Sunday, July 22, 2018

Color Photos of World War II Part 11: Women

Women During a Great Conflict

BDM Girl Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A mother and daughter. The mother is perhaps in the Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD), the daughter in the German League of Maidens (BDM).
This page is devoted to color images of women and girls of World War II. All efforts are made to only pick authentic photographs from the World War II timeframe.
Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A WASP (that’s Women Airforce Service Pilot) during World War II.
This page is intended to give a broad overview of the experiences of women involved in World War II.

Soviet sniper Jr. Lt. Ziba Ganiyeva, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Soviet sniper Jr. Lt. Ziba Ganiyeva, responsible for 21 kills.
However, if you see any that photos that are of reenactors or old movie sets, kindly leave a note below so that I can review them.
Hitler and Eva Braun in June 1944,Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Hitler and Eva Braun in June 1944, at the wedding of Eva's Sister.
Not all of these photos originally were in color. In fact, it is possible that most of them were not - though some sources, such as Life magazine, did use color film. Color film was very expensive and not readily available during World War II, though it was used for some purposes both in the 1930s and 1940s. Thus, many of these photos are colorized using Photoshop or some similar software. As long as the original black-and-white photo appears to be authentic and the colors added appear to reflect reality, then it is good to go.
Reconnaissance engineer (sapper) Sima (Alexandra) Dneprovskaya, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Reconnaissance engineer (sapper) Sima (Alexandra) Dneprovskaya circa 1943 (Photo: Olga Shirnina).
It has become fashionable in certain circles for modern women to "dress up" in World War II uniforms. Those do not appear here, at least intentionally. Fortunately, later photos are usually easy to spot because the quality is just a little too good.
Selling flowers on "Rosentag" (Day of the roses) for aid organization "Mutter und Kind" (Mother and Child) in June 1934, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Selling flowers on "Rosentag" (Day of the roses) for aid organization "Mutter und Kind" (Mother and Child) in June 1934 (colorized).
However, there are some World War II-era photos that look like they were taken recently. The right equipment in the proper circumstances produced fabulous photos back then, so just because a photo looks "good" does not automatically disqualify it from considerations. That said, it is easy to get fooled, and that does happen here from time to time.
Anne Frank, 1939, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Anne Frank on her roof, 1939.
Women played many roles in World War II. Perhaps their most important role was behind the lines, building the weapons that men used in combat. That may not have brought women much glory, but it was absolutely necessary to the war and the fruit of their labors led to victory by the Allies.
Inge Ley, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Inge Ley, wife of the Reich labor boss. Rumored to be Hitler's lover, she committed suicide in 1942.
There were females serving in the front lines, and women in uniform died in all armies. In the United States, some women worked as ferry pilots, and some crashed and gave their lives for the war effort. In the Soviet Union, entire units were composed of women, such as the famous "Night Witches" unit of the Red Air Force and many top snipers. In Germany, Hanna Reitsch tested the most advanced aircraft in the Luftwaffe, while in England women helped guide Spitfires to dogfights. Some amazingly heroic actions were made by women, such as the switchboard operator at an RAF airfield who stayed at her post as the building was bombed, caught fire, and collapsed around her.
Maria Limanskaya, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
This is identified as Maria Limanskaya, who later became famous for directing traffic at the Brandenburg Gate shortly after the war.
Of course, some women were victims, too. They also are represented here.
BDM girls, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
BDM girls collecting money for the organization.
If you like these color photos, you may wish to check out my other pages of color photos of World War II.

You may find more color photos of World War II on page 1 and page 2 and page 3 and page 4 and page 5 and page 6 and page 7 and page 8 and page 9 and page 10 and page 11 and page 12 and page 13 and page 14 and page 15 and page 16 of this series.
Members of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Members of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps.

BDM girls, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
BDM or Labour Front girls (colorized).

Galina Makarovna, Red Army nurse, 1942, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Galina Makarovna, nurse of the 14th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Guards Rifle Division, 1942 (Photo colorized: Za Rodinu).

Sculptor Joseph Thorak, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Sculptor Joseph Thorak with an unidentified woman who somewhat resembles Inge Ley. They are outside the teahouse in Berchtesgaden in 1939. (Photo series by Hugo Jaeger/Timepix/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images).

Lieutenant Colonel Anna “Tony” Walker Wilson, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Lieutenant Colonel Anna “Tony” Walker Wilson (center), Women’s Army Corps (WAC) Staff Director in the European Theatre of Operations, with a fellow WAC and US Army Technical Sergeant, probably on the grounds of Château du Pont-Rilly, France, 1st of August 1944.

Kyra Petrovskaya, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Kyra Petrovskaya. Kyra passed away on 3 June 2018 (colorized).

Kyra Petrovskaya, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A Luftwaffe Helferin.

A young nurse during the Warsaw Uprising, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
An unidentified girl serving as a nurse in Warsaw during the uprising, 1944.

The wedding of Joseph and Magda Goebbels, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The wedding of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. The fellow in the back in the hat? That's Adolf Hitler (colorized).

A Canadian WAC, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A CWAC beside a lion statue near the Canadian Parliament, Ottawa during World War II.

German mother with her three children, women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
 "A German mother who has just received the Mother's Cross pushes a baby carriage, accompanied by two of her older children in their Hitler Youth and League of German Girls uniforms. Berlin, Germany, 1942." (B/W Photo Colourised by Pearse).
Jewish woman in a Ghetto, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
One of a series depicting Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. Released to mark the official establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto (Photos taken by Hugo Jaeger/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images).

Polish Red Cross Nurse, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A Polish Red Cross nurse with other Polish soldiers captured by Germans during the invasion of Poland, September 1939. She is in a series of photographs, the photographer obviously liked her [Hugo Jaeger/ LIFE/Getty].

Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
She is worth a closer look. Her four companions still seem to be protecting her even though they are all POWs. As a Red Cross member, it is possible that she received safe conduct out of the war zone.
Preparing for a political parade, Innsbruck, Austria, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
BDM girls preparing for a political parade, Innsbruck, Austria 1938.

Female inhabitant of a Ghetto, women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
One of a series depicting Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland. Released to mark the official establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto (Photos taken by Hugo Jaeger).

BDM girl, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A BDM girl.

Lillian Yonally, WASP ferry pilot, women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Lillian Yonally, WASP ferry pilot. 
Adolf Hitler and Mrs. Albert Forster, women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The Fuhrer takes tea with several people (most not seen) including a blonde woman. She has been variously identified, but apparently is the wife of prominent politician Albert Forster at Hitler's home, Berghof, Berchtesgaden, Upper Bavaria, Germany, in the late 1930s.

Czesława Kwoka, a 14-year-old prisoner who was in Auschwitz, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Czesława Kwoka, a 14-year-old prisoner who was in Auschwitz. Czesława was one of the thousands of children who were sent to Auschwitz (colorized by Marina Amaral)

BDM girls at a Reichparteitag, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Reichsparteitag Großdeutschland (Rally for Greater German), held 5 – 12 September 1938. This is Part 1, "Neues Europa."

Oyida Peaks, Women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Oyida Peaks riveting in August 1942 (Howard R. Hallem).

Aryan family color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
An Aryan family no doubt photographed for propaganda purposes.

Jewish mother and child in the Ghetto, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
A Jewish mother and child, taken in a Ghetto.

German girl with portrait of Adolf Hitler, color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Unidentified German girl (colorized).

Norma Jean Baker, 1944, women color photos worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Norma Jean Baker at her job at a war plant in Los Angeles, 1944 (David Conover/US Army).


2020

1 comment:

  1. awesome pictures, I've never seen them before

    ReplyDelete