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.

Record Contributed By

Duke University

Record Harvested From

North Carolina Digital Heritage Center