Tag: war

Picture of the Day: A Military Jeep Neatly Packed in a Crate

The IKEA version only comes with a single Allen key

jeep-in-a-crate

Photographer Unknown via Proteon on reddit

 

In this overhead capture we see a neatly packed military Jeep in a crate. According to War History Online:

Ford and Willys produced nearly 648,000 Jeeps as light utility vehicles during WWII… The Jeep accounted for over 15% of the total wartime military vehicle production… Jeeps were produced and packed this way for shipment to U.S. forces and countries like England and the Soviet Union who the U.S. supplied during WW II.
 
Boxing up a jeep was expensive and time consuming so it was only done when absolutely necessary. Jeeps that were crated were complete vehicles, not a box of parts — windshields were folded, wheels taken off and a few other things done to minimize the cubeage. [source]

 

You can see more pictures of the crated jeeps at War History Online. You can also find more pictures and a PDF of assembly instructions at mvpa.org

 

 

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Picture of the Day: With Paris

Buildings around the world paid tribute to the victims of the attacks in Paris, France, projecting the colors of the French flag onto their façades.

buildings-lit-up-with-france-flag-colors-across-the-world

Photograph via MrFinigen on reddit

 

Buildings around the world showed their solidarity and support for the victims of the horrific attacks in Paris, France on November 13, 2015. From Australia to Brazil to Canada, iconic buildings and monuments projected the colours of the French flag onto their façades.

At least 128 people were killed last night in coordinated attacks across Paris by eight gunmen and suicide bombers. It is the worst atrocity in Europe since the 2004 Madrid Bombings and the deadliest attacks ever in peacetime France. You can read more about the terrorist attack on BBC.

 

 

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Picture of the Day: Lest We Forget

In Flanders fields the poppies blow; Between the crosses, row on row

flanders-field-memorial-guelph-ontario-canada

 

Seen here is Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae’s famous poem, “In Flanders Field“, inscribed in a bronze book at the John McCrae memorial in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, where he was born.

According to Wikipedia:

 

“In Flanders Fields” is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres.
 
The poem and poppy are prominent Remembrance Day symbols throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, particularly in Canada, where “In Flanders Fields” is one of the nation’s best-known literary works. The poem also has wide exposure in the United States, where it is associated with Memorial Day. [source]

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

 

 

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Picture of the Day: The Lion’s Mound, Belgium

Located in Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium, the Lion’s Mound is a large conical hill with a lion statue at the peak that commemorates the location on the battlefield of Waterloo where a musket ball struck William II of the Netherlands (the Prince of Orange) in the shoulder.

lion's-mound-belgium-battle-of-waterloo

 

Located in Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium, the Lion’s Mound is a large conical (and artificial) hill with a lion statue at the peak that commemorates the location on the battlefield of Waterloo where a musket ball struck William II of the Netherlands (the Prince of Orange) in the shoulder. It is also a memorial of the Battle of Quatre Bras, which had been fought two days earlier, on 16 June 1815 [source]. Today, the surrounding area is used to cultivate beets.

The hill offers a vista of the battlefield, and is the anchor point of the associated museums and taverns in the surrounding Lion’s Hamlet. Visitors who pay a fee may climb up the Mound’s 226 steps, which lead to the statue and its surrounding overlook (where there are maps documenting the battle, along with observation telescopes). [source]

A statue of a lion standing upon a stone-block pedestal surmounts the hill. Jean-François Van Geel (1756–1830) sculpted the model lion, which closely resembles the 16th-century Medici lions. The lion is the heraldic beast on the personal coat of arms of the monarch of The Netherlands, and symbolizes courage. [source]

 

 

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During WWII, Monopoly Made a Wartime Version Due to Production Constraints

The rules were altered, pieces were replaced and a spinner was used in lieu of dice.

monopoly war time version wwii (1)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

During WWII, the manufacturer of the UK version of Monopoly, John Waddington Ltd., produced a Wartime edition due to supply constraints. The rules were altered, pieces were replaced and a spinner was used in lieu of dice.

Reddit user flatcap_monty and his girlfriend recently obtained a ‘War Time Pack’ edition of Monopoly and shared a fascinating album detailing the differences.

 

monopoly war time version wwii (4)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

All of the currency and playing cards were printed on cheaper stock and the famous game pieces were replaced with cardboard cutout versions that were affixed to the top of pieces of wood.

 

monopoly war time version wwii (12)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (7)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (8)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

Perhaps the coolest alteration was the spinner that replaced the dice. The design is simple and effective.

 

monopoly war time version wwii (11)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

Even the rules were revised for quicker gameplay. A time limit? Madness!

 

monopoly war time version wwii (5)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (6)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

The quality of the ‘chance’ and ‘community chest’ cards were reduced and the houses and hotels were simplified.

