H.M.S. Seagull
subject: A photo of the minesweeper H.M.S. Seagull taken as an official admiralty photograph. No specific ship name, location, or date given. HMS Seagull was a Halcyon-class minesweeper, and the first all-welded Royal Navy ship, built entirely without rivets. The design was ahead of its time, using longitudinal framing and flush butt joints in the hull plating. This gave a substantial improvement in costs and build time, the comparison being the half-sister ship built using rivetted construction on another slipway in the same dockyard. She was designed by Rowland Baker, the influential naval architect who worked on many naval vessels used in World War 2 and into the cold war. She was completed on 30 March 1938. She was adopted by the civil community of Christchurch, Hampshire after a successful Warship Week National Savings campaign in February 1942 During the Second World War she helped escort 21 Arctic convoys, and participated in Operation Neptune. She was also involved in the accidental sinking of the Polish submarine ORP Jastrząb, along with HNoMS St Albans, during the passage of Arctic Convoy PQ 15. Five crewmen were killed. A court of Enquiry found that Jastrząb was 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) out of position, in an area where U-boats were expected to operate, and no blame could be attached to either commander. Other sources maintain the convoy changed course and entered Jastrząb's patrol sector. Also that the Allied ships ignored identification marks, while on the surface and that Seagull's commander was later found guilty by the Admiralty. These accounts are not reconcilable. In late 1945 she was converted in Rotterdam to a Survey Ship. Until 1950 she operated in home waters, after which she was paid off into the reserve. She became the naval drill ship at Leith in 1955 before being scrapped by Demmelweek and Redding in Plymouth in 1956.
description: British Official Photograph No. A. 6091 Admiralty Photograph. Crown Copyright Reserved. H.M.S. Seagull - a minesweeper.
source: Photo purchased from The War Store in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additional information pulled from Wikipedia.
date: 1939 - 1945

Japanese Imperial Guard Photo Album
description: This is an Enlistment Commemoration Album owned by Noda Asao of the 10th Company of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Guard. The 3rd Guard Regiment was part of the 2nd Guards Brigade. In 1940 it was deployed to Shanghai and then Hainan Island in China. This unit later saw action in the battles of Malaya and Singapore with Tomoyuki Yamashita's 25th army. This unit took part in the Parit Sulong Massacre of Australian and Indian prisoners of war. The unit also participated in the Sook Ching mass killings of Singaporean civilians that especially targeted ethnic Chinese.
source: Purchased from Don Kochi and part of the Tom Long collection. Translation provided by Yuske Tamura.
date: One of the photos is dated November 13th 1937 so the other photos likely date from around that time as well.

