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an old book with writing on it sitting on top of a tablean open book with writing on it sitting on top of a tabletwo black and white photos of a road and a body of watertwo black and white photos of a dirt road with palm treesa black and white photo of a small shack in the middle of a fielda black and white photo of an old photo of a villageblack and white photograph of an old airplane on a beacha black and white photo of a group of trucks parked in a parking lotan old black and white photo of a snake on the ground and a black and white photo of a snake on the groundan old black and white photo of a group of men standing in a fieldseveral old black and white photos of a group of men standing in front of a planeblack and white photograph of a man riding a horse in a fieldan old black and white photo of a collage of photos with the words v is for v is for v is for v is for v is for v isan old black and white photo of a group of men in military uniformsan old black and white photo of a group of menan old photo of a group of people standing in front of a boata black and white photo of a man and a woman sitting outside of a tenta close up of a piece of paper with writing on itan open book with a piece of paper on it sitting on a tablean open book with pictures of boats on the water and a boat in the wateran open book with pictures of people and animals in a forestan open book with pictures of military men and a boat in the wateran open book with a picture of a train on the front and a picture of a train on the back of the bookan old photo of a book with pictures of ships on itan open book with black and white photos of a forestan open book with pictures of a beach and palm treesan open book with pictures of people in a village and a man in a hatan old book with pictures of soldiers in itan open book with pictures of trees and a river in the backgroundan open book with a bunch of pictures of trees in itan old photo of a book opened to a page with pictures on ita black and white photo of a group of men standing in front of a planea picture of an old photo of a plane on the watera black and white photo of a group of men standing in front of a caran open book with pictures of a plane on itan open book with pictures of military vehicles on a white surfacean open book with pictures of trees and a boat in the wateran open book with pictures of a train on itan open book with pictures of palm trees on itan old photo of a plane on the beachan old photo of a group of people sitting around a tablean open book with a picture of a plane on itan open book with pictures of boats on the wateran old black and white photo of a group of people in front of a buildinga black and white photo of a man standing in a fieldan open book with a bunch of pictures of trees on itan open book with a bunch of pictures on it sitting on a tablean old photo of a book with a bunch of pictures on itan open book with pictures of a train on the coveran old photo of a man standing in front of an airplane
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

Anonymous photo album, ACORN 7, US Navy, Solomon Islands, So…
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Estimate €300 - €450
Sale commission
Description
Anonymous photo album, ACORN 7, US Navy, Solomon Islands, South Pacific (188 original photographs) This album traces the history of one of the very few US Navy units specialising in the construction and operation of airfields at forward positions, as well as the rehabilitation of captured enemy airfields. These units, known as ‘ACORN’, would land alongside Marine Corps Marine Raiders units to begin work as soon as the first positions were captured. ACORN units were similar to Construction Battalions (CBs), but their distinctive feature lay in the fact that they were fully-fledged front-line combat units, in addition to comprising civil engineers, carpenters, electricians and machine operators capable of constructing facilities in record time. ACORN 7 was deployed to the Solomon Islands from Guadalcanal to build the first airstrip on the Russell Islands in June 1943. It then achieved a remarkable feat from 30 June 1943 onwards by constructing an airstrip in the jungle in the Segi Point area of New Georgia in just two weeks and making it operational, before continuing to build all the necessary barracks to house the airmen and all the staff required to run an air base, including a post office, a dental surgery and an X-ray clinic. By 30 June 1943, in just three days, ACORN 7 had managed to clear the vegetation—comprising century-old trees—to reveal the airstrip. The density of the jungle and the size of some of the trees meant that explosives had to be used to clear the area. Relations with the local population were essential to the unit’s ability to carry out the work. Photographs taken daily from 1 July onwards show the progress of the work and the astonishing speed of ACORN 7. From 9 July 1943, barely nine days after landing, the airstrip was already ready for use in the event of an emergency landing. The men even worked through the night by the light of floodlights. On 11 July, the first aircraft landed at Segi Point: it was a Corsair from VMF-221, piloted by T/Sgt Jack Pittman (later promoted to 2nd Lt), who was making an emergency landing. His aircraft came to rest in the mud, but he was rescued. Parked in a hangar bay where it underwent some checks following a quick clean, it took off again two days later: the Segi Point airfield was declared operational and was able to accommodate aviation units from the USAAF, the Marines and the US Navy, which began to set up there from 19 July. USAAF P-39s arrived at Segi Point, which also hosted rotations of DC-3 transport aircraft. The CBs also set up base at Segi Point to ensure the airfield’s operation and carry out finishing works. The photographs show the various construction sites, ranging from the building of water and fuel tanks to the joinery workshop where trees felled on site are sawn into planks. A remarkable panoramic photograph, created by stitching together several shots, provides an overview of the runway and its surroundings. US Navy Hellcat fighters and SBD Daunless dive bombers are pictured. This is likely a US Navy unit or VS-64 squadron; a large-format photograph at the start of the album shows portraits of some of the pilots, who can be seen huddled around a map during a briefing. A telegram from the American Command congratulates the men of ACORN 7 on their efficiency and the quality of their work at Segi Point. Most of the facilities scattered around the airstrip and on the hill overlooking the whole area are photographed. A small series of highly interesting photographs shows a village chief surrounded by officers from the US Army, the USMC, the US Navy and the New Zealand Army, including the famous ‘Coast Watchers’, made up of civilians and military personnel. Stationed in the jungle or on plantations, these men helped gather intelligence on the movements of Japanese troops or aircraft formations in order to raise the alarm. They acted as ‘radar lookouts’. These men were constantly alongside the local population and formed armed groups to hold their positions against any potential Japanese incursions. Two photographs show armed locals being inspected and trained in the use of K-gun machine guns. A road network was established from the airstrip to ensure access and resupply, thereby opening up modern transport links for the local population. A series of photographs shows the medical centre, the pharmacy and its laboratory on the edge of the lagoon, fully operational by October 1943, the unloading quays where ships moored, the SCAT air operations centre handling personnel rotations to the rear, and the transport of mail and supplies: one could almost mistake it for a holiday village, where resources and entertainment were close at hand. The album concludes with a series of photographs of the malaria treatment unit and portraits of the two officers in command at Segi Point: Commander Alexander (pilot) and his second-in-command, Lt-Cdr Wilkes of the US Navy. A large-format photograph shows members of another ACORN unit (No. 15) posing in front of a C-47 at one of the airfields on the island of Bougainville, part of which was captured from 1 November 1943 onwards in order to reduce the distances between the American forward bases and the Japanese air and naval stronghold of Rabaul. (Grégory Pons Collection) (full photo file available on request)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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