Asmara

Kagnew Station, Asmara
Edition of April 2008
Black & white photos compliments of Dick Lillienthal whose tour preceded mine
when development of color film was not available.

Enlisted men's cars in back of barracks, parked by the tennis courts. 1954. Front one with flag is Jim Hood's improved '29 Alfa Romeo.

1950, Fred Fricke and his similar but 4 door Alfa. Newly arrived post commander, Colonel Charles inspects MP honor guard in front of headquarters From near the same jeep view of PX and headquarters barracks

Post library, far left, marquee on building housing Special Services offices, chaplain, chapel and movie theater. Next is PX and first of line of barracks. Taken from door of post headquarters, a sunday afternoon, May 1954. Small 'park' was middle of post. PX to left, my bicycle against wall, row of five barracks, one of three Italian built radio towers, mess hall to the right, April '54 Me in front of Kagnew Hdqtrs Frank Sorenson being admired by local kids.

Frank's buddies, Front: Ron Wieand, Dick Wakefield, Back, Jim McGlashan, Ed Trodden, Wayne Kilmark.
Frank holding a locust.
looking at Post Headquarters from behind the ball field stands. Guardhouse on right. Barracks porch. Left to right, George Rees (Michigan), Jerry Mandel NYC and unknown.

'Class A's' formation, I believe for a visiting general. Being a post news reporter I was excused. Major Merritt suggested I take some photos from the ball field stands to 'head off' resentment. Same formation. Blue uniforms are Eritrean guard detachment. Note our 'armored', i.e. 'tin cans'. Regular spectators line the fence to the right, in awe of 'the show'. Chuck Greene, Bill (Greko) Griffith, Walt (Waldo) Wolff and Eugene E.(Moonbeam) Sundberg Haile Selassie on a visit to our post, exiting the bowling alley.

Guards in formation possibly for visit of Haile Selassie. Photocopies sent me in about 1992 by the late Sgt Brillhart. station map '52-'56 era
Capt. Albert T. Schooley and SFC Roy Proffit's Nov 1954 wreck. (photo from Harold Childress)
PX fire, Jan 24,1957 pic from Ron Altic.

scanned Gazelle's PX fire writeup. Typed out on Weekly Gazelle page l to r, Roy P.Goodman, Jerry Altermatt (supplied this pic), Ralph Daniels - -

ASMARA

Oasis club, post operated enlisted men's club. Not far from the post main gate. '52-'53 Gordon Davenport and his red bike, ex Bill Cross. Dark blue one was Dick Lillienthal's. Birre, Pedavena, Dreher, same converted night club in '54. Live music replaced by juke boxes on NCO club band stand. Colorful mural on wall was painted by an Italian.

former Radio Marina-ite, John Aglietti at NCO club in Frankfurt Cecil Gore, Wilmington, N.C., in the hardware market district deep in the 'native quarter' of Asmara. Locally known as 'The Thieves Market'. Me on 'Thieves Market' main drag. Stand on right maybe an old gun mount. Saw many ammo containers of British, German, and Italian make, plus uniforms, field kitchen equipment and assorted containers. Old 'Etiopian' swords, a favorite item, most having been made in England. Joe Nix on his Humber 3 speed in market in 'the bosh' of Asmara.

Altar scene, Mass in Cathedral courtyard. First Communion for children. Boys in orange may be from public schools. not sure. Imported type of palm.

Exiting the Cathedral. Notice the variety in clothing. Hungry—whaa! Notice the held child's boots. Coptic Church near downtown Asmara. Fiat in front of United Nations building, downtown Asmara

Arch erected in front of palace in Asmara for April '54 visit of Haile Sellassie. Looking into a warehouse which resembled a fort. Was on the other side of the American Consulate from post. Outside wall of arsenal, consulate in background. Forte Baldissera, home of an Asmara rural district. Fort fell without a shot to British in 1942. Policemen guards the entrance.

Southerly view of Asmara from fort. Catholic Cathedral tower can be discerned in center. Rear courtyard of house four of us rented. Servants quarters in center with three rooms on right. Catholic Church near Kagnew Station with new stature of St. Francis. Monastery on right. Asmara airport tarmac

A diesel truck on the road near the airport.Flock of sheep ahead. south Asmara city district old tree in same district Sudan representative’s car in front of Sudan Liason Officer’s house, wealthiest section of Asmara. Downtown quarters for U.S. enlisted men is on the corner on the right.

