When Nancy Jones of Lansdale saw a recent Remember When that featured photos of area servicemen, she thought of a photo of her brother, Ernest.

The Remember When that sparked the memory ran June 21, and featured two photos submitted by Bob Davis of Towamencin. A formal shot showed Alan Yost and Davis; and the other showed Harry Schmeig, Herb Metz, Yost and Davis, all former military men, as they worked at a parking lot at the shore.

Today we feature a photo of Nancy’s brother, Ernest Benner, and friend Bob Davis in the winter of 1944-45.

According to Jones, Ernest had just become a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps when the photo was snapped.

And, as a little change of pace, we’re also featuring a photo from the September 1946, “North Penn Photo Revue,” which was produced to honor the area’s service men and women who had served in World War II.

Here you see members of the 28th Navy Seabees Battalion’s orchestra.

Paul Bongart, who was from Colmar, is featured as the accordionist in the group.

Back in 1976, when the nation was celebrating its Bicentennial, Lansdale was right in the thick of things.

It was one of the stops on the Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage, with the wagons pulling in July 2 at what was then Penndale Junior High School before heading to Valley Forge National Historical Park on July 3.


According to The Reporter archives, then Mayor Richard B. Bitner and Councilman Allen F. Yeagle Jr., dressed in colonial costumes and on horseback, rode out to meet the wagons at the borough line on Broad Street, as they made their way from a stop at Quakertown.


“The officials, and members of the Lansdale Historical Society, also dressed in colonial costumes, led the wagons along Main Street and down Church Road to Penndale Junior High, where the wagons circled for a last time.”

The Reporter file photo featured today, taken by then chief photographer Willard Krieble, shows the train crossing the Main and Broad streets intersection in Lansdale.

Another photo, submitted by Janet Miner of Lansdale, shows the Pennsylvania wagon with horses grazing near it, while camped at Penndale.

There were 33 wagons here in Lansdale, making up the Great Lakes train. All branches of the wagon train then met at Valley Forge, where 50 official state wagons, five Pennsylvania wagons, five official chuck wagons, more than 200 private wagons and about 2,000 people on horseback passed in review near Valley Forge’s Memorial Arch.

Some of those from the West Coast had left their areas a year before as part of the Bicentennial project.

Today we’ve gleaned a few more photos from the September 1946, “North Penn Photo Revue,” which showcased “The North Penn Victory Celebration” and was produced to honor the area’s service men and women who had served in World War II.

It was published by Charles J. Maguire of the North Penn News in Lansdale.

In one of our photos today, local fellows just getting ready to serve are featured.


The caption noted that North Penn’s first two draftees were leaving from the Lansdale train station on Nov. 25, 1940.

From left are Davis T. Kirk, chairman of Draft Board No. 7 in Lansdale; Walter Sykes of North Wales; Edward H. Wheeler of North Wales; and Ralph R. Smith, school superintendent and member of Draft Board No. 7.

In the other photo, Donald R. Leach of Lansdale receives the Commendation Ribbon from Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.



It’s quite obvious there were plenty of people from this area ready to step up and serve in World War II.