 

monopoly war time version wwii (9)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (10)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (13)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

Most interestingly, special POW editions of the ‘War Time Pack’ were produced by John Waddington Ltd., and distributed by fake charities to try to help Allied Forces escape. Secret maps printed on cloth or silk (they don’t make noise, could get wet and be stuffed easily), escape tools and other useful information about the war were hidden inside the actual box and even the board itself.

For more information on these POW versions check out these articles on Snopes.com and The Guardian.

 

monopoly war time version wwii (2)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

monopoly war time version wwii (3)

Photograph by flatcap_monty

 

 

 

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Guy Finds WWII Photos of his Hometown and Reshoots What it Looks Like Today

 

Last summer, reddit user MisterBrick found a collection of photos from WWII of his hometown of Dijon, France. As a photo project, he decided to reshoot the pictures to show what the places look like today, 70 years later. If you’re digging this series, you can find many more “then and now” projects featured on the Sifter here.

[via MisterBrick on reddit]

 

 

1.

German troops gather in front of the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy on June 17th, 1940.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (1)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

2.

German officers posing in front of the fountain at Parc Darcy

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (4)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

3.

Luftwaffe headquarters. Now a simple building with a florist.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (3)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

4.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (2)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

5.

The main street, with Guillaume’s Gate in the back.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (5)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

6.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (7)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

7.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (6)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

8.

The post office, displaying a large flag after Dijon’s Liberation.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (8)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

9.

September 11th 1944, Allied troops enter the city and go through the main street.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (9)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

10.

Free French Forces, aboard Shermans, arrive in front of the Palace. The square is renamed Liberation Square for the occasion.

wwII photos from dijon france reshot today (10)

Photograph by MisterBrick on reddit

 

 

 

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Banksy’s First Art Project of 2015 was a Trip to Gaza

 

Street artist and provocateur Banksy has just released his first project of 2015. The artist recently shared some new artworks and a mock travel video from his recent trip to Gaza. This is not the first time Banksy has ventured to Palestine. In 2005, Banksy created nine images on the Israeli West Bank wall.

Love it or hate it, the artist has a remarkable ability to create awareness and stir controversy on any subject matter he/she elects to highlight. And in an age where everyone has a camera, I’m astounded that Banksy has managed to keep his identity a secret.

 

1.

banksy gaza 2015 (3)

Artwork by Banksy

 

2.

banksy gaza 2015 (2)

Artwork by Banksy

 

3.

banksy gaza 2015 (5)

Artwork by Banksy

 

4.

banksy gaza 2015 (6)

Artwork by Banksy

 

5.

banksy gaza 2015 (1)

Artwork by Banksy

 

6.

 

7.

banksy-gaza-2015-(7)

Artwork by Banksy

 

8.

banksy gaza 2015 (4)

Artwork by Banksy

 

 

 

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Picture of the Day: Times Square, D-Day, 1944

times-square-d-day-1944

 

In this poignant photograph, people at Times Square in New York City are seen reading a news ticker about D-Day (Normandy landings), the largest seaborne invasion in history. D-Day occurred on 6 June 1944 when Allied forces targeted a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of Normandy, France to begin the invasion of German-occupied western Europe.

The coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach; and eventually led to the liberation of France from Nazi control, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war. You can read much more about the Normandy landings here.

The photo itself was taken by either Howard Hollem, Edward Meyer or MacLaugharie on the morning of 6 June 1944 and is available through the Library of Congress.

 

 

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Artists Around the World Respond to the Charlie Hebdo Attack in the Best Way Possible

 

Artists from around the world have responded to the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo with powerful and striking art that proves the pen(cil) is mightier than the sword.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

charlie hebdo comics response (1)

 

 

charlie hebdo comics response (3)

Artwork by Luis Quiles

 

 

https://twitter.com/jean_jullien/status/552829637215408128

 

 

comics-in-memory-of-charlie-hebdo-2

Artwork by Sue Dewar

 

 

charlie hebdo comics response (5)

Artwork by Shreyas Navare

 

 

https://twitter.com/PhillyD/status/552850659754532864

 

 

 

 

comics-in-memory-of-charlie-hebdo-3

Artwork by Bruce MacKinnon

 

charlie hebdo comics response (4)

Artwork by Bom.K

 

 

 

Picture of the Day: Never Forgotten

tower of london poppies at night

 

At the Tower of London 888,246 ceramic poppies were installed, each representing a British life lost in the First World War. The progressive art installation, entitled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, was created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper.

Since August 5th, thousands of volunteers have helped plant the 888,246 poppies with the final poppy planted earlier today to commemorate Remembrance Day.

At the end of the installation each ceramic poppy planted will be available to purchase with all net proceeds shared equally amongst six service charities. To learn more about the moving exhibit, visit the Historic Royal Palaces – Tower of London.