Go to Asmara Street Races

I have 10 copyrighted pictures from a newspaper site which I cannot post but try to send individually as email attachments. They are as follows; 1938 villa converted to offices, 1942 villa, inside mosque, classic column, 1928 Ministry of Education bldg, inside stairway of same, Cinema Impero outside, Odeon Cinema inside, Odeon inside bar, FIAT gas station,

Back to my Kagnew 1st page and index

Enlisted men's cars in back of barracks, parked by the tennis courts. 1954. Front one with flag is Jim Hood's improved '29 Alfa Romeo.	1950, Fred Fricke and his similar but 4 door Alfa.	Newly arrived post commander, Colonel Charles inspects MP honor guard in front of headquarters	From near the same jeep view of PX and headquarters barracks
Post library, far left, marquee on building housing Special Services offices, chaplain, chapel and movie theater. Next is PX and first of line of barracks. Taken from door of post headquarters, a sunday afternoon, May 1954. Small 'park' was middle of post.	PX to left, my bicycle against wall, row of five barracks, one of three Italian built radio towers, mess hall to the right, April '54	Me in front of Kagnew Hdqtrs	Frank Sorenson being admired by local kids.
Frank's buddies, Front: Ron Wieand, Dick Wakefield, Back, Jim McGlashan, Ed Trodden, Wayne Kilmark.	Frank holding a locust.	looking at Post Headquarters from behind the ball field stands. Guardhouse on right.	Barracks porch. Left to right, George Rees (Michigan), Jerry Mandel NYC and unknown.
'Class A's' formation, I believe for a visiting general. Being a post news reporter I was excused. Major Merritt suggested I take some photos from the ball field stands to 'head off' resentment.	Same formation. Blue uniforms are Eritrean guard detachment. Note our 'armored', i.e. 'tin cans'. Regular spectators line the fence to the right, in awe of 'the show'.	Chuck Greene, Bill (Greko) Griffith, Walt (Waldo) Wolff and Eugene E.(Moonbeam) Sundberg	Haile Selassie on a visit to our post, exiting the bowling alley.
Guards in formation possibly for visit of Haile Selassie. Photocopies sent me in about 1992 by the late Sgt Brillhart.	station map '52-'56 era	Capt. Albert T. Schooley and SFC Roy Proffit's Nov 1954 wreck. (photo from Harold Childress)	PX fire, Jan 24,1957 pic from Ron Altic.
scanned Gazelle's PX fire writeup. Typed out on Weekly Gazelle page	l to r, Roy P.Goodman, Jerry Altermatt (supplied this pic), Ralph Daniels	-	-

Oasis club, post operated enlisted men's club. Not far from the post main gate.	'52-'53 Gordon Davenport and his red bike, ex Bill Cross. Dark blue one was Dick Lillienthal's.	Birre, Pedavena, Dreher, same converted night club in '54.	Live music replaced by juke boxes on NCO club band stand. Colorful mural on wall was painted by an Italian.
former Radio Marina-ite, John Aglietti at NCO club in Frankfurt	Cecil Gore, Wilmington, N.C., in the hardware market district deep in the 'native quarter' of Asmara. Locally known as 'The Thieves Market'.	Me on 'Thieves Market' main drag. Stand on right maybe an old gun mount. Saw many ammo containers of British, German, and Italian make, plus uniforms, field kitchen equipment and assorted containers. Old 'Etiopian' swords, a favorite item, most having been made in England.	Joe Nix on his Humber 3 speed in market in 'the bosh' of Asmara.
Altar scene, Mass in Cathedral courtyard.	First Communion for children.	Boys in orange may be from public schools. not sure.	Imported type of palm.
Exiting the Cathedral. Notice the variety in clothing.	Hungry—whaa! Notice the held child's boots.	Coptic Church near downtown Asmara.	Fiat in front of United Nations building, downtown Asmara
Arch erected in front of palace in Asmara for April '54 visit of Haile Sellassie.	Looking into a warehouse which resembled a fort. Was on the other side of the American Consulate from post.	Outside wall of arsenal, consulate in background.	Forte Baldissera, home of an Asmara rural district. Fort fell without a shot to British in 1942. Policemen guards the entrance.
Southerly view of Asmara from fort. Catholic Cathedral tower can be discerned in center.	Rear courtyard of house four of us rented. Servants quarters in center with three rooms on right.	Catholic Church near Kagnew Station with new stature of St. Francis. Monastery on right.	Asmara airport tarmac
A diesel truck on the road near the airport.Flock of sheep ahead.	south Asmara city district	old tree in same district	Sudan representative’s car in front of Sudan Liason Officer’s house, wealthiest section of Asmara. Downtown quarters for U.S. enlisted men is on the corner on the right.