Faces of War: 22 Powerful Photos of World War II

By Damian Lucjan and Clare Fitzgerald

The sheer scale of conflict witnessed during the Second World War surpassed any previous in history. Although the Great War, just over twenty years earlier, marked the beginning of global warfare among major powers, World War II unfolded on an unparalleled scale. This was evident not only in the numerous nations directly engaged in the conflict but also in the staggering loss of life it resulted in.

Captured German Pilot

A Luftwaffe pilot who was captured after being shot down by anti-aircraft fire near Weisweiler, Germany during the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in 1944. While his name and fate are unknown, considering the circumstances of his capture in that time and place, he probably survived the war.

Czesława Kwoka

During her internment at Auschwitz , Czesława Kwoka, a 14-year-old Polish Catholic girl, endured unimaginable suffering.

Throughout the Second World War , approximately 230,000 children, the majority of whom were Jewish, tragically perished at the concentration camp.

German battleship Tirpitz

A sailor building a model of Tirpitz while aboard the German battleship.

Tirpitz , the second of two Bismarck -class vessels commissioned for the Kriegsmarine , met her demise when Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers sank her during Operation Catechism on November 12, 1944.

Weeping Parisian

Life magazine's March 3, 1941 edition depicted a Parisian man shedding tears of patriotism as flags symbolizing his country's lost regiments were sent into exile in Africa.

US Marine after two days of fighting

The face of a US Marine after forty-eight hours of relentless combat amidst the Battle of Eniwetok, an important World War II clash in the Pacific Theater during February 1944. Historical records suggest his death occurred around a month after to this event.

The Crying Boy

The face of 16-year-old Hans-Georg Henke, who served as an anti-aircraft soldier during World War II. Part of the Luftwaffe 's anti-air squad, he operated 88 mm guns at a German battery, driven by the need to support his family following the loss of his parents.

Henke asserted that this photo was captured as the Red Army advanced upon his unit. However, an American photographer later contended that it was taken in Hessen, suggesting that the emotion depicted on Henke's face stemmed from the shock of combat induced by the approaching American forces.

Actions have consequences

German Gen. Anton Dostler being tied to a stake before his execution by firing squad on December 1, 1945. He was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death by an American military tribunal at the Nuremberg Trials .

Taking a coffee break

Pfc. Faris M. Tuohy savors a cup of coffee while on board a vessel close to the Marshall Islands during the Battle of Eniwetok in February 1944. After a week filled with fierce battle, the American troops achieved victory over Japan.

Japanese-American veteran being detained

A US Navy veteran from the First World War is brought to the Temporary Detention Camp for Japanese-Americans in April 1942, a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor . A total of 97,785 Japanese-Americans were held at internment camps throughout the Second World War.

Elated American pilot

Lt. Junior Grade Alexander Vraciu, an aviator with the US Navy, using his fingers to show how many aircraft he downed during the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot in the Battle of the Philippine Sea . This photo was taken aboard the USS Lexington (CV-16).

Women in the cockpit

Elizabeth L. Remba Gardner was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), which ferried military aircraft throughout the Second World War. This photo was taken just prior to her taxiing down the runway at Harlingen Army Airfield, Texas.

Saying 'thank you'

Tec-4 Elvin Harley from the 3rd Armored Division gets a friendly kiss on the cheek from a French girl while enjoying music played by the 9th Armored Division Band near Aboncourt, France, on February 14, 1945.

Taking a moment

STM2-c James Lee Frazer taking a moment to read a few chapters of the Bible. This photo was taken the day before a raid on Manila Bay in January 1945.

Warsaw Uprising

Polish Boy Scouts serving with the Radosław Regiment during the Warsaw Uprising , September 1944. Look at the determination on their faces as they fight for Poland's liberation. All three survived the war.

Māori Battalion putting on a ceremonial performance

Māori Battalion performing a haka in Helwan, Egypt for the King of Greece, July 1941.

Taking a break

Private Lloyd Culuck from Company A, 1st Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment pauses for a meal from a can of Ration B while stationed on New Georgia Island in the Southwest Pacific amidst the New Georgia Campaign. Since his arrival on July 2, 1943, he had not had the opportunity to change his clothes for 12 days, a consequence of the intense combat between American forces and Japan.

Marching through the Ardennes

German machine gunner marching through the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge , December 1944.

Italian wine

Wing Commander G.H. Westlake, the commanding officer of No. 1 Mobile Operations Room Unit, with a cask of Sicilian wine. While a fighter pilot with No. 80 and 213 Squadrons RAF, he shot down nine enemy aircraft and shared in the downing of two more. He also led No. 213 Squadron in North Africa between August and October 1942.

Westlake worked as a controller for No. 211 and 212 Groups in Tunisia, before becoming 1 MORU during the invasions of Sicily and Italy . He later returned to operations, commanding a unit of the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, before leading the No. 239 Wing RAF in Italy.

He was responsible for the success of Operation Bowler , leading an attack against a harbor in Venice in March 1945.

The Japanese surrender brought about an emotional response

The face of a Japanese prisoner of war (POW) listening to Emperor Hirohito's surrender , which signaled the end of World War II.

'V' for victory

British soldier holding up the "insult" version of the famous "V" for Victory sign toward German POWs that were captured at El Alamein, October 1942.

Intense fighting on Guam

US Marine Gill A. Gideon Jr. aiming his M1 Carbine during fighting on the first day of the Battle of Guam. The engagement resulted in an American victory.

Look at this gun!

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The shocked face of a US Marine holding a Type 99 on Saipan, which was equipped by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.