This day in history, September 1st, marks many events. The start of World War II was one of the most defining of the 20th century and although coloured photography was almost unheard of at the time, a small series were captured between 1939 and 1945 which offered an alternatively amazing perspective of the conflict such as the first image below of the first United States infantryment approaching Omaha Beach in France, as part of the D-Day landings.
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| Normandy, France, June 6, 1944 Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images |
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| China, March 1940 Members of the Chinese Army. Carl Mydans/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images |
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| Britain, circa 1940 British infantrymen in training. Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images |