Shemya Air Force Base photograph album, circa 1946

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hunter, Fred, Jr
Title
Shemya Air Force Base photograph album
Dates
circa 1946 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 album with 66 photographs (1 box)
Collection Number
PH1289
Summary
Album of photographs of the Shemya Air Force Base in the Aleutian Islands during World War II
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The Shemya Air Force Base was built in 1943 on the western tip of Alaska's Aleutian Islands near Attu to act as a critical airport and reconnaissance point for the United States military's campaign against the Japanese during World War II. From 1943 to 1945, the air force base was used as a launching point for a number of bombing runs and major battles in the Pacific Theater, including missions on the nearby islands of Kiska and Attu. By the end of World War II in 1945, the base was abandoned aside from a small housekeeping unit and Radar squadron. The Shemya Air Force Base was renamed the Eareckson Air Station in 1993. The station closed as an active Air Force Station in 1994 but is still owned by the U.S. Air Force.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs of soldiers, landscapes, and buildings on the Shemya Air Force Base, taken between 1945 and 1946. A number of the photographs depict Fred Hunter, Jr. who most likely created the album.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Many photographs mention a "Det. Sig. Sec - A.D", which means "Detachment Signal Section - Air Defense". The initials "A.T.S" most likely stand for "Air Traffic Service", but "Air Transit Station" is another possible alternative.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Source: Fairlook Antiques, August 19, 2014.

Processing Note

Processed by Gracie Loesser, 2014; Martin Sloot, 2015. Processing completed in 2015.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Shemya Air Force Base AlbumReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Page item
1 1
Private First Class, Fred Hunter, Jr. standing in front of house
circa 1941-1946
2 2a
Fred Hunter Jr. and woman standing on steps in front of statue
circa 1941-1946
2 2b circa 1941-1946
3 3
Woman sitting in front of building
circa 1941-1946
4 4
Fred Hunter, Jr. leaning against drafting desk, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on photo: "P.F.C. Hunter, Jr. - Det. Sig. Sec - A.D. Shemya Isle - Jan. 1946. Love Fred". Written on verso: "Drafting office where I work in the Det Sig Sec".
January 1946
5 5a circa 1946
5 5b
Dick and Vanderperren standing inside Hut #7, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Dick and Van in Hut #7 on Shemya Isle - Dec. 1945
December 1945
5 5c
Fred Hunter, Jr. and Vanderperren standing inside Hut #7, Shemya Air Force Base
December 1945
6 6a
Landscape with snow, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
6 6b
Snow-covered huts, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
6 6c
Post Signal office on Shemya Isle, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
7 7a
Vanderperren standing by truck, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
7 7b circa 1946
7 7c
Corporal Vanderperren, Sergeant Feldhausen, and Sergeant Bennett, Shemya Air Force Base
January 1946
8 8a
Snow-covered buildings, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
8 8b circa 1946
8 8c circa 1946
8 8d
Building with snowy landscape, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
9 9a
Snow-covered hillside cemetery, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
9 9b
Fuel dump on North Shore Road, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
9 9c March 1946
9 9d
Fred Hunter, Jr. and four men sitting on fence, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
10 10a
Main post exchange, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
10 10b
Hanger, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
10 10c
Sergeant Feldhausen and dumptrucks, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
10 10d
Bomb dump site, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
11 11a
View from Shemya Base
Written on verso: snowed in hut on Shemya.
circa 1946
11 11b
Trucks and equipment, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: obsolete equipment on Shemya, The Aleutians, Vauder
March 1946
11 11c circa 1946
12 12a
View of harbor at Shemya Isle
1946
12 12b
View of A.T.S. area with buildings and people, Shemya Air Force Base
A.T.S. most likely means "Air Traffic Service".
January 1946
13 13a
Fred Hunter, Jr. sitting on snow-covered hill in front of smoke, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
13 13b
View of building on fire, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: ATS motor pool fire.
January 1946
14 14a
Man standing in front of snowy landscape, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Rich.
1946
14 14b
Fred Hunter, Jr. standing in front of base, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
15 15a
Man standing in front of snow-covered buildings, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Rich.
circa 1946
15 15b
Building on Fire, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: "A.T.S. Motor Pool fire- Shemya 1946".
January 1946
16 16a
Man in front of buildings, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Rich.
1946
16 16b
Fred Hunter, Jr. in front of building, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: in front of Hut #7 PFC Hunter.
circa 1946
17 17a
Interior of base building, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Hut #7 - Det Sig Sec - A.D.
March 1946
17 17b
View of snow-covered buildings, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: rear of hut #7 (near) and supply hut, same photo as 18b.
1946
18 18a
View of A.T.S. motor pool fire with crowd of men watching, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on Verso: A.T.S. motor pool fire Jan 1946 Shemya.
January 1946
18 18b 1946
19 19a
Man standing in the snow, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Rich Shemya 1946.
1946
19 19b
Man working on car engine
circa 1946
20 20a
Man holding flowers on a hill
circa 1946
20 20b March 1946
21 21a circa 1946
21 21b
View of Shemya with base and ocean in background
circa 1946
22 22a
Two men standing on wooden platform, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
22 22b
Fred Hunter, Jr. and two men standing on wooden platform, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
23 23a
Fueling station, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
23 23b
Three men standing in front of Shemya Air Transport Office, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
24 24
Sick seal lying on beach
Written on verso: sick seal on the beach here and they shot it afterward Dec 1945 Shemya.
December 1945
25 25a
Docks at Shemya Isle with man standing on beach, Shemya Air Force Base
March 1946
25 25b
Trucks and equipment in snow, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: equipment standing idle on Shemya Island, the Aleutians Mar. 1946.
March 1946
25 25c
Docks on Shemya Isle
March 1946
26 26a
Fred Hunter, Jr. and two men standing in the snow, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
26 26b circa 1946
27 27a
Fred Hunter, Jr. with cigarette, Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
27 27b
Fred Hunter, Jr., Shemya Air Force Base
circa 1946
28 28
Staff Sgt. Donald E. Tuttle on the phone, Shemya Air Force Base
Written on verso: Chief Cable Splicer - Det Sig Sec ALS Dept Shemya Isle.
May 1946
29 29
Fred Hunter, Jr. at switchboard
Written on verso: Pvt F.W. Hunter Jr. Nugget Switchboard Dec. 1945 Det. Sig Sec. - Als Dept. Shemya Isle.
December 1945
30 30
First Lieutenant George L. Pierson sitting at his desk
Written on verso: Commanding officer of Det. Sig Sec. ALS Dept 11/4/46.
November 1946
31 31
Group of soldiers sitting on bench
circa 1946

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Corporate Names

  • Eareckson Air Station (Alaska)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photographic prints

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)