PARATROOPERS having their parachutes inspected before taking off for a practice jump, England, October 1942. These troops were equipped with specially designed clothing and equipment including helmets with a new type fiber liner and chin strap, jump suits with large pockets that could be securely fastened, and boots that laced higher up the leg and which had reinforced toes and stronger ankle supports.] [Illustration: ENGLAND SOLDIER BEING TRAINED in the correct method of attack when armed with a knife. Note the difference between the uniform worn by the infantryman here and that worn by paratroopers on opposite page.] [Illustration: ENGLAND AN ENGINEER COMPANY AT WORK ON AN AIRFIELD in England. By 1 June 1944 a total of 129 airfields was available in the United Kingdom for the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. In addition there were 3 base air depots, 7 combat crew and replacement centers, 2 reconnaissance and 1 photographic reconnaissance fields, 19 troop carrier fields, 11 advance landing grounds, and 2 miscellaneous fields. Living quarters for more than 400,000 air force personnel had to be furnished, plus many thousands of square feet of space for storage.] [Illustration] [Illustration: ENGLAND B-17 LANDING, after having dropped two flares to indicate that it has wounded crew members aboard, while two medical crews stand by to give first aid to the wounded (top). During raids over enemy territory crew members were sometimes wounded by flak or gunfire from enemy fighter planes. A crew member receiving medical attention as soon as his plane lands (bottom). In this case blood plasma is being administered. Blood plasma, which is whole blood minus the corpuscles, was given to those who had lost blood or were in shock. The plasma increased the volume of blood and kept the blood stream going. When casualties arrived at a hospital whole blood was administered to replace the blood lost and also to relieve shock before further treatment was begun.] [Illustration] [Illustration: ENGLAND ENLISTED MEN OF THE ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT operating caterpillar tractor cranes to unload a crated gun carriage (half-track) which weighed approximately 20,000 pounds. The Ordnance Department maintained a large depot at Tidworth, England.] [Illustration: ENGLAND BOMBS BEING UNLOADED at a U. S. Air Corps Ordnance Depot in England. After being stacked the bombs were covered with camouflage nets such as those behind tractors at left center of picture. Facilities for storing bombs in any other manner were limited. These stacks became common sights along the country lanes and roads in England during the war years. (1,000-pound bombs; crawler-type revolving crane on tractor mounting with diesel engine.)] [Illustration: ENGLAND