My picture (above) is is full of mystery:1)Based on the rank patch (private), I assume this is an American soldier. All other allied (or axis for that matter) chevrons during WW2 were turned the opposite direction. As for the unit patch, no amount of sharpening or magnification makes it any clearer. Whatever unit it is, it appears to have a large, light colored vertical stripe going down the middle of it.
2) The plane is obviously German and has severe rudder damage. The type of plane, however, is a bit difficult to identify. I am assuming it is a Focke-Wulf 190 based on the tail shape and rudder "peak" to which the antenna wire would be attached. There are no other markings on the plane except for a light colored fuselage stripe behind the soldier's legs. Being a black & white photo, this fuselage stripe could be white or yellow. The rudder color could also be red or gray. These colors, if known, would help further identify the plane. The fuselage appears to have a slight gray camouflage paint scheme.
3) The ammo belt around the soldier appears to be large in caliber. The Focke-Wulf carried 7.9mm machine guns and 20mm cannons. If this belt is from the plane, then it could be 20mm.
4) The wreckage behind the Focke-Wulf is a mystery. It appears as if it might be a wing? A wing light can be seen along with a white marking of some sort. The Focke-Wulf did not have this type of wing light. A gun barrel is also present. I cannot identify the caliber of the gun. If the wreckage behind the Focke-Wulf is from another plane, this picture could be dated towards the end of the war when allied forces began to discover Luftwaffe "graveyards" full of crashed or abandoned planes.
***The photo below mine is of a Focke-Wulf 190 (courtesy of Craig Murray @ http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/6/1/5/1209516.jpg).
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