This photograph album belonged to Hawaii native Joe Naiwi who served with "A" Company, 3110th Signal Service Battalion in Berlin, Germany, in 1946. Images are a combination of picture postcards, commercial photographs, and amateur photographs depicting tourist spots, ruins, abandoned war debris, life on the base, and candid shots with fellow soldiers, foreign troops, and German locals.
Joe Naiwi was probably Francis J. Naiwi born January 18, 1924, and died July 4, 2000. His wife was probably Sonja E. Naiwi born August 2, 1917, and died January 20, 1993. They are both buried in Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery, Kaneohe, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA.
The 3110th Signal Service Battalion was trained at Camp Wood near Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, in 1944. As they were deployed during the World War II, they were spread far and wide since they had specialized skills that were needed everywhere. The primary duties of the 3110th Signal Service Battalion was to keep up communications throughout the army as well as repair any damaged communications lines. The companies of the 3110th Signal Service Battalion all made their ways to France shortly after the Normandy invasion. They were spread out throughout France with some going to Tamerville, Valognes, and the Chateau de Chiffrevast. By the end of the war in Europe, battalion headquarters were located in Paris. Company A was stationed in Namur, Belgium, on switch-board duty. Company B was in Paris also on switch-board duty. Company C was at Rheims, France, doing housekeeping work. Throughout the next several months the companies were moved around a lot, but by 1946 they ended up in Berlin where some of the Battalion stayed throughout most of the Cold War.
Sources:
Leonard H. Cizewski. 3110th Signal service Battalion, 2014, http://www.ibiblio.org/cizewski/signalcorps/3110/index.html. Accessed 29 August 2018.
Angie Robinson. Francis J. Naiwi. Find A Grave, 2011, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63656409/francis-j.-naiwi. Accessed 29 August 2018.
The photo album is a screw-bound brown album with, "'A' Company 1946 Berlin-Germany, 3110th Signal Service Battalion, Meritorious Service, Honolulu. Oahu T.H., Joe Naiwi," written on the front along with battalion and company insignias. The album measures thirteen and a half inches by ten and a half inches, and it contains a total of ten postcards, thirty-seven commercial photos, and five hundred and sixty-three amateur photos. Most of the amateur photos were taken by Naiwi while he was stationed with "A" company in Berlin in 1946, with most measuring three and a half inches by two and three eighths inches. Naiwi wrote captions directly on some of the photos.
The first section of the album contains a combination of postcards, commercial photographs, and amateur photos. The postcards and commercial photos show some well-known tourist locations and government buildings, with the amateur photos taken by Naiwi showing what he saw at these destinations in the aftermath of the war. Many photos were taken showing parts of cities and many buildings in ruins along with abandoned vehicles and debris. There are also many photos of Naiwi in various locations including on the base where he was stationed, in front of memorials, and at the Olympic stadium. A lot of the photos show Naiwi and fellow soldiers during leisure time relaxing and enjoying picnics, dinners, the beach, and shopping. Other photos show soldiers on parade or shoveling snow on base. There are some photos that include Naiwi and his wife Sonja as well as their son. He also enjoyed having photos taken of himself with local people and other soldiers as well as candid photos of people he encountered in Berlin.
Purchased with state funds from Between the Covers.
Processing completed September 4, 2018 by Timothy A. Smith.
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.