Journal of Wolfgang Schewe (Kriegsmarine)
subject: The journal of someone who served on a German U-Boat. The journal describes his time in training and the photos seem to show him during active duty. Most of the entries are during 1941, and the final date written near the logo for U-929 being in 1945 just 5 days before VE Day. The passenger/cargo motor vessel CARIBIA (12,049 GRT / 5480 tdw) was laid down in 1931, and launched on 1 March 1932 by the Blohm & Voss shipyard, Hamburg-Steinwärder, yard number 493. Completed on 5 Febr 1933 for the Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG) for their West Indies-Central America service. As a twin-screw vessel, Caribia was powered by two 8-cyl. MAN diesel engines with a total power of 11,500 HP, giving a service speed of 15 kn, maximum speed 17 kn. She could accommodate 447 passengers in three classes and had a crew of 198. Caribia begun her maiden voyage from Hamburg in March 1933, remaining on the West Indies route until 1939 before the outbreak of World War II. After 1 Sept 1939 the ship was first laid up and in 1940 requisitioned by the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) for the use as an accommodation ship in Flensburg-Mürwik, close to the Naval Academy. Caribia was painted overall gray and was armed with some AA-guns, remained in her role as a floating barrack throughout the whole war without any notable incident. German submarine U-929 was a Type VIIC/41 U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was ordered on 2 April 1942, and was laid down on 20 March 1943, at Neptun Werft AG, Rostock, as yard number 516. She was commissioned under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Werner Schulz on 6 September 1944. German Type VIIC/41 submarines were preceded by the heavier Type VIIC submarines. U-929 had a displacement of 769 tonnes (757 long tons) when at the surface and 871 tonnes (857 long tons) while submerged. She had a total length of 67.10 m (220 ft 2 in), a pressure hull length of 50.50 m (165 ft 8 in), an overall beam of 6.20 m (20 ft 4 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 i…
description: Watch and Duty Small Watch Groups Watch Officer: Lieutenant Fraszezak Engineer Officer: Lieutenant Thielmann Chief Engineer: Senior Engineer Hegmann Helmsman: Petty Officer Meissner Division Commander: Captain z. See Gumprich The Training Period from 7 January to 31 May 1941 My Introduction to Active Service On January 7, 1941, around 6 p.m., I traveled with the 13th platoon from Berlin to the port of Stralsund. We arrived there at about 6 a.m., after a journey of several hours. Upon our arrival, we were assigned to the accommodation in the barracks and soon went to the naval training company. There was a lot of hustle and bustle! We were met by our commanding officers. “Gentlemen! You are now part of the submarine service!” We were given a short speech. Slowly, I began to feel proud to belong to such a company. Everything here was new and exciting. In the afternoon, we were assigned to our platoons and groups. I came to the 4th company for further training and was placed in the 3rd platoon, 9th group. Basic training began immediately afterward. ________________________________________ 3 Months of Basic Training Introduction Finally, the long-awaited day of basic training had come. For a long time, I had been preparing myself to fulfill the duties of a German sailor to the best of my ability. Although I already had an idea of what awaited me — the hardships and difficulties of a sailor’s life — I was still determined to give my best. We were now to learn everything that belonged to the foundation of military service: discipline, obedience, and physical endurance. The last days were spent with intensified exercises, and we were tested in the use of rifles and hand grenades. The training lasted four weeks. Training – Basic Exercises The Basic Training The first days of service were quite tough. In addition to the regular duties, we began with basic training. That meant: “Introduction to basic exercises!” The instructors were strict. The commands had to be carried out …
source: Purchased from Don Kochi and part of the Tom Long collection. Translation provided by ChatGPT. Information on the Caribia and Cordillera taken from ShipsNostalgia.com. Information on U-929 taken from Wikipedia.
date: January 7, 1941 - May 3, 1945

Letter from American Vice Consul for German POW Walter Schmitt
date: June 16th 1949

Letter from American Vice Consul for German POW Walter Schmitt 2

Letter Home from German POW Walter Schmitt

Letter Home from German POW Walter Schmitt 2
date: September 21st 1944

Mail Envelope from German POW Walter Schmitt

Mandalay Road Japanese Propaganda Photo
subject: A line of Japanese infantry advance across a smoke filled battlefield with fixed bayonets and a drawn katana.
description: Translation of Japanese text on the reverse: "Approaching the enemy covertly After conquering Rangoon the Imperial Japanese army is doing a reverse spear toward northern Burma. Through intense heat attacking the weak points of the British forces creating a “Mandalay Road”, on May 1st we have occupied Mandalay. The Mandalay Operation was comparable to the Malayn Blitz Campaign in size and range. The Chiang Kai-shek Army supplied with US air force with British Mechanized Unit focused together to create the ABC Combined Force. Creating a defense line around natural formations that they called “impregnable”. The allied military analyst have all sung that deep Burma is impossible to conquer. Despite that after the fall of Rangoon 53 days ago we have focused out efforts on Mandalay and under 30 days we have manage to split the American, British, Chinese combined forces. A great feat achievable solely by the Imperial Army. For the Chinese army being danced around by the British-Chinese Alliance protecting the Burma Road at all cost, the fall of Mandalay was ironically digging their own grave. Out of all the Chinese troops how many can return to Yunnan Province through the Burma Road? To our soldiers the “Mandalay Road” was possible because of their hardship and sacrifice, fighting for around 50 days. Unsheathing the bayonets and commanding with Katana’s the white knights charge into the Mandalay defense line. Their sight of charging into the “Mandalay Road” for 800 km was a quite the sight to see."
date: April 29th, 1942
contributor: Translations provided by Yuske Tamura

Motorcycle Commandos in Training
description: ROUGH WORK BUT THEY LIKE IT! CAMP CARSON, COLO. - Commando training has nothing on the work these rough riding cyclists of the reconnaissance troop, Camp Carson, Colo., do to keep their machines ready for the battle front where paved highways are apt to be conspicuous by their absence. Photo No 3 A soldier's army motorcycle makes a good shield in combat.
creator: U.S. Signal Corps from "ACME" Chicago Bureau The Minneapolis Star Journal Rotogravure
date: August 23rd 1943