Robert Chalmers crew of
#23 "Judy R".
Two crewmen were in hospital when photo taken on afternoon of
17 Dec 44. "Judy R" was scrapped.
B-24J Ser# 44-41020
Capt. Robert T. Chalmers'#23 "Judy R"
touching down at Torretto,
Italy after returning from Odertal on 17 Dec 1944.
L to R:
1Lt. Eugene P. Ford --TA pilot KIA 17 Dec
1944
Capt. Robert Chalmers. He was
Ford's #2 on 17 Dec 1944 and the only 765th Sq
B-24 that returned to
Italy. Lt. Tom Lightbody
US Pres.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (C) riding in jeep, visiting US troops
stationed in Sicily during WW II.
Location: Italy
Date taken: 1944
I joined the 82nd. Airborne Div. after being discharged
in August 1945 and was sent to Germany. I do not see a shoulder patch
with this WW2 picture showing
President Roosevelt with American troops in
Italy Those soldiers
with the president are Airborne soldiers of either the 82nd, or
101st.Airborne Division. . I know this because the troopers are wearing
paratrooper jump boots and they have their trouser legs bloused. During WW2
the Airborne troops were allowed to blouse their uniform trouser legs. This
is the reason non paratrooper soldiers were called "legs." This was short
for straight leg uniforms. When I returned home wearing my jump boots and my
trouser legs bloused my girlfriend [who is now my wife of 62 years] had
never seen any soldier with bloused uniform legs before and she asked me why
I done this. She thought the straight leg uniform I was wearing
during my last furlough before I completed jump school looked better. She
really freaked out when she found out the
Paratroopers used the tops of condoms [furnished by the Amy] to
blouse their trouser legs. . Bob
