Moving a Balloon During the Allied Invasion of Normandy
7/24/1944
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The original caption for this photograph reads: "Corps. A. Johnson, Houston, Texas, assisted by some of his men, walk a balloon over to the winch, somewhere in France."
This image shows men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. It was the only unit made up entirely of African-American soldiers to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day during World War II. These soldiers raised barrage balloons over the beaches during the invasion as an anti-aircraft measure — the balloons and their steel cables forced German planes to fly higher, reducing the effectiveness of aerial attacks. The balloon battalions had trained at Camp Tyson in Tennessee. There were more than 30 barrage balloon battalions, four of which were African-American units.
This image shows men of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. It was the only unit made up entirely of African-American soldiers to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day during World War II. These soldiers raised barrage balloons over the beaches during the invasion as an anti-aircraft measure — the balloons and their steel cables forced German planes to fly higher, reducing the effectiveness of aerial attacks. The balloon battalions had trained at Camp Tyson in Tennessee. There were more than 30 barrage balloon battalions, four of which were African-American units.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer.
National Archives Identifier: 148727150
Full Citation: Photograph 111-SC-191713-S; Corps. A. Johnson and others walk a balloon over to the winch; 7/24/1944; France - Normandy Invasion Beachheads: Omaha and Utah Beaches; U.S. Army Signal Corps Photographs Of Military Activity During World War II and The Korean Conflict, 1941 - 1954; Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Record Group 111; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/balloon-battalion-normandy, May 15, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.