WWII Photos from H.W. Luetjen, 734th Field Artillery Battalion The following photographs were contributed from World War II photographs taken by Harold W. Luetjen who served in the 734th Field Artillery Battalion. All images are Copyright HWL Images. Displayed by permission.     Soldiers of 734th FA with truck. [click image to enlarge]     German PWs on grave detail. [click image to enlarge]     Captured Dornier DO-335 Pfeil (Arrow) in RAF colors. [click image to enlarge]     155mm Long Tom firing. [click image to enlarge]     155mm Long Tom and prime mover rigged for travel in Europe. [click image to enlarge]     First heavy artillery across the Rhine River. The Connecticut Veterans Commemorative Booklet, Vol. IX, No. 15, January 1946 contained the following personal account from T/5 Joseph Kosciol of Btry. B: "The first piece of heavy artillery across the Rhine River was hauled by the tractor I drove. That was a 155mm and it came across a pontoon bridge under very little fire. In fact the only firing that came my way was from a machine gun and that was quickly knocked out. I did the same work all through four campaigns and was in the line of fire a lot of times, but never had any real close ones until one day while travelling along the Autobahn. I got strafed by a plane that time and those bullets landed all around me, but I got away all right by diving in a ditch on the side of the road. That one was too close for comfort." [click image to enlarge]     Polish women POW's liberated by 3rd Army. The Connecticut Veterans Commemorative Booklet, Vol. IX, No. 15, January 1946 contained the following personal account from Cpl. Harold Luetjen of Btry. B: "There was nothing glamorous about fire direction survey work, but I guess that it served it's purpose or the Army wouldn't have had it. I did that kind of work through 4 campaigns and was always far enough in the rear so that it seemed like an ordinary day's work. But I got one of the best deals of all later on when I was put in charge of the guard over 500 Polish WACs who had been captured by the Germans and released by the Americans. The guard was placed there to keep the GI wolves away and it was a tough job as those guys tried all kinds of tricks to get near them. Still it was interesting and funny too. I know a lot of guys who would have liked to have had it." [click image to enlarge]     Harold Luetjen guarding a bridge in Luxembourg, Winter 1944-45. An old door has been rigged up as a windbreak. [click image to enlarge]

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