UPDATE: Merry Christmas everyone. Here’s photo Christmas throwback to a post originally published March 20, 2011.
Originally found via Photography News website and courtesy of the Australian War Memorial come these four photographs that capture Santas, Christmas, the Holidays and Jeeps.
1. This photo is from Japan (original link to source no longer works)
ITSUKUSHIMA, JAPAN. 1946-12-20. DURING THE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY 116TH AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION DEPOT, BCOF, AT MIYAJIMA SCHOOL SANTA CLAUS ARRIVES BY JEEP. ON THE FRONT OF THE JEEP, INSCRIBED IN JAPANESE, ARE THE WORDS “MERRY CHRISTMAS”. LEFT TO RIGHT: VX150376 DRIVER A. R. DAVIS, EUROA, VIC (1); SX34345 PRIVATE M. P. BURGESS, NORWOOD, SA (2); NX196391 PRIVATE C. R. ANSELL, WILLOUGHBY, NSW (3).
2. Here is a photo from New Guinea (original link to source no longer works).
Ramu Valley, New Guinea. 1943-12-25. NX103434 Captain F. D. Smith, dressed as Father Christmas, arriving at one of the wards of the main dressing station, 2/6th Australian Field Ambulance, in a jungle cart (Thompson Stretcher), drawn by a jeep, to distribute Christmas presents to the patients. Identified personnel are: SX28258 Private E. J. Cummings (2); TX5952 Private R. G. Viney (6), and Corporal R. Roessler (7).
3. This image is from Korea: (original link to source no longer works)
Santa Claus arrives at the Christmas party given by the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), to two hundred Korean children from villages near the Gallipoli camp. Santa found some straggling guests on the way to the party and gave them a lift in his sleigh, the fire chief’s bright red jeep. An unidentified soldier is sitting in the back of the jeep with the children.
4. Here is another image from Korea: (original link to source no longer works)
Unidentified members of either the 2nd or 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR or 3RAR), gather at a jeep which has carried Santa Claus to their camp in Korea. The jeep has been decorated with branches of Christmas (pine) tree and has two large loudspeakers attached to the front.
