An album, compiled in 1945, by a serving soldier or airman, who was aboard USS Sigourney (DD643) at the time

PHILIPPINES, World War II. - [Various photographers].

An album compiled by an individual who was aboard USS Sigourney (DD643) at the time when most of this images were bought. [Philippines, and elswhere: circa Feb - April 1945]. Oblong quarto (6 5/8 x 11in; 168 x 280mm), 28 black thin card leaves, 14 of these mounted with 40 photographs (5 x 3 1/2in; 127 x 88mm. and smaller, mostly machine-print) of scenes and people in the Phillipines, taken while or just after the islands were liberated from the Japanese, about half the images with manuscript notes on the verso giving background to and explanations of the images, e.g. "taken 2/[19]45 Bought on Mindoro Is., / in the Philippines on 4/12/[19]45 / This is how Jap-infested / Corrigedor looked to  the U.S. Para-/ trooper as he left his plane to / land there. Notice how rugged the / terrain looks. / USS Sigourney (DD643)". Contemporary limp leather covers, a souvenir  with colored design on the upper cover "Photographs / Aloha Hawaii".

Military tourism: the compilor of the album (?possibly 'Pete' who is referred to on two of the images, possibly the Army Airforce officer whose formal portrait is included here (see the third leaf). The notes show that he visited a number of the places pictured beteen February and April 1945, shortly after the pictures were taken, and bought the photos at this time.

"USS Sigourney (DD-643) was a Fletcher-class destroyer, the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for James Sigourney, an officer during the War of 1812.Sigourney was laid down on 7 December 1942 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine, launched on 24 April 1943, sponsored by Miss Amy C. Olney; and commissioned on 29 June 1943, Commander W. L. Dyer in command....

On the 19 October 1944, Sigourney shelled Red and White Beaches to cover underwater demolition teams reconnoitering the landing sites near Dulag and Tacloban. She and Cony (DD-508) remained in the area while the remainder of TG 77.2 withdrew to the south to cover the approaches to the Leyte Gulf through Surigao Strait. The two destroyers fired night harassing and interdiction fire on beaches, roads, and installations. On the 20th, they bombarded the beaches until H-hour and then provided call-fire support until the 24th when word was received from the Commander, 7th Fleet, to prepare for a night engagement. Sigourney, Aulick (DD-569), and Welles (DD-628) were in the van as Attack Section 2 of DesDiv "X-Ray" which would screen the battle line consisting of six battleships. In the screening position, they did not take part in the torpedo attacks on the Japanese fleet launched by other American destroyers. On 29 October, Sigourney withdrew from Leyte and returned to Seeadler Harbor, arriving on 3 November.

Nine days later, the destroyer was en route back to Leyte Gulf. She performed screening assignments and radar picket duties at the entrance to the gulf off Dinagat Island from 6 to 30 November. On the night of 1–2 December, DesDiv 44 made a sweep of the Camotes Sea. At 02:38 on 2 December, Sigourney and Conway (DD-507) opened fire on a Japanese freighter which sank six minutes later. The destroyers then steamed for the Palau Islands to join the covering force for the invasion of Mindoro. The task group of four battleships, four cruisers, six escort carriers, and 18 destroyers sailed on the 10th. Three days later, the carriers began launching air attacks which continued until 17 December. During the time in the area, the task group was under constant enemy air attack.

Sigourney next joined TG 79.2 (Attack Group Baker) which was formed at Manus Island and sortied from there on 31 December 1944 en route to the Philippine Islands. On 9 January 1945, the task group landed elements of the U.S. 6th Army in the Lingayen area of Luzon Island. On the 20th, Sigourney and Saufley (DD-465) left to screen Australian Transport Division 21 to Morotai, N.E.I. The destroyer escorted convoys between Leyte and Lingayen Gulfs until 27 February when she sailed with Task Unit 78.2.12 (TU 78.2.12) for Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, to support the landings there on the 28th by United States Army troops. Still conducting operations in the Philippine Islands during April, Sigourney operated with TG 74.2 prior to, and during the army assault on the Malabang, Parang, and Cotabato areas of Mindanao on 17 April. On 6 May, the destroyer sailed from the Philippine Islands for the United States via the Marshall Islands and Pearl Harbor.

Sigourney arrived at San Pedro, Calif., on 31 May and entered the Bethlehem Steel Co. Shipyard for an overhaul, remaining there until 3 September. She moved to San Diego the next day and, a month later was underway, for New York City via the Panama Canal, arriving there on 20 October. In October, the destroyer was ordered to Charleston, S.C., to prepare for inactivation. On 20 March 1946, she was placed out of commission, in reserve, with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet." (wikipedia)