Old photo of relative, help with uniform and photo.

[Ptr]

This is a photo of my Grandfathers brother Alrik Karl Valentin Hjelm, my uncle just started some family research and I saw this..

Alrik immigrated to America (Chicago, unknown year) from Sweden, first planing to go with his other brother (name unknown, my grandfather had 11 brothers and sisters...) but their father tossed one of the tickets in the wood-fired oven saying "Jag tänker inte låta jävlarna ta två av mina söner" - "I will not allow them bastards(USA) to take two of my sons".

Alrik struggled but created a new good life for himself in America and send this photo over to his family back in Sweden.

If somebody could identify what this photo is/means and what kind of uniform he was wearing I would be so thankful.

[Rommel1942]

Hello Ptr, welcome to the forum!
In this photo they are wearing american uniforms, The woman is a sergeant and the man is what looks like a corporal, but i can't see too well in this photo.. another member may be able to clarify.
The photo says december 1942 so perhaps it was a christmas photo? I dont know but its definately no official military photo.

Regards,
Finn

[tampalam]

I see the woman's rank as Corporal, but I can't zoom either photo enough to make out details. I was not able to zoom in enough. Could you get a larger image? Perhaps we can figure out more detail on unit and specialty if we can zoom in enough to make out hte insignia


George

[Franz1944]

Hello and welcome. The man in the picture is wearing his dress uniform. It is 4 pocket us army jacket he is wearing. Which means it is at least before 1944. Maybe 1943, I'm not sure when 4 pocket was elimated. It was replaced by the Ike jacket. Most soldier had it taliored to be an Ike jacket, in later part of the war. All my 4 pockets I have are dated 1942, my Ike are dated 1944. Any ways the man was in an army infantry by shape of the patch on his sholder. I'm not certin it may be army air core. Look more infantry. If u had another picture I could tell you more. This is hard to know what he did exactly. Any way since you have his name and loction your in luck about finding more info on this man...... Go to the natioal archives and do a WWII vet search on him and he will most likely come up
with him and place he came from in us. It then will give u his rank, serial,unit, and dated of birth...extra. But be warned there my not be a chance his records may not exitist. Because a lot of record were lost in the fire in st. Luis. ( I think it was in the 1970's). Evean today us vets have hard time proving that they were in military, because of the fire. There service recards are lost to time.

[Franz1944]

O ya some times they will have scaned documents attached to the recard online. That my be very informitvie about him. Best regards.

[Rommel1942]

Woman's a corporal? I think i see three stripes..
anyway close ups are needed.

Regards,
Finn

[RH1941]

Guys I think the girl is wearing his coat

[m3bobby]

Guys I think the girl is wearing his coat

I agree, its the first thing I thought, it looks massive on her and her shoues are heals with what look like bows on them. I doubt she was a service woman.

[Rommel1942]

Looking at it now, i agree... probably a soldier lent it to her cuz that wat they would do( it was december, after all)

Regards,
Finn

[tampalam]

Yeah it is his coat. Good catch. Both the coat and the uniform jacket have the same number of stripes.

George