B-10s worn by 101st Airborne command at Bastogne, December 1944

[SuinBruin]

Check out the B-10s on Gen. McAuliffe (famous for his "NUTS!" response to a German surrender demand, as immortalized in Band of Brothers) and some of his staff at Christmas dinner at Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.



photo here

and wikipedia on Gen. McAuliffe here

 

[B-Man2]

Pretty somber mood that reflects what was going on at the time. Not throwing stones, but I’ve read several stories about Bastogne and by all accounts the guys on the front lines were low on ammo, had poor clothing that would hardly keep them warm, and little if any food. This photo was probably for the crowd back home in the US because it certainly doesn’t depict any of those hardships .

 

[SuinBruin]

Look at the expressions on the officers' faces, I doubt this was a photo for stateside publicity or propaganda. More likely it was done to commemorate a modest and subdued Christmas celebration in the face of an uncertain future. The soldiers also marked the occasion as best they could.

Christmas in and around Bastogne, 1944

 

[ausreenactor]

Certainly a candid ahot...

So many little uniform quirks. Suspender pads post Market Garden is unusual.... More so for a senior officer...

Meagre setting, certainly appropriate to the circumstances.

Thanks for the pic.