The first picture depicts a young crewman of a US Navy “Dumbo” PBY rescue mission after having jumped into the water of Rabaul Harbor to rescue a badly burned Marine pilot (first lieutenant Robert A. Schaeffer) who was shot down by a Zero after a 20mm shell blew out his controls. Since Japanese coastal defense guns were firing at the plane while it was in the water during take-off, this young crewman—after rescuing Schaeffer—manned his position as machine gunner without taking the time to put on his clothes. The identity of the crewman, dubbed the “Naked Gunner,” has never been established.
The second picture depicts Schaeffer and another fellow crewman. Both photos were taken by Horace Bristol (1908-1997). In a 2002 article from B&W magazine, Bristol recalled the rescue of Schaeffer:
“The man who was shot down was temporarily blinded, so one of our crew stripped off his clothes and jumped in to bring him aboard. He couldn’t have swum very well wearing his boots and clothes. As soon as we could, we took off. We weren’t waiting around for anybody to put on formal clothes. We were being shot at and wanted to get the hell out of there. The naked man got back into his position at his gun in the blister of the plane.”
Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others) (1919) Directed by Richard Oswald
"Widely considered the first feature-length film aimed specifically at a gay audience, made all the more significant for its humanistic depiction of gay men and its explicit plea for the end of their social and legal persecution." (x)