Raymond Wayne Davis papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 99.0297

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Raymond Wayne Davis papers are largely centered around letters Davis wrote to his sister Mildred Kingston Renwick throughout World War II. During the war, Sergeant Davis served as a machinist in the Strategic 3rd Air Depot of the Army Air Force as well as serving in the infantry as a part of the Third Army, 90th Division, 358th Infantry, Company C. Davis served in England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. His papers also include postwar division newsletters, an oral history interview, a veteran's questionnaire, discharge certificate, and photographs.

Dates

Created: 1943-1999
Other: Majority of material found in 1943-1945
Other: Date acquired: 10/26/1998

Creator

Davis, Raymond Wayne (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Florida State University Libraries as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Biographical or Historical Information

Raymond Wayne Davis was born in Galatia, Illinois on January 31, 1924, to a family of 8 on a large farm. He worked at Curtis Wright Aircraft in the tool and die department after high school. When the war broke, he initially wanted to join the Coast Guard as he knew he would likely be drafted. He was inducted in February 1943 at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri and was assigned to the Army Air Force with the 3rd Strategic Air Depot Group. He trained at Miami Beach, Florida and at Chanute Field, Illinois before being sent over to England in 1943.

For the majority of the war, Davis was stationed at a Royal Airforce Base in East Anglia at Watton, England. He was then transferred to the Third Army, 90th Division, 358th Infantry, Company C as a machinist. He aided at the Battle of the Bulge, liberated a Polish prisoner of war camp, as well as Flossenburg, took Mainz, Germany, Luxembourg, and was stationed in Czechoslovakia. While in Czechoslovakia, Davis contracted hepatitis and was sent to Rheims, France to recover. Once Davis was healthy he rejoined his company. He was preparing to go to Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped and therefore was discharged at Camp Grant, Illinois on January 12, 1946.

Soon after he married Janet L. Schiller with whom he had two sons. They moved to Tallahassee, Florida where he worked for the United States Department of Labor. Davis was active in military reunions. Raymond Wayne Davis passed away on April 6, 2009, at the age of 85.

Extent

1.00 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Source of Acquisition

Mildred L. Renwick

Method of Acquisition

Donated.

Subjects

B-24 (Bomber) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Camp Grant (Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Flossenbürg (Concentration camp) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Jefferson Barracks (Saint Louis, Mo.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Letters Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Machine shops Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Miami (Fla.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Oral history Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Ploiești (Romania) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Prisoners of war--Germany--History--20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States. Army Air Forces. 3rd Strategic Air Depot Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 358th Subject Source: Local sources
V-2 rocket Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
V-mail Subject Source: Lctgm
Watton (Norfolk, England) Subject Source: Local sources
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Luxembourg Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Czechoslovakia Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--France Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Germany Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Germany--Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
World War, 1939-1945--Great Britain Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings