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service (CWS). After the Second World War, its name was changed to the current Chemical Corps. For most of its history, the Chemical Corps was tasked with delivering chemical weapons rather than defending against them.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#18

My favourite colourisation I’ve ever done, and I must thank ww2_forgotten_history for sending it to me. It depicts a French Resistance member during the Liberation of Paris, 23th August 1944. We have been searching the actual location trough Facebook, through our beloved WW2 Colourised Photos page, where it was featured. Lots of people helped us to try to solve that mystery, but we still couldn’t find it.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#19

Finnish artillery corporal Niman sculping a feminine figure in sand, during the Continuation War, Valkjärvi, c. 1943. If you want to know more about Finland in WWII, I prepared a long ago a series of three posts about the Winter War, the Continuation War, and the Lapland War. Now, let’s talk about unique things about Finland. The country was the only one that sided with Germany, but in which native Jews and almost all refugees were safe from persecution. It was the only co-belligerent of Nazi Germany which maintained democracy throughout the war. It was also the only belligerent in mainland Europe to do so.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#20

Two soldiers comfort each other under the strain of combat in Pleiku, South Vietnam, 26 May 1967. Pleiku was strategically important during the Vietnam War because it was the primary terminus of the military supply logistics corridor extending westwards along Highway 19 from the coastal population centre and port facilities of Qui Nhơn. Additionally, its central location on the plateau, between Kon Tum in the north, Buôn Ma Thuột to the south, and the North Vietnamese Army's base areas inside Cambodia to the west made Pleiku the main center of defense of the entire highland region of the Republic of Vietnam. This was obvious to both sides; the United States established an armed presence very early in the conflict at Camp Holloway, and the Việt Cộng attack on this base in early 1965 was one of the key escalating events that brought U.S. troops into the conflict. On 15 June 1972, Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operating a Convair 880 from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 8,800 m. over Pleiku, Vietnam after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#21

A Heinkel He 111 crashing directly into the sea, date and place unknown. This He 111 is only one of thousands that wrecked during World War Two, and that currently lie beneath the silence of the seas. Only on the little island of Malta, it’s reckoned to be 800 wrecked planes, a third part of the 2700 planes that participated along the Allies and the Axis in the bombing of Malta.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#22

An Italian officer descending the Mombrone during his last exercise, 1906. The Italian Cavalry School, created in 1823, was responsible for the training of all armed forces cavalry staff. Every officer of the Cavalry School in Pinerolo (near the Alps) was required to go down “the descent of Mombrone” before they left the school. The 6 metres drop from the window of a ruined castle about three miles from Pinerolo was considered a test of nerve. Similar training exercises were taken at Fort Crook, Nebraska.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#23

An unknown American soldier in Summer Service Uniform mocking Hitler’s moustache with a hair comb. Depicted in his uniform, a Combat Infantryman Badge, a Good Conduct Medal and an unknown medal. The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards in the United States Armed Forces. Although the U.S. Navy's variant of the Good Conduct Medal was established in 1869, the Army version wasn’t scheduled until 1941, and the Air Force on, until 1963. The medal is awarded to any active-duty enlisted member of the United States military who completes three consecutive years of "honorable and faithful service, which means not having any non-judicial punishment, disciplinary infractions, or court martial offenses. During wartime, the Good Conduct Medal may be awarded for one year of faithful service, or even awarded posthumously. c. 1944

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#24

A sign erected by a man form Dog Company during the Korean War, 25th March 1952, Korea. Maybe taken after the Battle of Maehwa-San, or during the Fourth Battle of Seoul, this picture is just one of many similar that spread during WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. This is my fastest colorization, 12 minutes. It’s not a good colorization, but I wanted to test new techniques with this one, to make it look like an 80s photo.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#25

