halemaumau

Likely 1932 (Not WWII era, after talking to The Hawaii Volcano Observatory, and comparing to your photos in this album of Navy officers standing next to Halema'uma'u, with 1932 on photos: 1932 - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Halema'uma'u crater
Kilauea volcano - Big Island of Hawai'i.
Here is a 2008 image (wiki ... + USGS photo?) that is very similar...

Halema'uma'u crater on the Big Island of Hawai'i. The image is not large
enough to confirm that is the HVO Volcano Observatory (or the Volcano
House) near the upper-left to margin (see note). Below is one of the photos
in this same set.

The Hawai'i Volcano Observatory (or the Volcano House/Kilauea Lodge, I still need to check closer) is to the right of the steam cloud coming off Halema'uma'u Crater, May 14, 2010. A USGS public photo. The walls of the crater have changed over the decades, but the 'landslides' can be seen in both images.

Here is the (Sept 23, 2014) response from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory: Greg, You're correct about the place. It is Halema`uma`u Crater with the old National Park Auditorium Building (that later became the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) on the Kilauea caldera rim. It will take a bit longer to try to place the time more closely and we're a bit busy with a lava flow heading toward a town in the Puna District. But we'll give it a shot when things slow down. Thanks for pointing this image out. It's not a familiar one to us so could be potentially very helpful. jim

1932 - Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - Halema'uma'u crater - Kilauea volcano - Big Island of Hawai'i RE:(John Lee Highfill) JL Highfill's WWII assignments: "... In October 1942, Chief Photographer John L. Highfill, USN, with some twenty Naval photographers from the Naval Patrol Wing One was sent from the Hawaiian Islands to the South Pacific where they reported to CDR. Quackenbush. This group of Naval photographers under Chief Highfill increased the original Quackenbush's Gypsies from one officer and 14 enlisted photographers to four officers and 83 enlisted photographers, one civilian Fairchild Camera Corp. representative and four officers who became known as the Pioneer Band. During the 18 month that Quackenbush's Gypsies were engaged in photo reconnaissance operations in the South Pacific area, .... excerpted from "MCARA * War Stories > Quackenbush's Gypsies" www.mcara.us/quackenbushs_gypsies.php