LOS ANGELES, United States — A collection assembled by photographer Michael Stokes has brought together private photographs of Allied servicemen during their hours away from combat in World War II. The images appeared in a book edited by Dian Hanson.
The photographs present a markedly different record from the official images of battles, bombings, and military campaigns commonly associated with the war. Soldiers and sailors are shown relaxing on beaches, gathering inside barracks, playing in the snow, and posing with friends.
Some of the pictures depict nudity and playful behaviour among the servicemen. Others show individuals or large groups smiling for the camera during periods of rest.
Stokes, who is based in Los Angeles, spent years locating the photographs and built an archive containing more than 500 images. The collection includes servicemen from Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, and the United States.
Many of the photographs were small, anonymous snapshots that remained in private collections for decades. Stokes collected the images but did not take them, and the supplied material does not identify the original photographers or most of the men pictured.
The volume, My Buddy: World War II Laid Bare, examines the close relationships formed among men serving together. Its accompanying description says military commanders encouraged such bonds as a source of emotional support for troops confronting the strain of combat.
The photographs document how some servicemen spent periods between assignments, whether in the South Pacific, Eastern Europe, or military quarters elsewhere. They show men swimming, exercising, joking with friends, and posing informally for cameras.
The first edition was published by Taschen on Wednesday, June 11, 2014, according to bibliographic information carrying the publisher’s data.
The book was edited by Hanson and was listed at £44.99 in Britain.
Gallery credit: Michael Stokes Collection/Taschen. The individual photographers, locations, and dates were not identified in the supplied material.
