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an old red book with a pen on top of it on a white surfacean old photo of a group of people posing in front of an airplanea plaque with a picture of a fighter group on ita lot of people that are posing for a picturean old black and white photo of a group of people in military uniformsan open book with two pictures of a river and a mountain in the backgroundfour pictures of a group of people in a bookthree black and white photos of a boat in the wateran old photo of a book with pictures of a house on itan old black and white photo of a group of people posing for a picturean old black and white photo of a group of people in a villageseveral black and white photos of a group of people in front of an airplanea book with pictures of people and a plane on ittwo black and white photos of a man standing next to an old airplaneseveral black and white photos of a man standing in front of a group of peopletwo old black and white photos of a man in a baseball uniforma picture of an old photo of a plane on the groundan old photo of a group of people standing in front of an airplanetwo black and white photos of a group of people posing in front of an airplanea book with pictures of airplanes on the pagesseveral black and white photos of a plane on display on a tablea picture of a group of men standing in front of a planea book with pictures of airplanes on the pagesseveral black and white photos of a plane on display in a museuma book with pictures of people and pictures on itan old photo of a book with pictures of people on ita book with pictures of people and cars on the pagesa book with a picture of a man working on a planea black and white photo of a plane that is on displaytwo black and white photos of a plane and a pair of bootsthree black and white photos of a man and a woman sitting on a bencha book with a bunch of pictures of people on itan old photo of a man and a woman in a fielda book with pictures of people and buildings on itan old photo of a book with pictures of people on ita book with pictures of people and buildings on ita book with pictures of a plane and a plane on itan old photo of a book with pictures of people on the pagesseveral old black and white photos of people and buildings in a bookan open book with pictures of people and animals on itan open book with pictures of people in ita sign that says seasons are greetings in californiaan open book with pictures of people on itan open book with a bunch of letters and pictures on itsomeone is holding a piece of paper with a red cross on ita pile of old letters sitting on top of a tablean open book with two pictures of people in a car and a man in a car
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

161 - Photograph album: 188th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron – 1…
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Estimate €350 - €450
Sale commission
Description
Photograph album: 188th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron – 14th Air Force This album contains 114 photographs chronicling the history of the 118th TRS (Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron), one of the squadrons of the 23rd Fighter Group and a direct descendant of the famous Tiges Volants. This unit, initially trained on P-39 Airacobras, was equipped with P-40 Warhawks upon its arrival in India, before being converted to the P-51 Mustang (or rather the F-6 Mustang: a reconnaissance version fitted with cameras in addition to its standard armament) before going on to operate in China. Specialising in low-altitude missions, the squadron’s primary role was to return with photographs to keep the Allies as well-informed as possible during their advance against the Japanese forces stationed in China and Burma. These photographs are of remarkable quality because, for the most part, they were taken with Type K-20 cameras or derivatives, the main advantage of which is that the negatives are in 10x12.5cm format (the famous American 4×5-inch format), which allows for enlargements of exceptional quality. From scenes of everyday life, aircraft damaged by enemy fire, briefing rooms, departures and returns from missions, to emergency landings, this album with its exotic content gives us a glimpse into the atmosphere of daily life for these pilots across India and China. The album contains a series of photographs of a USO troupe on tour in the theatre of operations with Ann Sheridan, a famous Hollywood actress of the time, nicknamed ‘The Oomph Girl’ by Warner Bros. Studios. Ann Sheridan had become one of the most popular pin-ups amongst American troops. The album concludes with two photographs taken upon the arrival of Japanese envoys in Nanking (a place of historical significance for the occupation due to the massacres perpetrated by Japanese troops) to sign the surrender of Japanese forces in China. A truly beautiful collection.
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Lot description modified on 10/16/2026 at 9:34 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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