This photograph, captioned 'Quartermaster Barracks, France Field,' documents wood-frame enlisted housing at France Field, a U.S. Army Air Forces base in the Panama Canal Zone during World War II. Screened, elevated barracks like this one were typical of tropical garrison construction, designed for ventilation and protection from insects and heavy rainfall. France Field, located near Colon on the Caribbean side of the Canal Zone, played a key role in hemispheric defense, patrolling Caribbean approaches to the Panama Canal against the threat of Axis submarine and air attack. Project: 218446