'They take my breath away': Daughter thrilled as Canton WWII photographer's album surfaces

William Baltzly was part of a group that took 2,000 photos while he was serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Though the Canton man's job was serving as a gunner-photographer in the 457th Heavy Bombardment Group, Baltzly turned his lens on more than the military operation. His pictures include displays of daily life in the barracks, portraits of comrades, even photos of weddings between soldiers and English women during Baltzly's time in Glatton, England.

But, until 2½ years ago, the documented experience the Canton man's servicetime was thought to be lost.

An album of Baltzly's photographs made its way to Avranches, France, a town southwest of Normandy, when it was discovered in an eBay listing by David Nicolas, the town's mayor-historian.

Nicolas then worked closely with Baltzly's surviving family and others to colorize, digitalize and revitalize the veteran's work.

Finding William Baltzly's relatives in Stark County

Nicolas said that after he took possession of the album, it took some time to find Baltzly's family, and he eventually found his daughter, Anita Baltzly.

"I reached out to everyone by the name Baltzly on Facebook," Nicolas said. "I eventually got in touch with Brian, a cousin I think, and he got me to Anita."

Anita Baltzly said she was puzzled when she received a message from a French mayor, and did some investigating before accepting Nicolas' message.

"I looked up who the mayor of this Avranches town was because I was skeptical," Anita Baltzly said. "Once I found out he was the real deal and it wasn't a scam, I decided to reach back out so we'd be in touch."

The pair came together Wednesday in Canton, where they met at the Stark County Historical Society at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum. The pair were joined by Nicolas' wife, Anne; Baltzly's brother Vaughn; and Baltzly's daughter Lerin. They met with Mark Holland, the museum's archivist.

During their meeting, they got a chance to look over the photos in the album, and gave permission for the McKinley Presidential Library to make copies for display purposes.

Wartime photos will come home to Stark County

Anita Baltzly said that if the album hadn't gone missing none of this would have been possible.

"It's amazing to me how this photo album otherwise would have just stayed in the family and nobody would have done anything with it," she said. "But now it's traveled all the way to France and has even become a part of its history and liberation."

William Baltzly's album contains 281 photos and currently is on display in a temporary exhibit at the Normandy Victory Museum in Carentan, France. Nicolas said when the museum is finished showing William's album, he will ensure it is returned to the Baltzly family.

"It was a mistake that it ended up in France in the first place, so the album for sure has to come back to the USA," Nicolas said. "For example, I couldn't imagine if my family pictures ended up in America."

Holland said he is very thankful the Baltzly family was willing to share William's story with the museum. Vaughn Baltzly said he is glad the stories he'd heard so many of from his father are being put on fuller display.

"It adds dimension," Baltzly said. "The sun did shine those days on people just like it shines now."

How the photos came to be

Several cameras were used to take the pictures, and the photos were uniquely processed on Ilford film, not Kodak. The 475th Heavy Bombardment Group's photographers took around 2,000 photos, a collection Nicolas called "the most important photo collection of all World War II bomber groups stationed in England."

Not all of William Baltzly's photographs were quite so calm. Among them were aerial shots of friendly planes in the skies, some of which Anita Baltzly said show shells from anti-air flak cannons detonating in midair. She also said there are shots of planes with destroyed engines and holes in the wings that made it back down to the ground safely. Other photos included strategic areas to target for bombing runs, such as German-controlled bridges and other structures.

"I'm in awe of all of the photos; they take my breath away," Anita Baltzly said. "He really brought to life what kind of danger he was in."

William Baltzly entered the war with experience developing photographs. He was was one of five brothers, all of whom served in World War II and returned home safely. They also had two sisters.

Baltzly married after returning home from the war and had multiple jobs, first as an electrician. He retired as a maintenance worker at Aultman Hospital. William Baltzly died in 1988, and the family's home on 19th Street still stands today.

Preserving history calls for color pictures

Nicolas said that as a historian, he prefers the original black-and-white photographs. However, he said that for the sake of preserving history, and the lives of those who made it, color photos can bring a more immersive experience to the general viewer.

"In color, people see pictures and think, 'Wow, these are true people. This could all happen right now,'" Nicolas said.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 'They take my breath away': Daughter thrilled as Canton WWII photographer's album surfaces