The Alaska Territorial Guard
and WWII in Alaska
as painted by Henry Varnum Poor

1 Major Muktuk Marston Signs up Soldiers: "Sign up for the Alaska Territorial Guard at the school on Little Diomede Island. Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk.

2 Manual of Arms at Point Barrow Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

3 Our Warriors Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

4 Alaska Territorial Guard Maneuvers Notice the Alaska Territorial Guard patches on the shoulders of the soldiers. We would welcome any identification of the location of the painting.

5 Alaska Territorial Guard at Wainright Would someone identify the person in the painting? I am guessing it is a painting of a real person. Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

6 Two Kotzebue Eskimos Can anyone identify either or both persons in the painting? Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

7 Willis Singyke, Eskimo Hunter Does anyone know anymore about the person in this painting? Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

8 Eskimo Guerillas Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

9 Aleutian Airfield The planes in the painting are P-40's either Warhawks or Tomahawks. They were also used by the Flying Tigers to good effect although they were not as agile as the best Japanese fighters.

10 Alaska Transport Gliders I was surprised to find a painting of gliders in Alaska. I have not heard or read any first hand accounts of their deployment or their units. The D-Day type white and black vertical markings have me wondering if they are in this Alaska collection in error.

11 Alaska Transport Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

12 Ground Crew Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

13 Chow Line This painting captures some sense of the hardship as Allied soldiers were rushed to fortify Alaska -often with initial shortages of field equipment and shelter.

14 Aleutian Morning 1943, B-24s and P38s The B-24 Liberator four engine bomber was overshadowed by the B-17 Flying Fortress for recognition. The B-24 however did have a longer range and could carry a heavier payload of bombs. The P-38 was the most successful twin engine fighter of the war, especially in the Pacific theatre. The powerful concentration of machine guns and canon in the center, exceptional speed, high flight ceiling and surprising agility for such a heavy aircraft made it a deadly aircraft in well trained hands. America's highest scoring ace, Richard Ira Bong, flew and fought in a P-38 earning 40 credited kills of enemy aircraft.

15 Airmans Camp, Adak (OP) Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

16 Awaiting Takeoff The B-24's shown are the earlier models with a single machinegun facing forward in the nose section. As frontal attacks were sometimes favored by the enemy a twin machine gun nose turret was added to later versions.

17 Clearing Weather on Adak These are twin engine Mitchell bombers. They were most famous for their use of the flight deck of the USS Hornet in the first attack on Tokyo. The attack was led by Jimmy Doolittle, who spent a part of his young life growing up in Nome, Alaska. I have often wondered if he was inspired in his flight techniques for short take offs (which allowed the heavy bombers to take off from a carrier) from watching the early Alaska bush pilots.

18 First Mission for Paramushiro Mud, tents, oil drums and damp cold - probably keys to the memories of many Alaska veterans of World War II. Paramushiro was a Japanese base of operations.

19 Three Soldiers Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

20 Kiska Landing Field Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

21 Muddy Roads of Amchitka The aircraft in the front of the painting are again B-24's. The ones in the background, I believe, are Catalina Flying boats which were used for observation, rescue, resupply, transport, anti-submarine and other duties. They were not fast but could stay aloft for long periods of time and land or take off on the water.

22 Deck Detail Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

23 Card Game Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

24 Sweating the Mission Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

25 Refueling C-54 Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

26 Elmendorf Field Hangars Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

27 B-26 Bomber Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

28 Fighter Strip Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

29 Misty Morning Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

30 Warhawks at Amchitka Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

31 Itsy Bitsy 76 P38 Lightning Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

32 Walter R. Blom, Lt., Alaska Territorial Guard, Kotzebue I wonder if the title of this is incorrect. Is the person perhaps a Blankenship? We hope someone can help on identification and perhaps more. Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

33 Warhawks at Amchitka Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

34 Crash Landing, P-38 The red marks in front and below the cockpit are Japanese flags indicating two kills of enemy fighters before this. A good landing in the sense the pilot did walk away.

35 New Arrival, Valdez Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

36 Watching Porpoise, 1941 Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

37 Pvt Robert T. Chester, 24th Ferrying Squadron Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

38 Self Portrait Henry Varnum Poor Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

39 Major Marston Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

40 Eskimo Woman Send comments to Paul Ongtooguk. (Please include the slide number.)

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