Jack B. Newman collection

Collection — Container: 02.0348 - Box 1

Identifier: 02.0348

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection includes primarily the personal papers of U.S. Army Air Corps T/Sgt. Jack B. Newman, 717th Squadron, 449th Bombardment Group, from his time as a prisoner of war in Krems, Austria during World War II. A diary, provided by the American YMCA, contains artwork, poetry, and other writings from Newman's time in the camp. Letters received by family members and friends are also included, as well as miscellaneous loose pages found within the diary. The story of how the B-24 bomber, "Thunder Bay Babe," upon which he served as a radio operator, was hit by flak and shot down is located in multiple folders within the collection.

Correspondence between Peter G. Newman, the son of Jack B. Newman, and numerous individuals is contained within the collection. This includes letters between Newman and organizations such as the 15th Air Force Association and the 449th Bomb Group Association. Newman also wrote to various people who had known his father during the war, from old crewmates and their families to other soldiers who had been in the same POW camp.

Dates

Created: 1943-2002
Other: Majority of material found in 1944
Other: Date acquired: 09/17/2002

Creator

Newman, Jack B. (Person)
Newman, Peter G. (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

T/Sgt. Jack B. Newman was born in Alpena, MI on 26 January 1924. He was a member of the Army Air Corps, 15th AF, 717th Squadron, Bomber Group 449 in the European theater of World War II. On March 24, 1944, his B-24 named "Thunder Bay Babe," was hit by flak while flying over Mostar, Croatia and crashed. Of the crew of 10, 6 were killed in action and 4 - including Newman - were kept as prisoners of war for 18 months in Stalag XVII-B in Krems, Austria. He kept a wartime diary while in the camp, provided to him by the American YMCA, that contains artwork, poems, and more from his time in the camp. Upon release from the camp at the end of the war, Newman moved to Miami, FL, where he died in 1973 at age 49 of a massive heart attack.