1942 W.R. Thompson Composite Photograph of U.S. Army Desert Training in California

This is a c. 1942 W. R. Thompson composite panorama photograph of the United States Army desert training during World War II. Covering over 18,000 square miles in California, Arizona, and Nevada, the Desert Training Center was established by General George S. Patton to train the U.S. Forces for the 1942 - 1943 North African campaign.

A Closer Look

Sherman tanks, half-tracks, jeeps, and trucks appear superimposed over a striking desert landscape. Encampments of tents appear in the middle ground, underscoring the brutal desert conditions. Flying airplanes include a squadron of P-38s.

Publication History and Census

This photograph was created and published by W. H. Thompson and Company c. 1942. We are aware of only one other cataloged example, and the piece is not in OCLC. Other photographic panoramas of military bases in Virginia published by W. H. Thompson and Company are part of the Special Collections Department at the University of Virginia Library.