An engaging and neatly complied photo album recording the WWII experience of US Air Force 24th Fighter Squadron Sargent William H. Story. Originally from Massachusetts, Story completed his training at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri, and the early pages of the album show him and his comrades posing in their uniforms and kit in front of various state buildings. A printed 11pp staple-bound brochure about the barracks, including a map, is tipped in. Before deployment it seems he moved to New Orleans for further ground training, and the shots from this time show simulated artillery practice, flight simulation machines, and some sweaty armpits at a formal dance. At some point in 1943 Story’s squadron are deployed to Panama, and the photos from this time include many of GIs goofing around in the barracks and outdoors, playing with silly hats and googly eyes, and on occasions posing with the magazines Esquire and The National Police Gazette. One notable staged shot shows a GI dressed up as a snake charmer, playing the clarinet to a levitating snake; in the background, classic pin-up art decorates the lid of his trunk. The overwhelming theme of the album is one of conviviality and merriment, with the photographer prioritising off-duty moments, many seeming to include a few beers or a swimming pool. There are images a wedding, a scantily clad female acrobat, and what looks like a scenic trip with some ladies in a Buick with Guatemala plates. Another picture shows a group of uniformed airmen lounging in the hold of an aircraft.
Alongside snapshots, choice pieces of ephemera are tipped in throughout. These include Story’s draft numbers clipped from a newspaper, his identity cards, and two (27th and 28th) anniversary menus for squadron dinners. The album begins with a certificate issued at Allbrook Field, Canal Zone HQ for a qualification in photography.
In all, the Panama theatre was one of the safer deployments available to American troops in World War Two. Certainly the impression given from this album is one of tropical repose and light duties.
