Photos from Irving Hamlin of the 208th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment, US Army, during WW2

PHOTOS FROM IRVING HAMLIN
OF THE 208TH COAST ARTILLERY (AA) REGIMENT,
US ARMY, DURING WWII

Irving Hamlin was amongst the first Americans into Townsville after Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the 208th Coast Artillery (AA) Regiment, a National Guard outfit from the Hartford, Conn. area in USA.

Honeymoon in Miami, March 1945 with the ever lovely Ruth Kushner Hamlin, formerly Wave.

Irving believed this to be a Japanese tank at Dobodura, stopped by grenades! David Young
(Ex- Royal Armoured Corps) told me on 30 Oct 2007 that it was an American M3A1 light tank.
It was known in the British Army as the 'Stuart' & was used by them in divisional reconnaissance regiments.

Wrecked Japanese barge at Buna Beach, Unsuspecting Americans of 125 Infantry 32nd Division) were
gunned down. Peter Storck, the Australian, took pictures, the first ever shown of dead Americans.

Japanese plane engine at Dobodura.

Japanese triple barrelled AA machine gun that did much damage to Australians at Buna.

Cape Endiadere, a plantation, completely destroyed during a terrible battle, when the
Aussies lost 18 Bren gun carriers (stupid naked wagons with a Bren gun,) and all
of the crews of three, shot down from above and the bunkers below. Bad deal...

Japanese plane shot down by B-17 gunners.

Disembarking from the crap boat SS Van Heutz at Oro Bay. The ship was sunk by Japanese Val 99 dive bombers
as they came out of the sun at 2:30 pm from the mountains as we Americans and our Aussie buddies applauded and
cheered. The Dutch had given us a ride from Townsville to Oro Bay. A hunk of sweating black iron. Jeez....