American troops on board a landing craft heading for the beaches at Oran in Algeria during Operation Torch, November 1942. Today I was reading a Victor Hugo’s poem which made me think why couldn’t I do something rather original: composing a poem while colorizing a picture, evoking the picture in words. I’m deeply sorry if this seems irreverent, but here it goes. The bitter weaving holds the sound of the darkest scream beneath the bank. The sewed badge in the shoulder dies with the moans of white, red and black. As the ship approaches the dying shore, Its breath embosoms the crimson sand. And, as the filth of an unborn child, the men jump into a shore of wrath. The helmets hold the hope of most, the grenades, the hands of twenty more, the uniforms turn into a deeper moan and the brave, gloomy men pray and cry without even reaching the rage’s coast. They shout the word of a dratted god, they confess their duties to the ghost of a flowing glory; today may be gone. And the water embraces them all, with the sorrow of a widow’s cough, and it spits them all into the wall of blood, darter, and expired goals. Now, the fourteenth weave tries to bend the moral of the mysterious men who perished in the glazed arms of a far, pitiful, unknown land.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#26

A Norwegian child being carried to an ambulance from HMS Onslaught at Gourock, Scotland, 1 March 1945. She was one of over 500 civilians recued by the Royal Navy after hiding from the Germans on Sørøya island. 525 Norwegians, who had been hiding from German patrols in caves on the snow covered mountains of Sørøya island, Norway for three months, were rescued by four British destroyers of the Home Fleet who raced in broad daylight, 60 miles behind enemy lines and took them safely to a Gourock.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#27

Captain D. Michelson with Tim the tortoise, the pet of the Australian 2/2nd Battalion, 16th Brigade, 6th Division, Julis, Palestine, 28 March 1930. So I was curious about Captain Michelson, but couldn’t find anything about his service in WWII. The Australian War Memorial didn’t through any clues, until I searched just the surname and, hidden in a group picture, I found his complete name: David Enoch Michelson, SN - NX320, was born in Sydney (the 2/2nd recruitment area was NSW) on April 19, 1910. Enlisting in Denistone on December 27, 1939 was discharged six years later, on October 9, 1945. You can find several recordings and interviews of him in the Australian War Memorial website.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#28

An exhausted American medic returning from the front during the Battle of the Bulge. Combat or Field medics in WW2 were military personnel prepared in a medical basic training, responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. However, they could assist to other units even preparing patients for operations, making beds, or serving as cooks. Geneva Convention completely prohibits medics from using weapons. Medics could use a weapon to protect a casualty, but not themselves. Quoting Stephen Ambrose, "It was the universal opinion of the frontline infantry that the medics were the bravest of all".

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#29

Two women and what seems to be an Assault Guard during the Siege of the Alcázar, in Toledo, during Spanish Civil War. The role of women during the Spanish Civil War was very different between sides. During the years of the 2nd Republic (1931-1939), women started to gain freedom, strictly censored by the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930), and in 1931 women’s right to vote was approved. During the war, in the Republican side, women reached the biggest ladder of liberties, and eventually saw themselves standing in the battlefield among men. On the other hand, in the Nationalist side, women were strictly prohibited from bearing arms, and their task was relieved to nursing. Later, during Franco’s dictatorship (1939-1975), the so called government made up a plan where woman where supposed to fulfil the role of wife, mother and housewife, with single-sex school policy. The women had to wear long and little scandalous clothes, with a censorship present in the media and especially the cinema, stepping 40 years back. Pilar Primo de Rivera, member of the Falange, said once: “Let's be nice and funny little ants”. 1936

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#30

Pfc Joseph E. Day (1918-2009), in underpants, holds a puppy named "Invasion" in a German helmet, Le Dezert, France, 1944. Concerning underwear, it was largely an invention of the 1930s. On 1935, an engineer named Arthur Kneibler, designed the world's first briefs in Chicago. During World War II, elastic waistbands and metal snaps gave way once again to button fasteners due to rubber and metal shortages. Undergarments were harder to find as well, since soldiers abroad had priority to obtain them. By the end of the war, Jockey and Hanes remained the industry leaders in the US, but Cluett, Peabody and Company made a name for itself when it introduced a preshrinking process called "Sanforization", invented by Sanford Cluett in 1933, which came to be licensed by most major manufacturers. 1944

