Camp Ashby was a temporary
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
installation sited in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was activated on July 1, 1942. The site contained housing for 30 officers and 612 enlisted and non-commissioned officers. It was located near Ashby and Seventh street. The base was named for Ashby Avenue, a nearby thoroughfare (at the time, part of
State Highway 24, now
13), which in turn was named for one of Berkeley's earliest settlers,
William Ashby (Aug.1, 1819-July 12, 1896).
Camp Ashby was used to quarter and train the 779th Military Police Battalion, an African American unit led by white officers.
External links
Photograph of Camp Ashby, 1943
References
{{reflist
History of Berkeley, California
Formerly Used Defense Sites in California
African-American history of the United States military
History of the San Francisco Bay Area
Closed installations of the United States Army
Military facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area