?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(MILITARY--WWII.) PACIFIC THEATRE. Photo scrap book belonging to an African American soldier in the Pacific. Five handwritten pages with a brief history of the unit trained at Tuskegee, the names of the soldiers' buddies etc. The remainder of the album consists of close to one hundred snapshots of life on the bases in New Guinea, and the Philippines with many interesting shots of the local tribal people; front cover, made from Japanese Occupation currency is loose; lacks the rear cover, some wear to the outer leaves. should be seen. Pacific Islands, 1943-1944
While brief, the five pages of notes provided by the person who kept this album are quite helpful in identifying the photographs. The unit seems to have been an enemy aircraft spotting group, and supply depot. The first page of notes recount all of the places they had been: New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, Admiralty Group, New Guinea, Dutch East Indies, Philippine Islands, Mindanao, Zamboanga City, and so on, ending up in Manila. The photos follow them, with many images of the local tribal people as well as life on the base etc. The notes are fascinating: "April 29, Capt. Orr drowned, Experienced our first air raid, scared as old hell," or "Japs bomb our base. High rate of casualties." A the end, he writes "At end of war, still at Sango; left Sulu (tawi tawi) Oct. 16th, 1945, arrived Zamboanga, nite of October 17th. Moved in and were given 29th serv. (AAF Transit Camp). Remained there until Nov. 21 (19:30 finally received our orders for homeward trip. Arrived at Nielson Field 12:25 same day, went to 22nd Depot Co. 268, processed on 25th. Fine Time in town every nite. Finally Nov 30 boarded ship, Robert S. Fechner, left out of harbor next day. (slow ship 9.8 knots, Dec. 7 steam chamber blown. 781 men all splow. Conditions disgusting)," his last entry. [Dictionary definitions vary for the expression "splow," from the very vile to simply a "high five." We suspect the former] One wishes for more notes, but the pictures, as the saying goes, are worth a thousand words.
