Photos of World War 2 in Color

Jakob Lagerweij (Colourised Piece of Jake) is a Dutch colorist that specializes in the colorization of historical warfare photographs. In this article, we will have the opportunity to look at a selection of World War II images colorized by Jakob that feature in his new book series ‘WO2 in Kleur (WW2 in Color)’.

Countless hours have been spent researching and manually restoring the photos featured in WO2 in Kleur, and Jakob Lagerweij has kindly allowed us to share some of these as well as answer some questions about how he started in colorization, what he looks for in an image to restore, and what we can expect in the books.

Colorized Photograph by Jakob Lagerweij of a soldier receiving a cigar from a resident of the village of Aalst during World War 2. Colorized for the book series World War 2 in Color (WO2 in Kleur)
A soldier of the Guards Armoured Division is handed a cigar by a local in Aalst, the Netherlands, as he passes through the village in a Bren carrier during Operation Market Garden, 18th September 1944.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Nationaal Archief
Colorized photograph of a Russian Prisoner of War escorted through Kirjasalo by Finnish soldiers. Colourised Piece of Jake colorized this image
Finnish soldiers escort a Russian Prisoner of War through the village of Kirjasalo. The POW advised the Finnish soldiers of the enemy’s location in the forest, 6th September 1941.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from SA-Kuva

Lagerweij first began colorizing historical photographs in 2018 and has spent the five years since mastering his craft. During his time in the colorization space, Jakob Lagerweij (with other colorists) moderated the large Facebook and Instagram pages WW1 Colourised Photos, WW2 Colourised Photos, and Colourised RAF Fighter & Bomber Command 1939-1945, and garnered his own substantial following sharing his work as Colourised Piece of Jake on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With this experience, he is now embarking on a new project, a four-part book series titled ‘WO2 in Kleur’ that will cover all aspects of the Second World War.

Hayward, California. Members of the Mochida family awaiting evacuation bus. Identification tags are used to aid in keeping the family unit intact during all phases of evacuation. Mochida operated a nursery and five greenhouses on a two-acre site in Eden Township. He raised snapdragons and sweet peas. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers for the duration. Image Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake - World War 2 in Color
The Mochida family awaits the evacuation bus that will take them from their home in Hayward, California, to an internment camp, 8th May 1942. Executive Order 9066 ordered the removal of 110,000 civilians of Japanese descent, including 71,000 American citizens, from the western United States, placing them in internment camps.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from US National Archives
Colorized photo of soldiers boarding a tram in Rotterdam during World War 2 mobilization. Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
Dutch soldiers board a tram at Delftse Poort Station in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, during the mobilization of the country, 1939.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Stadsarchief Rotterdam

“I am actually a storyboard artist in the advertising industry, so I have been working with Photoshop for quite a long time coloring my illustrations and conceptual sketches. In 2018, I saw a colorization on social media that looked pretty clumsy and half-colored and thought, ‘I’m going to try that too!’ I was always curious about what the black-and-white past would look like in color. After those first tries, I immediately enjoyed it, and others also loved it.”

Colorized photo of locals from Haarlem listening to the radio during World War 2. Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake for the publication WO2 in Kleur
A group of people in Kleverpark, Haarlem, the Netherlands, listen to the radio in secret, 1944.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Noord-Hollands Archief
GI's of the 1st Battalion, 120th Regiment, 30th Infantry Division pass a M24 Chaffee, probably of the 744th Tank Battalion, in pursuit of the fleeing 116th Panzer Division.

The front hull of the M24 is covered with dirt from burst sandbags, indicating it had engaged the enemy.
26 March 1945, Wesel forest, Germany.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
US soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 120th Regiment, 30th Infantry Division pass an M24 Chaffee tank, probably of the 744th Tank Battalion, in pursuit of the fleeing 116th Panzer Division through Wesel forest, Germany, 26th March 1945.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from US Signal Corps

When asked about why he mainly focuses on colorizing images from World War II, Colourised Piece of Jake said, “I focus on World War II out of personal interest. During the Second World War, a lot happened in the area where I live in the Netherlands, such as Operation Cannonshot and Operation Market Garden. Ever since I was a kid, I would listen to wartime stories from my grandparents, and Canadian veterans would come to my town for memorial celebrations; my dad, who passed away in 2018, helped to keep these commemorations alive. He was also the one who took me to Normandy, the Ardennes, and World War 2 museums from a young age. I also like to color photos from other periods, but World War II is just my preference!”

