William C. Coleman transcript

Collection — Container: Single Folder Collections - 2004 Box 2 (04.0046-04.0075), Folder: 04.0050 - Folder 1

Identifier: 04.0050

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This folder contains the oral history of William Coleman recorded on May 15, 2003. Coleman served with the 101st Airborne Division in England and participated in the June 6, 1944 D-Day airborne operation into Normandy, France. He was later captured by German troops and spent time in a prisoner of war camp.

Dates

Created: 1942-1945
Other: Majority of material found in 1944
Other: Date acquired: 02/02/2004

Creator

Coleman, William C. (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

William C. Coleman (Army, 1942-1945) trained as a paratrooper at Ft. Benning and with the 101st Airborne Division once in England. His unit provided a simulated combat exercise for Churchill and Eisenhower near Torquay, England in May of 1944. He participated in the D-day invasion and was captured in a village close to where he was dropped. He talks about his experience as a POW in Stalag 12-A, Stalag 4-B and in arbeitdienst (work party). He describes the firestorms at Dresden. He escaped from his last German POW camp and after the war was in Camp Recovered Allied Military Personnel (Camp RAMP). Coleman was discharged in September of 1945 and attended Northwestern University on the GI Bill.