US cold injuries in the ETO winter 1944/45: ~71,000 British and Canadian cold injuries in the ETO winter 1944/45: 286

On 24 December Benghazi fell to the Allies, again. Nevertheless, this time the Axis forces in North Africa lived to fight another day. Their interim line was at and to the south of Agedabia.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all! (An aircrew officer and a guard on night duty listen to a choir, composed of the ground crew of No. 122 Wing, singing Christmas carols by a Hawker Tempest in a dispersal at Volkel airfield, Holland, conducted by the Padre, Sqn Ldr K J Morgan). 📷 IWM CL 1736

Trench foot was a consequence of staying in one position too long. Dad said it was actually a blessing when he was wounded while in battle because he was pulled off the front line and brought to a “less cold” hospital.

Also in a roundabout way it's appropriate because it's a black box and the actual black box(flight recorder) on aircraft is orange.

A genius, who made this. 😂

A genius, who made this. 😂

(Not colourised.) #OTD in 1944. B-24 Liberators in flight during a support mission during the Battle of the Bulge. #WW2 #HISTORY

Christmas Spirit. (#OTD in 1942, HMS Dunluce Castle. #WW2 #HISTORY)

#OTD in 1944. Corporal Pass, talking to the folks back home. #WW2 #HISTORY

A little mishap. (#OTD in 1944. A M2 Cletrac hit by an incoming B-26 Marauder. #WW2 #HISTORY)

Christmas, almost. (#OTD in 1944, Venraij area, Holland. A group of cheerful men from the Royal Artillery. #WW2 #HISTORY)

Freezing. (Battle of the Bulge. #WW2 #HISTORY)

(1944, Lublin, Poland.) Soviet Sherman tanks. #WW2 #HISTORY

Battle of the Bulge. Men from 51 "Highland" Infantry Division. #WW2 #HISTORY

Not small, but part of the #WW2 effort. 😊 #HISTORY

(December 1942.) Benghazi area, North Africa. #WW2 #HISTORY

He's now mentioned but it's all untrue. 😂 And, the majority in the US let it all happen.

#OTD in 1944. Pretty special. A camera gun still from a Mustang Mark III flown by Flying Officer J. Butler from 65 Squadron, shooting down a Focke Wulf Fw 190D, attacking a Lancaster, during a daylight raid by Bomber Command on the Gremberg railway yards at Cologne. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD in 1943, Italy. A 7.2-inch gun and a Scammell tractor from 18/56 Heavy Regiment. #WW2 #HISTORY

Nights of 22/23 and 23/24 December 1940 saw the heaviest raids on Manchester, killing around 684 people. #WW2 #HISTORY

So many, so young. (For his actions #OTD in 1944, 24 year old Squadron Leader Palmer was awarded the Victoria Cross. #WW2 #HISTORY)

#OTD in 1943, Italy. A Bishop 25-pounder self-propelled gun from 142 Field Regiment on a Diamond T tank transporter from 610 Heavy Recovery Section. #WW2 #HISTORY

Under new management. (December 1942, Benghazi area, North Africa. #WW2 #HISTORY)

Battle of the Bulge. Malmedy, another massacre uncovered. ☹ One of so many in #WW2. #HISTORY

"We make them, we test them." The Welbike, an airborne-use motorcycle (with a Villiers two-stroke engine). #WW2 #HISTORY

War. (#OTD in 1944. ☹ The last moments of a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Circle Jerk", on the 121st mission. All of the six men crew died. R.I.P. #WW2 #HISTORY)

A Dingo, right? (#OTD in 1941, Warren Camp, Crowborough. #WW2 #HISTORY)

Somehow they remind me of paras. (#OTD in 1941, North Africa. Men from Royal Tank Regiment on and around a tank. A Matilda, apparently. #WW2 #HISTORY)

We're all spoiled. (#OTD in 1943, Lanciano, Italy. A #WW2 dentist practice. #HISTORY)

One Christmas pudding, coming up. (#OTD in 1942, North Africa. #WW2 #HISTORY)

#OTD in 1943. Lance Corporal Jim Wilson of Grand Prairie, Alberta, ex-farmer. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD in 1941, North Africa. A 25-pounder field gun and a Morris Quad gun tractor. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD in 1941, Warren Camp, Crowborough. A Universal carrier from 40 Royal Tank Regiment being recovered. (The regiment was about to embark for the Middle East, hence the desert camouflage.) #WW2 #HISTORY

“Nuts!” 😊 (#OTD in 1944. #WW2 #HISTORY)

(Winter 1944/1945.) A Sherman "Crab" flail tank. #WW2 #HISTORY

(Shortly after D-Day in 1944, Pegasus Bridge.) Location of the best coup-de-main action of #WW2. 😎 #HISTORY

(1941.) "Volunteers? Anyone?" (Original footage sequence, is *not* edited. 😊) #WW2 #HISTORY

Vickers Light Tank, so cute. Mark II or VI, opinions are divided. #WW2 #HISTORY

Pretty special footage of a Sturmtiger in action. The rocket propelled round used angled exhausts to impart the spin rather than rifling in the very short barrel. #WW2 #HISTORY

Euston Station, London, #OTD in 1936. #HISTORY

On 22 December 1941 a series of air strikes took place, targeting the Axis airfield of Magrun in western Cyrenaica. After the loss of the airfields around Benghazi this had become a temporary holding landing ground. An unhealthy fascination with the landing ground now affected Allied command.

Only the three Illustrious sisters carried Corsairs, and with both Formidable and Victorious being under refit at this time, this is HMS Illustrious

The PPSh submachine gun was accepted into service #OTD in 1940. This weapon was much simpler to produce than the PPD, making it a very common weapon. It was popular among tankers and tank riders, as it was shorter and easier to handle than a rifle. #guns #history #WW2 #WWII

#OTD in 1942. Auxiliary Territorial Service plotters working at the headquarters of 428 Battery, Coast Defence Artillery. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD in 1944, the Far East. A Chance-Vought Corsair fighter preparing for take off. Note the effect around the propeller due to moisture in the air. #WW2 #HISTORY

#OTD in 1944, Walcheren (Holland) is inundated. Evacuation of civilians. #WW2 #HISTORY

The ferocious Battle of Ortona (Italy) lasted from 20 until 28 December 1943 and was fought by two battalions of Fallschirmjäger and Canadian 1 Infantry Division. The battle is also known as "Italian Stalingrad". #WW2 #HISTORY

(March 1945.) What's left of Cologne, Germany. The cathedral is still standing. #WW2 #HISTORY

Mesmerising tracer fire. (October 1944, Aachen, Germany. #WW2 #HISTORY)