Picture of the day.

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Dauntless over Tanahmerah Bay, Dutch New Guinea, as US landing craft go in, April 22nd 1944.

This is "Operation reckless". The objective was the big airfield at Hollandia several miles away.

Below, elements of the 41st and 24th Inf Divisions are landing on the beach. And what the invading forces are discovering, is a swamp backs up to the beach making this a poor choice to land. I think this is looking east, with Cyclops Mt on the right and Lake Sentani sort of visible in the middle.

 


It may be a N variant Elvis. Not sure though.
 
Built for a Fleet fighter specification of March 1939…..it missed the war almost completely beginning to reach the Senior Service (Royal Navy) in a very unsatisfactory state as a torpedo bomber at June, 1945(!!). It development story is a shamble, not only it switched engines and operational role halfway, even worst, after entering service it was clear that its stability about all axes was awful and even lethal at stalling. By Dec 1945 an enquiry found the Firebrand "unacceptable for naval service". Only when the later Mk 5 and 5A models saw service at 1948 did the Firebrand become a fair warplane, but tainted by a bad reputation.
 
Members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) preparing parachutes for use by British airborne forces during the invasion of Europe, May 1944. (Image: IWM)
Many years ago i interviewed an ex RAF pilot who served during ww2. He recalled how the waaf giving out parachutes found it highly amusing to crack the same joke every time to every man. "If it doesnt work, bring it back!" lol I know the military has always had a culture of black humor but from what he told me she really relished her job.
 
Nice one.
They are canopies for use with supply containers and panniers, each colour denoting the contents of the container/pannier, eg explosives, ammunition, medical, rations etc etc.
At left is the repair section, checking and repairing the canopies as required, and on the right is the packing table, where the canopy is laid out, the lines separated and the canopy 'flaked', then packed into the bag or sleeve.
 

Any idea where this pic/factory or workshop might have been?. My grandmother worked at the Castle Brom Spitfire plant during the war fabricating sections of the wings. And although it was predominaely a Spitfire only plant, they did recieve an order for x4 Lancasters. But they could just have been sent there for repair/refitting. She worked up on the top gun turret, i guess reviting or sealing the O rings. I was born just across the road on the castle vale estate. Gone now but i was born way after ww2. Now its the Jaguar/Land Rover works. There was also a huge runway behind the factory. Alex Henshaw was chief test pilot. Post war the factory went back to making cars and the airport side was relocated to Elmdon/Birmingham Intl.
Still, at least they built a fitting monument. This is Spitfire island, just outside the plant. The second pic shows brand new Spits waiting for test flight, with two Lancs at the back. My gran most certainly would have been working there at the time the pic was taken.
 
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