Garand Picture of the day 2 INf Div

[Mark in Rochester]

No notes on this one except 2nd infantry division

[chriskat]

Don't most of those guys look pretty old? No rank insignia either. Is that odd?

[noslack 327]

The guy with the binos may be a officer he has a pistol mag pouch on his belt.

[Bill Hollinger]

That's John Wayne!!! Look at him! He just has to be the officer, he has a mild case of front butt :yikes:

[U.S.G.I.]

All three soldiers in front have binoculars.

[stonewall56]

Fall/winter of '44? They're wearing gloves and some have wool covers beneath their helmets.

[BDH]

Those guys look a bit tired...but the shiniest thing are those frogs on the sling. I guess if they are expecting trouble, the frogs would be facing the dirt anyway so no glint for a target.
Bruce

[beachbumbob]

Most likely not a combat zone, no one has their anything in the ammo belts.

[Tim]

They look like reenactors.

[Bill Hollinger]

They kind of do, don't they? Tim, good one.

[M1 Rifleman]

Several of the soldiers have the "thousand yard stare".

It was common for front-line troops NOT to have ANY rank insignia on the cloathing. A high-ranking individual made a tempting target for enemy snipers.

One of the soldiers in the background has an M1 Carbine. From the looks of the picture, might be near the Huertgen Forest (October-November, 1944).

[beachbumbob]

Certainly not Huertgen Forest. That battle was fought by the First Army. By then the 2nd had been transferred to the Third Army under Patton.

My money says that this is a training shot, well away from the Combat zone. I think the gear and the troops are way too clean and well tended to be in a R an R break between battles/campaigns or whatever.

Bob

[cary m2a]

Maybe they are Brits trying to be Yanks.:beerchug:

Cary

[Tim]

Polish troops?

[Vos Parate]

The guy on the front left looks like a mannequin.