Visual documentation of daily life of members of the US army stationed in Iran during the Second World War

[Persian Gulf Command]. Stefano, John (compiler/photographer). [Cover title:] Persian Gulf Command. Iran.

€ 4,500.00

Unusual military photo album with 150 photographs of the activities of the Persian Gulf Command (PGC) at the base in Andimeshk, Iran. The PGC was a branch of the United States Army established to facilitate the supply of material from the U.S. Lend-Lease programme through the Persian Corridor. This material was sent to the Soviet Union to strengthen it, so it could help defeat Nazi Germany.

The photographs in this album, which cannot be found anywhere else, offer a visual documentation of this time. However, they show the simple soldiers; the men tasked with driving trucks, maintaining oil supply lines, or working alongside Iranians at the two factories producing trucks for the war effort. The work therefore offers a fascinating insight into daily life of PCG members in Persia in the Second World War.

This album was compiled by John Stefano (dates unknown), a technician fourth grade in the PGC. It includes photographs of the Tehran conference in 1943, the first World War II conference between the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, where it was decided to open a second front against Germany. Other than this, there are photographs of the barracks the men lived in, the military vehicles they used, the marches and excercises they partook in, but also the surrounding landscape and the local people.

Inserted in the album is a booklet with images and information about Persia, with a letter by PCG commander Donald Prentice Booth (1902-93), which was sent to PCG members after the war to congratulate them on a job well done. He hoped the booklet would serve as a memento. Together with the album, it continues to do so until this day.

With the shoulder sleeve insignia of the Persian Gulf command mounted on the inside of the front board, some of the photographs are captioned on the back. The eyelets for the string on the front board have come loose. The corners of the leaves are slightly creased. Overall in very good condition.