The George William Curtis Collection
In December 2016, The Ghost Army Legacy Project acquired a collection of 90 rare photos of WWII inflatable dummies. The photos appear to be part of a U.S. Army camouflage archive from Fort Belvoir that was lost/abandoned in the 1990s. The collection was acquired with the assistance of a generous donation from Georgianne Kasuli , and is named after her father, George W. Curtis, a​ Ghost Army veteran who served in the 406th Combat Engineers.
The photos depict the dummies during the manufacture and testing phases. They also reveal details of the dummies construction.
Of particular interest are photographs of dummy landing craft filled with dummy vehicles. This is not a configuration that was ever used in combat, as far as is known.
Of the 90 photos in the collection, 28 are shown here. If you are interested in learning more about the collection, or in licensing images in the collection, contact office@ghostarmy.org.
Click the images to expand view.
Pneumatic construction of a 3/4 ton, 4x4, weapons carrier truck
C of E Model No. 14 Gun, 155mm, M1, Shipping weight 250 lbs, 33.6 cu. ft.
Prefabricated, pneumatic type M-4 tank with mushroom type turret
C of E Model No. 4 tank, medium, M4, shipping weight 250 lbs, 33.6 cu. ft.
Soldier folding or unfolding deflated piece of equipment
Soldier standing next to inflated vehicle frame, positioned on its side
Inflated truck
Soldier standing with inflated truck
Collection of five inflated vehicles
Personnel figure with center pole support, paper mache soldier, face cone and helmet. 40mm Bofors gun, pneumatic construction of 4" diameter neoprene tubes. Tires individually inflated.
Pneumatic construction, truck, trailer, 40-ton tank recovery
Inflated, pneumatic tank carrier with camouflage cover
C. of E. Model No. 8 truck, 2 1/2 ton, 6 x 6 cargo with camouflage canvas, shipping weight 165 lbs., 31.8 cu. ft., with two large duffel-type bags next to it, possibly containing deflated vehicles for transport
Inflatable M-4 Sherman tank positioned in a wooded area; note figure in lower right
Inflated truck with canvas cover
Inflated tube frame of vehicle
Inflated truck with canvas cover, showing pneumatic tube frame
Collection of inflated anti-aircraft guns
Inflated truck with camouflage canvas cover
Inflated truck viewed from a distance
Two inflated trucks
Two inflated trucks; the right vehicle is an M-4 tank equipped with "Sunshield" pneumatic deception cover, which was not employed by the Ghost Army
C. of E. Model No. 19, "Sunshield" pneumatic deception cover for M-4 medium tank, shipping weight 226 lbs., 23 cu. ft. This was not employed by the Ghost Army.
Aerial view, showing a collection of inflated dummies on the right side of the building
Landing craft tank (LCT) towed by a small boat, which is a giveaway that the LCT is itself an inflatable
Landing craft tank (LCT)
Landing craft tank (LCT) near shore with people and a genuine LCT on the left
Landing craft tank (LCT) being lifted into the water by a group of men