WWII Only All Black Overseas WAC Division, 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion “Six Triple Eight” Photo Album Belonging to Julia, 1944–1946

African American Women Military Service WAC Women’s Army Corps

Photograph

World War II photograph album belonging to an African American servicewoman, partially identified as Julia, associated with the historic 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the “Six Triple Eight,” the only predominantly Black, all-female Women's Army Corps unit deployed overseas during World War II. Commanded by Major Charity Adams, the battalion consisted of 855 women tasked with clearing enormous backlogs of undelivered military mail in England and France. Working around the clock in segregated conditions, the women successfully restored correspondence between American servicemen and their families, making an essential contribution to wartime morale. The album documents Black women's military service from training and assignments in Texas during 1944 to postwar France in 1945, preserving personal relationships, named fellow servicewomen, and their experiences in a military establishment still governed by racial segregation.
Photo album containing over 80 items including 25 original personal photographs, 54 real photo postcards and souvenir photographs, and approximately 14 pieces of ephemera, United States and Europe, 1944–1946. Album measures 9" x 11" while photos and pieces measure approximately 2" x 3" to 4" x 6". Many album leaves captioned. Photographs include ten views of Midland Army Air Field, Texas, where an album caption reads “Midland Texas / 1944 - Girls I was stationed with / Midland Army Air Base.” One photograph shows a Black servicewoman standing beside a WAC section sign, while another identifies three women as Tracy Givens, Irma Newsome, and Nan Jones. Additional photographs depict uniformed Black women assembled outside military barracks, Black male soldiers, and servicewomen in informal gatherings. A photograph of Black women handling stacks of correspondence at an “E.U.S. Section” desk is captioned “Paris France Mail Service Nov 1945,” directly documenting the overseas postal work central to the battalion's mission. A signed portrait of a Black naval serviceman reads “Just for Julia - Johnny,” accompanied by a 1945 Texas naval base caption. The album also includes a photograph of white uniformed women, noted as having been taken by a friend in Texas. European souvenir photographs record travels through France, Switzerland, and Brussels, including Parisian monuments and architectural landmarks.
Among the accompanying material are wartime greeting cards addressed to Julia, newspaper clippings concerning a Black servicewomen, an original embroidered military shoulder patch, Japanese-issued Philippine pesos, and German currency. The photographs and handwritten annotations preserve individual identities and personal connections rarely documented in official military histories. Album covers missing. Original blue album leaves exhibit edge chipping, tears, discoloration, and general age wear; photographs and ephemera remain largely well preserved. Overall in very good condition.

Item #24028

Price: $5,500.00