African American soldier's World War II photograph album of India

Item Info

Title:
African American soldier's World War II photograph album of India
Date:
1943 to circa 1945
Description:
Collection comprises a 16-page, 8 1/2 x 11 inch photograph album created by a member of the 45th Engineer General Service Regiment, one of at least four segregated units of African American soldiers active during World War II stationed in Ledo, India. The troops were charged with building a portion of the Stilwell Road, a supply route from Ledo in Assam, through Burma, to Kunming, China. The album's original binder is missing. Mounted on the loose pages are forty-four black-and-white snapshot photographs, most measuring 3 x 4 1/2 inches, some with brief captions in ink. The images include posed and candid snapshots of individuals and groups of African American soldiers, at work on the base and during periods of rest. Soldiers identified in the captions include Charley Woodard, Clarence Benson, Charles J. Greene, and Cain Walker. There are also photographs of buildings on the base, including Battalion Chapel, headquarters (labeled "The Gateway to Hell"), Harmony Church, a large Stilwell Road sign, along with varied shots of military equipment, a "Coolie Camp," the "laundry man," and the Taj Mahal. There are a number of blank pages, and there are some photographs missing. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture.
Location:
Subject:
Format:
photograph albums
Language:
English
Extent:
1 album; 16 pages
Digital Collection:
African American soldier's World War II photograph album of India
Catalog Record:
https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE005140923
Source Collection:
African American soldier's World War II photograph album of India, circa 1942-1945
Provenance:
The African American soldier's World War II photograph album of India, circa 1943-1945 was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2011.
Rights:
Limited Re-Use
Unknown Rights-Holder
Rights Note:
This material is made available for research, scholarship, and private study. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For reuses of this material beyond those permitted by fair use or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act, please see our page on copyright and citations: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.
Identifier:
  • 3e130de12fad6b64bee830bdb49fc335
  • 005140923
  • africanamericansoldieralbumindia
  • duke:587488
  • afrst03001
  • ark:/87924/r48w3cn0q
  • 9cb326ce-42d7-4fee-9f87-1e787a74b178
Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r48w3cn0q
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