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#31

A U.S. soldier lighting a cigarette in Khe Sanh, South Vietnam, 12 April 1971. The Vietnam War, known in Vietnam as the American War, was a war that occurred not only in Vietnam, but also in Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of the city of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was officially fought between North Vietnam -supported by the Soviet Union, and China- and South Vietnam -supported by the United States, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and others-, which makes it a Cold War-era proxy war. The Viet Cong’s guerrilla warfare against the U.S. and S.V. forces infringed one of the hardest defeats to the United States, which ended with 58,318 dead and 303,644 wounded. Once the war ended, the North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong tried to reunify Vietnam. While they viewed the conflict as a colonial war for freedom against France, the U.S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam. 12/04/1971

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#32

German soldier dives for cover as shell explodes somewhere in the Western Front, 1917. Shells are payload-carrying projectiles that contain an explosive. Shells were and are usually large-calibre projectiles fired by artillery, combat vehicles, tanks, and warships. Shells usually had the shape of a cylinder topped by an ogive-shaped nose for good aerodynamic performance, in World War I, ogives were typically two circular radius head. But after that war, ogive shapes became more complex and elongated. 1917

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#33

German and Hungarian soldiers from the 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion on a Tiger II tank in Budapest, Hungary, October, 1944. The 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion was the only tank unit to go to Budapest. This unit was equipped with Tiger I tanks and Panzer IIIs. In 1944, it was re-equipped with the new Tiger II, like depicted in this photo. The battalion participated in both Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. Eventually, the battalion became part of the newly formed Panzer Corps Feldherrnhalle as the Feldherrnhalle Heavy Tank Battalion. The battalion saw action in Normandy during the Operation Overlord, as well as in Kursk and Kharkov. I’ve done some research and found that its commanders survived the war and recently died in 2003, 2005 and 2011. 10/1944, Faupel

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#34

Luftwaffe honour guards marching with a goose step in a parade in Berlin, date unknown. The goose step is a special marching step performed on formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg straight and unbent. The step finds its origin back to the Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century. German and Soviet military advisors spread the tradition throughout the world in the 19th and 20th centuries. Apparently, standing on only one leg reminded soldiers of how geese often stand. The term has acquired a pejorative meaning in some English-speaking countries, since it is deeply related with fascist armies.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#35

This is my grandfather, in 1958, joking with his two subordinates as he imitates a Moroccan soldier in the streets of Sidi Ifni, during the last Spanish Colonial War, the Ifni War. A week ago, I wrote an article on Medium in an awesome project started by historicstories, about his experience, and you can easily find it by searching ‘My grandfather and The Ifni War’ on the Internet. I leave you with a little fragment here. There is a popular habanera in Catalonia that says, ‘My grandfather went to Cuba, on board of the Català, the best ship on the Navy of the Overseas Fleet’. The song, called ‘El meu avi’, was written exactly 50 years ago, in 1968, but the lyrics remember a much farther reality. […] The Spanish–American War of 1898 does certainly still provoke a little spite. It was then, during the long summer of 1898 when the Spanish political disputes, the officers’ excessive pride, and the estrange diseases of the Cuban forests destroyed forever the Spanish Empire. At the end of Franco’s dictatorship, a group of certain Moroccan tribes, led by Ben Hammu, took up arms in the Sahara colony, claiming a land they considered theirs. At that time, my grandfather was doing the compulsory military service in Paterna, a small town on the outskirts of Valencia. Although antimilitarist, he agreed to do the promotion test and was immediately promoted to corporal. […] Although education in Spain during the dictatorship was of an ominous nature, my grandfather was allowed to study one more year than the Franco regime used to sponsor. It was for this reason that, to his surprise, he was sent to the topographical unit; he had achieved the highest mark in the Army’s mathematical examination. […] Want to read more? Head to the web.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#36

