The WW2 Leica buried by a German soldier’s widow

[Bart Bart]

i think your signature quote is quite revealing...

We're still free to come and go as we please aren't we? I can change my mind as can you.

I stand by my signature too, it's merely a gesture of support, not supremacy. Whites are being displaced, murdered and slandered daily. Your interpretation may vary ~ so what? I don't care.

Back to the original post, it's a great story and it's mean-spirited after 75 years to attempt to qualify it. The man died after all, in what were horrible conditions over many years of brutality. The woman lost the love of her life. Why should anyone trash talk them or any Germans at this late date? Would you wish that the woman lost all her possessions and was gang raped by the Allies? Yes we should remember the atrocities but it's rather evil and completely unfair to remember only the ones that benefit your side. Because of the Holocaust it was OK for the Israelis to kill, steal and displace millions of Palestinians? Give it a rest, your biases and prejudices are showing.

 

[raydm6]

It might also be noted, with Great Sadness, that WWII was the first war where civilians were part of the massive casualty's. On all sides. Let us hope for a world with no more war. Joe

Yes. Fortunately, my Mom (who is still alive at 95) survived - along with her two brothers, and younger sister - the bombings and occupation of her city Minturno, Italy in 1944. The German Gustav Line went right through her village.

There's a lot that she witnessed. As we were growing up, she would tell us stories of the war. There was always some new detail to emerge over the years of recollections.

But she remained a loving, nurturing, selfless-giving Italian mom who was an wonderful cook and possessed an amazing green thumb - growing wonderful plants and vegetable gardens. I always looked at it as a symbol of life against the death and destruction she witnessed. My sisters and I are very fortunate to still have her. (She's still pretty sharp)

 

[JoeV]

Peter: I used to own a camera that was used for surveillance of Japan in WWII. Based on photos taken with my camera, Hiroshima and Nagazaki were chosen as the targets for the A bombs.

There's an interesting tidbit of history regarding the choice of Nagasaki. Supposedly Kokura was the primary target on that second bombing, but was obscured by smoke from overnight B-29 raids on a neighboring city, so they chose the secondary target, Nagasaki.

Nagasaki also hadn't been on the primary targets listing until the week prior, where it was penciled in by hand.

See this article, written by nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein.

~Joe

 

[JoeV]

I should also add this article, Dr. Wellerstein's attempt to answer common journalistic assumptions about the atomic bombing, from a nuclear historian's perspective.

~Joe

 

[raid]

I met with historians at the Naval Aviation Museum, and I had email exchanges with the son and grandson of the inventor (Douglas Winnek) of my WWII 3D camera. Winnek kept a detailed diary on each of his 13 3D cameras. Mine was numbered XI. It was used for the surveillance days before the A bombs were dropped, but not for documenting the bomb drops themselves.

 

[Paul T.]

Update: glad to see some flagrant anti-semitism has been removed. Thank you, mods!

I'm glad my dad got to shoot at and kill people with those kinds of values, I hope my dead uncle managed to, too, before the Gestapo got him. Thank goodness today's Germans have moved on from such racism.

Raid, well done on helping that camera find its place in history.

 

[peterm1]

I donated the camera to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. It is part of the Atomic Display with the prototype of the A bomb. I wonder who has the images that were shown to the President by the commander of the Enola Gay.

That's terrific Raid. A good option.

 

[raid]

There was at least one very long thread at RFF about the camera. The first thread was the most exciting one as we were all searching for the origins of that camera.

https://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68488

 

[maddoc]

There was at least one very long thread at RFF about the camera. The first thread was the most exciting one as we were all searching for the origins of that camera.

https://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68488

I remember well that thread of the good old RFF times. It was very interesting to follow.

 

[raid]

I posted that thread above . Good old times here.

 

[peterm1]

I posted that thread above . Good old times here.

Raid I am old enough to remember seeing in various magazines - including photo magazines from maybe 40 years or more back, advertisements for the sale of similar (though not 3D) large format (4 x 5 inch) aerial cameras from WW2 aircraft then being sold as war surplus.

 

[raid]

My camera was a patented first American 3D camera. That was the special thing about my camera. The WWlI use was extra.