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This image is part of my grandfather John Baker's "warbook" from World War II. The likely date of this image is August 15, 1944 according to notes written in the Warbook. According to the US Coast Guard ship history, the likely location for this is Baie de Cavalaire. This image was taken by Dale Rooks, as seen by his signature in the lower right. Dale Rooks and John Baker were both about the USS Duane, which was a Coast Guard cutter ship. View full size.
These photos always get to me and lead me deep down a path of thinking. If it is a dead American it makes me wonder where he was from and the unpredictability of life. He probably enlisted or was drafted never expecting to meet his end so far from home, washing ashore on the beaches of a distant country.
My father was a USCG BM1/c aboard the USS Davenport (PF-69), which was a USCG-manned patrol frigate that operated in the North Atlantic during the closing months of WW II. I've collected many photos taken by him and his shipmates during their Davenport days and shared some of them with the CG Historian as well as the NavSource On-line web site. You can see them all in the photo album section of my USS Davenport web site.
Hi Carlos - I have been planning on contacting the USCG historian's office very soon. I wanted to get a few more of the images posted up and retouched before I send them off. I am glad you are enjoying the CG images, as there are not enough of them from WWII despite the fact that they played a major role.
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