Hitler announces the declaration of war against the United States to the German Reichstag, 11 December 1941. Four days before, the United States had declared war solely on Japan. The offhand decision by Adolf Hitler provoked the United States to declare warto Germany the very same day, thus mobilising troops to both fronts. Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1987-0703-507

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#37

First part of Finland series: The Winter War Finnish Soldiers during the Winter War using a slingshot to lob grenades at the Soviets. The Winter War began with the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939. This attack was considered illegal for The League of Nations and therefore, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League. The Soviet Union, which had before claimed sovereignty on some areas of Finnish territory, demanded concessions of several lands in the Leningrad area claiming security reasons. Finland refused and the USSR invaded the country. Numerically superior, the Soviets, though the whole invasion of Finland would be an easy job. Nevertheless, the Finnish forces repelled Soviet attacks for several months, far much longer than the Soviets expected. Hostilities ceased in March 1940 with the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty, as the Red Army had been gaining land and Finland ceded territory representing 11% of its land area and 13% of its economy. The poor performance of the Red Army encouraged Hitler to think that an attack on the Soviet Union would be successful and reconfirmed negative Western opinions of Soviet military. 25,904 Finnish soldiers perished in the war, in front of c. 140,000 Soviets.

Image credits: cassowarycolorizations

#38

Prisioner no. 40472 of the Auschwitz concentration-extermination camp, identified as Michał Liborski. Other sources point Liborski’s number as 20909, and tell us he was born in Czernice on 14 September 1914, and died on 15 April 1942, thus being younger than 28 years old when these pictures were taken by Wilhelm Brasse. Brasse was ordered by SS staff to photograph the prisoners for their files, taking up to 50,000 identity pictures between 1940 and 1945. Dr. Mengele ordered to take the photographs ‘in three poses: from the front and from each side’, one of them always with the head covered.

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#39

An American corporal aims a Colt M1895 installed on an elephant in a purely propagandistic picture, 1914. Although this picture is staged, elephants have been used for military purposes for centuries. War elephants were first employed in India, the practice spreading out across south-east Asia and westwards into the Mediterranean, with eventually Hannibal crossing the Alps to invade Rome along with 38 elephants. Generally, the war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, breaking their ranks and instilling terror. Their most famous use in the West was by the Greek King Pyrrhus of Epirus and in significant numbers by the armies of Carthage, including as told briefly by Hannibal. In the Middle Ages war elephants had already declined and its use it’s nowadays rare or inexistent. Sadly, nowadays, elephants are still used around the world for unfair purposes and animal abuse is still persistent.

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#40

Brewster F2A Buffalo in the Finnish Air Force.

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#41

A member of the French Forces of the Interior, the French Resistance, uses a truck for cover during the Liberation of Dreux, France, August 1944. I’ve just finished the book ‘Fighters in the Shadows’, by Robert Gildea, one of the best and bravest depictions of the French Resistance I’ve ever read. Gildea brilliantly explains the truth behind the French Resistance myth, and how De Gaulle helped to shape the legend of firm opposition to Nazism from the outset, and the fact that French freed themselves. “Paris liberated! Liberated by its own efforts, liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France, with the help of all of France”, said on a meeting the French general. The book, although being written with incredibly criticism, does not blame in any moment those who suffered from the Nazi regime, but tries to explain in detail what really was the French resistance. A highly recommended reading, no doubt. 08/1944

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#42

Periscope use in a French first line trench, 1915. The “French are cowards concerning military and always surrender” myth was not originated in WWI, as some may believe, but inevitably after the German invasion of 1940 and the later instalment of the puppet state of Vichy. During WWII, not only the French did generally show extremely courage and bravery, fighting in their colonies, and even penetrating in German soil in 1939, but also had a long history of victories on Europe. The myth, mainly propagated with bad intention by the U.S. died during the 50s. Sadly, in the last years, the myth is being used again, not only on a pure humorous way, but as a critical and harmful accusation in relation on the resurgence of France refusing to back Bush's war effort in Iraq.

