H. Meredith saluting his niece

My father George L. Potter Jr. was a member of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, WW II. He made the D-Day jump over Normandy on June 6, 1944, landing near Saint Mere-Eglise. He also made the Holland jump during Operation Market-Garden on September 17th, of the same year. After surviving both campaigns, he went on to fight at Bastogne during The Battle of the Bulge.

Steven Ambrose wrote a book about my father's WW II company called Band of Brothers, which was followed years later by a 10-episode HBO miniseries of the same title.

I have had the great honor and privilege to have met and become friends with many of the men who served with my father during the war.

I've always had a passion for history, especially of the monumental events that occurred during WW II. When my fellow coworker, Kelly Meredith-Saunders, told me about her father's WW II service in China during the war, I was intrigued. When Kelly loaned her father's WW II collection of pictures to me, I was amazed by their quality and historical significance. By sharing these wonderful pictures with all of you, I hope we can honor and treasure the memory of our veterans. All Americans need to know about World War II and never forget the appalling cost and the men who paid it. - Tom Potter

Please click on the thumbnails below to see the larger photos. Where available, I have added the text that was on the back of each photo. The first set of photos were taken in China, the following set from India.

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Index to above photos by number.

1. American soldiers manning an anti-aircraft gun, China air base, 1944.
2. "Drop this on Japan and they'll all die of Fright! This is how I'd look if I were at work." Meredith friend
3. Dinner in China
4. American Service Red Cross Club
5.Dinner
6.Chinese workers rolling the runways and parking areas
7.Chinese laborers at work at an advanced XX Bomber Command Base in Western China
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10. Transporting vehicles
11. Fishing
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15. 2 beautiful Chinese children
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17.This amazing photograph was taken at an airbase in China. (A B-29 of the 468th BG - WWII.)
18.A second photograph taken of the B-29 bomber from the 468th BG. Her back is broken.
(American airbase in China, WWII.)
19.A third photograph taken of the B-29 bomber from the 468th BG. Her back is broken.
(American airbase in China, WWII.)
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22. A B-29 of the 468th BG (#395-263395) forward air base, China . Chinese workers can be seen near the B-29
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25.Securing heavy bombs in the vast bomb bay of a B-29 are, left to right, Lt. Warren D. Dailey, bombardier-navigator; M.B. Hagen, armorer, and Sgt. Thomas Brocco, armorer. These bombs fell on the rail yards at Bangkok, first Superfortress target.
26.B-29 American Beauty, #42-24703, 58th BW, 468th BG, 792nd BS.
27..B-17 Eager Beaver Crew
28.I believe this aircraft is the B-29 "Ding Hao"! #42-6358 / 794th BS / 468th BG / Pilot William J. Mickish / Date of Loss 11/21/1944 ** See below all photos for more text
29. B-29 called Pepper
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31.B-24 "Rice Pattie Hattie", forward air base China, 1944. A Chinese soldier stands guard!
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33.Newspaper article regarding Clinkscales death
34.Clinkscales and his dog, Sally.
35.Colonel Robert S. Clinkscales was the Commanding Officer of the 794th Bomb Squadron, 468th Bomb Group, 58th Bomb Wing. Clinkscales was killed along with his crew and cocker spaniel mascot (Sally) during a B-29 raid over Japan on August 20, 1944. Osprey Aviation's B-29 Hunters of the JAAF by Takaki and Sakaida has an interesting article concerning the bombing mission over Yawata.
36.An unknown airman of B-29 "Gertrude C" holding on to their mascot "Sally", China, 1944.
37.Sally takes a break between the large tires of B-29 "Gertrude C", 1944, China.
38.Sally, the 794th Bomb Squadron mascot. She was born in Australia and has been around the world
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40.B-29 "Totin' To Tokyo" / #42-6454 / 793rd Squadron / 468th BG / 58th BW / China. Classified as "War Weary" returned to the U.S on 09/04/1944.
41. A U.S.O. show for the B-29 boys at an American air base somewhere in China, late 1944, WWII.*** See below
42.1st Sgt. Herschel A. Meredith (standing to the right) with a war-time buddy in front of a small reconnaissance plane, China, 1944.
43.Lady Hamilton II / 794th BS / 468th BG / 58th BW. Photograph taken at a forward air base in China. (An airman is sitting in the background near the B-29.) Shot-down over Tokyo, June 1, 1945.
44. Ie Shima
45.Ie Shima
46.Ie Shima
47.Ie Shima

These photographs are the property of the H.Meredith family. Permission needed to use elsewhere.

** Ding Ho -

AC Misckish diverted to Vladivostok, Russia, from Omura with minor battle damage. The Russians interned the crew and 42-6358. The crew never saw 42-6358 again. They were released/escaped into Iran. (From David Wilhelm's web site on the 468th.)

If anyone could confirm the identity of the Flight Officer pictured above, I sure would appreciate it.

USO Show ***

At the microphone, actor Pat O'Brien. One of his most famous roles was that of portraying the famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in the 1940 production of, "Knute Rockne, All American". (Ronald Reagan costarred as football player George Gipp, "Win just one for the Gipper.")

To O'Brian's left (the gal with the gorgeous legs) actress, model, and talk show host, Jinx Faulkenberg.

On Faulkenberg's left, an unknown airman (after a hard days work) and performer Betty Yeaton.

On Pat O'Brian's far right, singer and performer, Jimmie Dodd (one of the original Mouseketeers of the mid-1950's). Standing next to Dodd, his wife, dancer and song writer, Ruth Carrell.

The USO tour group spent fifty days in the theater, performing over 100 shows and personal appearances in Karachi, New Delhi, Luichow, and 10 days at forward B-29 air bases in China.

God bless their souls - Tom

To photos from India