A-ah!
Now you’re getting close!
Right unit and theatre of operation (Pacific), but unfortunately also wrong year and wrong location.
You are very close to getting it though, keep trying!
Hi wingsofwrath,
thank for your endurance and for the clues… The last jump made by the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment in the Pacific theatre is the one made July 3rd, 1944 over the Kamiri Island on Noemfoor Island, off the coast of Dutch New Guinea. At least, i hope…
I’m sorry, but the place and year are still wrong.
The picture illustrates the battle for which this unit gained gained a “Presidential Unit Citation” as well as its distinctive insignia:
Hi wingsofwrath,
thank for your precious clues… I’ve been thinking that i got it when i 've seen the distinctive insignia that you posted. It should be the jump of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment Combat Team on Fortress Corregidor, on Corregidor Island, about thirty miles west of Manila (Philippines Islands), on Febbruary 16, 1945.
You are absolutely right, dear Mr. Skorzeny!
Sincere congratulation on solving this quite difficult enigma.
Of course, it is now your turn to post.
Dear wingsofwrath,
i don’t know if the next puzzle is gonna be hard for an expert like you and the other members. Anyway you have to guess From which country are these soldiers. Where they are and When (it’ll be enough the year).
Enjoy the hunt!
Right.
There’s no chance to solve this right away, so it’s time to analyse what can be seen in the picture and hope to draw conclusions from there:
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The people in the image are certainly sappers. Based on headgear and kit, I’d say the likeliest option would be soldiers of the Royal Engineer Corps.
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The trucks are too far away to give any useful clues and the landscape is likewise uninformative, although the lack of ploughed fields and enclosures seems to suggest a far eastern locale rather than a European one.
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There is no way to ascertain wherever the scene is happening during training or an actual operation, but in any case, the lack of weapons and generally relaxed attitudes seem to suggest the former. (another possibility is simply the unit being so far behind the lines that an encounter with the enemy is unlikely)
And that’s pretty much what I could discern from the photograph at this time.
Mr. Skorzeny, would you be so kind as to provide us with some additional information?
Of course, Mr. wingsofwrath,
i completely agree with you that are necessary some other clues… I will try to give you some informations, analysing your three conclusions.
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These soldiers are not members of the Royal Engineer Corps.
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The Country where the picture was shot, is in Mediterranean area. The hills in the background are the spurs of a mountain range.
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About this point your conclusion is quite right. Infact, according with the original caption, these soldiers are marking out a road, in order to transport supplies and weapons to the battle front. Therefore they’re quite behind battle front…
Keep on trying, Mr. wingsofwrath. Best regards.
US Army Engineer Corps in the Caronie Mountains in Sicily, July 1943?
I know some of the Engineer units were still fitted with M1917 helmets rather than M1.
Hi, dear Mr. wingsofwrath,
little by little, you’re getting close to the solution. Infact the place is Italy, not Sicily but a northern region. The soldiers are not Americans and the year isn’t the 1943. I’m sure that, if you guess the area, you’ll reach Army and year, too. Don’t give up, i’m sure that you’re one of the few that can solve this puzzle…
Best regards.
ps - here’s i have another little clue, that i hope may be helpful… According to the original caption “… they are marking out a road, using 105mm artillery shells.”
On special request…
My guess: these soldiers are Canadians, the location is the Abruzzo mountains, the year is 1944, but I do not have a clue what they are doing there…
Hi FTG,
you got the year (1944) and you’ve almost got the place : isn’t Abruzzo mountains (Appennini), but the same range, little northern of Abruzzo… The soldiers are not Canadians. Keep on trying, FTG.
Best regards.
Indian troops engaged in assault on Gothic Line?
You’ve almost got it, Rising Sun*,
these soldiers are part of the Army engaged in the assault at the Gothic Line (like i told before, they are behind the front line), but they’re not Indians (not from India, neither from America Great Plains… :)).
Best regards.
Ghurkas?
I’m sorry but not Ghurkas… Another little clue. They are not from Europe, neither from Asia…
Ghoums?
But they’re not likely to be wearing British gear.
So, South Africans?
Bingo Mr. Rising Sun*!
Here’s the original caption of this picture, that comes from the book “Before the Huns to Marzabotto, Monzuno, Grizzana”, written in order to commemorate the victims of the Marzabotto massacre, September 29, 1944. This picture comes from the section, that includes images shot by 5th Army war reporters and was shot next to Monzuno, one of the three little towns, about twenty miles south-east of Bologna.
Soldiers of the 6th South African Division, that was part of the General Mark W. Clark 5th Army, are tracking a road using 105 mm artillery shells, in the Monzuno area, for the transportation of supplies and weapons to the front. October 31st, 1944.
Congratulations for solving this quite difficult puzzle!!! Your turn.
Best regards.
ps - Ghoums… Who they are?
Ghoums were african colonial fighters who fought for the french in ww2…
" One GI asked a Ghoum to let him look at his knife.Appenrently this was a prized possesion of this Ghoum.But after everyone admired it and handed it back to him, he took his knife , and made a slit in his finger, took the blood and rubbed it over the blade.When asked why he did it he answered : - We never draw our knife from the sheath, unless we use it and have spilled blood - "
(from Agony of hell - by W.Bert Craft)
The 4th Tabor of Moroccan Goums fought in the Sicilian Campaign, landing at Licata on July 14, 1943, and was attached to the U.S. Seventh Army.[4][7] The Goumiers of the 4th Tabor were attached to the U.S. 1st Infantry Division on July 27, 1943 and were recorded in the U.S. 26th Infantry Regiment’s log files for their courage. Upon their arrival many Italian soldiers surrendered en masse, while the Germans began staging major retreats away from known Goumiers presence.[8]
The Italian campaign of World War II is perhaps the most famous and most controversial in the history of the Goumiers. The 4th Group of Moroccan Tabors shipped out for Italy in November 1943, and was followed in January 1944 by the 3rd Group, and reinforced by the 1st Group in April 1944.[4]
In Italy, the Allies suffered a long stalemate at the German Gustav Line. In May 1944, three Goumier groupes, under the name Corps de Montagne, were the vanguard of the French Expeditionary Corps attack through the Aurunci Mountains during Operation Diadem, the fourth Battle of Monte Cassino. “Here the Goums more than proved their value as light, highly mobile mountain troops who could penetrate the most vertical terrain in fighting order and with a minimum of logistical requirements. Most military analysts consider the Goumiers’ manoeuvre as the critical victory that finally opened the way to Rome.”[2]
Thank Ronny,
i’m sorry but i have to admit my ignorance. I never heard about this african colonial fighters… I will try to remedy… Thank for the nice story, too. 
Take care.