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#43

Austrian soldiers loading a 10 Mod. 1908 Mortar at Levico, October 1916. This is another picture from my book “The Great war in color: Italian & Austrian front” from soldiershoppublishing.

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#44

Swedish volunteers in the Finish Amry training with a ROKS-2 flamethrower in action in the woods near the village of Niinisalo, during Continuation War, on July 1, 1942. The ROKS-2 was a Soviet flamethrower, designed not to draw attention so the fuel and gas tanks were concealed under a sheet-metal outer casting that resembled knapsack; the flame projector was designed to resemble a standard Mosin–Nagant rifle. The purpose of this was to prevent the operator from being specifically targeted by the enemy. The Finnish designation for captured ROKS-2 units was liekinheitin M/41-r. Captured Soviet flamethrowers saw some use by Finnish forces during the Continuation War. They were operated by two-man teams of combat engineers. They were well regarded by the Finns, although flamethrowers of all kinds saw little use by Finnish forces. 01/07/1942

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#45

Austrian-Hungarian shock trooper experimenting with grenade-throwing techniques in the training base of Levico, March 1917. Levico, nowadays Italy, was in World War One part of Austria-Hungary, and had a battalion from the 1st Kaiserjäger Regiment stationed there. The population was moved to Austrian inland, and so the area was left only for military practices.

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#46

A British cavalry sergeant major instructs an American soldier in bayonet charging at Texas’ Camp Dick. Although the bayonet was developed in the early 17th century in Bayonne (that’s why it’s called “baïonnette”), it was during World War One that this weapon acquired a very well-known paper. Whereas in World War Two weapons had a great range of fire, at the beginning of WWI arms had to be loaded in a very complicated way. With the war staged in the trenches, the sense of a bayonet charge had already extinguished. Attacks like those in the American Revolutionary War could no longer be performed. This eventually lead to soldiers to use bayonets in order to open cans, play games in the mud and, of course, defend themselves against surprise attacks.

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#47

Indian Sikh soldier with Lee–Enfield and sword in a photo studio, 1914. One million Indian soldiers, mainly Sikh warriors, served under the yoke of the British Empire overseas, eventually counting 120,000 casualties in 1918. The Indian Army did not only fight the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire in Africa, but also on the trenches of the Western Front. At the First Battle of Ypres, Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to be awarded a Victoria Cross.

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#48

Rebel soldiers aiming in trenches near Navacerrada during the first winter of the Spanish Civil War, Sierra de Guadarrama, December 1936. The Sierra of Guadarrama or Guadarrama Range was a common battlefield in the first stages of the War, and a great example of how geography can shape the outcome of a war. After the coup of the Fascist generals, rebel General Mola developed a plan to assault Madrid, the capital, by raiding the city from the North. The heights prevented the Rebel troops from crossing, an in August they lost the battle. If Madrid hadn’t been situated in a plateau, the war could have been won by the Francoist troops before 1937.

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#49

Waffen SS privates from the 5th SS Panzer Division firing several Luger P08 during winter training. The Pistole Parabellum 1908, widely known as the Luger P08 was a semi-automatic pistol first designed by Georg J. Luger in 1898 and was first used by the Swiss army in May 1900, although it was later used in greater scale by Germany during World War I and World War II, along with the interwar Weimar Republic and the postwar East German Volkspolizei, stopping its production in 1942, when the Walther P38 entering in production in 1938. The cost of a Luger was of $13 or 32 RM (approximately $200 or 500 RM adjusting inflation) Because of its association with Nazi Germany, the pistol has been used in fictional works by many villainous characters over the past several decades.

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#50

German NCO Heins Sarhander after having fallen asleep, Holland, September 1940. During the Second World War, soldiers would sleep in trenches, in very uncomfortable positions. In the rearguard, companies would be deployed in tents or distributed in the homes of the occupied population.

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