340th Bomb Group

487^th Bomb Squadron

Charles Cook’s Photo Collection

of R &R in Egypt, Holy Land, and Rome 1944

Edited by his son Doug Cook

LAST Updated October 2, 2009

Following in Dad’s Footsteps with my Family

Arrival in Cairo by B-25s in the background.

Dad took these tourist photos of MISR AIRLINES DeHavilland DH86 Express.

Misr Airlines is now Egypt Air.

North Africa was liberated by May10, 1943 by Allied Operation Torch

US Army Air Corps from Corsica on R&R in Egypt

Giza Pyramids –Tourists on camels 1944

Lts. Bloomberg, Sparling, Cook, “Mac” McLaughlin

Note the Sphinx to the left. The site looks very different today (see below).

Charles Cook posing on a camel.

These photos are among my favorites from Dad’s photo album. I remember the pyramid photos from my youngest years- sparking a desire for travel and adventure. Humphrey Bogart is there somewhere around the bend! I do remember his anecdote of the trip to Egypt on R&R from Corsica. He and his buddies flew a B-25 to a base in Alexandria and put it in for maintenance to extend the leave. They played Golf and went down to Cairo to see the pyramids. No doubt the young servicemen found other entertainments! Their photo by the pyramids evokes my memories of being there with my family in 1999 (below) posing on a camel. The tourist industry there hasn’t changed much in 2000-3000 years when the pyramids were already an ancient tourist attraction.

EGYPT GIZA 1999- 55 years later

Son Doug Cook (me)- Tourist on camel in Dad’s footsteps

GIZA 1999- 55 years later

Haley, Doug, and Elizabeth (expecting!) Cook- Tourists in Grandpa’s footsteps.

GIZA 2009. Madeline is nine!

From Dad’s collection: Wall mural somewhere in North Africa with evidence of German occupation.

Local color.

ALEAXANDRIA 1944

TAXI in ALEXANDRIA

Bloomberg, McLaughlin, Hyland, Cook

BEER WAGON!! in ALEXANDRIA

Beach in Alexandria. Harvey Hyland on the left. More local color.

Alexandria beach. Harvey Hyland shows his acrobatic skills for the locals.

CAIRO 1944

AMERICAN BAR - RESTAURANT- MUSIC HALL

Must have been a memorable night!

Al RIFAI MOSQUE CAIRO

CAIRO suburb HELIOPOLIS- ancient Greek City

487^th Squadron Crew Visits the Holy Land – Palestine during 1944 WWII

TEL AVIV- Local soldier guards the B-25 while the crew is touring

JERUSALEM from the Mount of Olives

JERUSALEM 1944- Little changed in 2000 years

JERUSALEM- 1944 Via Dolorosa - The ‘Way of the Cross’ Jesus bore

JERUSALEM 1944- Church of All Nations

JERUSALEM 1944- ‘The Wailing Wall’ or ‘Western Wall’ on the Temple Mount

The Western Wall is holy to the Jewish people because it is thought to be the only remnant of the

Temple in Jerusalem and the one wall located closest to the Holy of Holies, the holiest site in Judaism.

DEAD SEA 1944 - Looking across to Mt. Moab (Jordan) from where Moses saw the Holy Land

“Mac” McLaughlin

“Mac” McLaughlin asleep in a taxi after the Holy Land tour

JORDAN MT. MOAB 2002- ‘Shrine to Moses’ Cook Family Tour

JORDAN 2002

Doug Cook with Madeline, Haley, and Elizabeth

ROME 1944

Rome Vatican City 1944 after liberation (June 4, 1944).

Photographed from a B-25 on approach for R&R.

Pope Pius XII Blessing the Troops

on Dad’s visit to Vatican City after liberation (June 4,1944)

B-25 Pilots Lt. Charles Cook and Lt. Serangeli

at St. Peters in the Vatican on R&R 1944

Rome on R&R 1944

St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on R&R 1944

Note the Egyptian Obelisk

St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican 2002

58 years later.

Cook Family with baby Madeline following in Grandpa’s Footsteps.

Note the same Egyptian Obelisk. It was a record 100 deg. heat wave in Italy. The mountain fed aqueduct water in the fountains was blessedly cold and following the locals’ lead- delicious to drink. The gelato was mighty tasty also!

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