“Soon after posting some World War II colorizations on my Facebook and Instagram pages, I was noticed by colorizer Doug Banks who started sharing my work with a much larger audience. I visited him once, and we have kept in close contact ever since. In the end, we moderated the WW1, WW2, and RAF pages together.”

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausführung D, of 9. Panzerdivision during the advance in May 1940, presumably in the vicinity of Moerdijk. The number '432' on the turret stands for 4. Kompanie, 3. Zug (platoon), 2. Fahrzeug. A DKW NZ350 motorcycle of the Wehrmacht is visible in the foreground. Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
A German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausführung D, tank of the 9. Panzerdivision advances through the Netherlands, May 1940.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Collectie Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie
Sam Noach is packing his suitcase on the roof terrace of his house in the Nieuwstraat in Deventer, just before being transported to a labor camp, August 1942. Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
Sam Noach on the roof terrace of his house in Deventer, the Netherlands, after he packed his suitcase just before being transported to a labor camp, August 1942.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Etty Hillesum Centrum

Lagerweij has released his new book with Dutch publisher Kick uitgevers, who he originally worked with a few years ago to colorize photographs for nostalgic football calendars. They saw that he had produced a lot of WWII colorizations, so the idea for a book covering the war arose. However, this does not mean that the book just features work that Lagerweij has shared previously. “I searched for and colored at least 80% new material for the book series. It eventually became a four-part book series that covers World War 2 in general from the run-up to VE-day and the aftermath in the years after. The focus is on the low countries, but many other events are covered. For example, The Battle of Britain, Pearl Harbor, the Pacific, North Africa, the Holocaust, Collaboration, daily life, damage, suffering, and humor are themes that feature in the series.”

“Another reason for me to make the series was the educational aspect, especially for younger generations. There is a lot of ignorance about the war and topics such as the Holocaust and the political history of the 1930s.”

Corporal Jaap W. Bothe of the 101st Airborne Division gives advice to local Dutch resistance members and farmers Toon Vervoort and Driek Eijkemans shortly after a German mortar attack, September 1944. World War 2 in Color thanks to the work of Colourised Piece of Jake
Corporal Jaap W. Bothe of the 101st Airborne Division gives advice to local Dutch resistance members and farmers Toon Vervoort and Driek Eijkemans shortly after a German mortar attack, September 1944.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from US National Archives
"Soldiers in the Belgium Congo" colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake for his book series WO2 in Kleur
Force Publique Soldiers from the Belgian Congo, circa 1943.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from US National Archives

When asked about what his favorite type of photograph to colorize is, Jakob Lagerweij says, “A high-quality photo with an interesting story always gets me excited! I like atmospheric photos with good light, although these are often challenging to convey well from black-and-white to color. However, when coloring this kind of image well, you immediately distinguish yourself nicely from those who use AI for coloring. Coloring apps and bots never get a complex photo right (especially when it comes to lighting, atmosphere, flesh tones, and historical accuracy). A top-quality photo usually results in a convincing, (almost) historically correct, and neutral color image – that’s what I’m always aiming for!”

The crew of the Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. K XV moves the 40mm Vickers machine gun into position for testfire, circa 1939. colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
The crew of the Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. K XV moves the 40mm Vickers machine gun into position for testfire, circa 1939.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from Collectie Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie
World War II photo of hosptical corpsmen treating casualties on board the USS Yorktown during the battle of midway. Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake
Medics on board the USS Yorktown treat casualties during the Battle of Midway, 4th June 1942.
Colorized by Colourised Piece of Jake // Original from US National Archives

As of April 2023, Part 1 and Part 2 of WO2 in Kleur have been released. These parts cover World War I to June 1940 (Part 1) and from July 1940 up until December 1942 (Part 2). If you wish to purchase these books, they are available in bookstores in the Netherlands and Belgium as well as online. Parts 3 and 4 are due for release in June 2023 and September 2023 respectively. For now, WO2 in Kleur is only published in Dutch, but there are already plans for an English version.

WO2 in Kleur
Front Cover of WO2 in Kleur Part 2

Be sure to follow Jakob Lagerweij (Colourised Piece of Jake) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Website for more of his colorizations and updates on the release of Part 3 and Part 4 of WO2 in Kleur!

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