World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Europe

Scope and Contents This collection relates to the 97th Bombardment Group which was based in England, Africa and Italy during World War II and the first operational bomb group in England in 1942. The collection contains documents (mostly photocopies) on missions, statements and statistics, three diaries, and newspaper articles. Their daily operations reports, narrative reports, and casualty reports detail their accomplishments and their losses. Included are a collection of videos, audio tapes, and microfilm. Included are copies of three personal diaries by Alex Blair, Jr., LeRoy Teschendorf, and Herman F. Lykins. Also included is an extensive photograph collection of flight crews, air fields, and...

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Private First Class Clarence H. Anderson who served with the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, in the European theater during World War II. The collection contains letters from Anderson to his fiance Eleanor Schumaker. The letters encompass ten months from March 1944-January 1945 in which he writes from England, France, Belgium, and Germany. Clarence was wounded in Germany and sent to a hospital in England to recover. Julius Sleszak was stationed in California in the Transportation Section at Camp Beale. He sent seven letters to his wife during November 1945.

Scope and Contents This collection includes several different types of documents that refer to the attack on the American 106th Division in St. Vith, Germany on December 16, 1944. The attack on the 422nd, 423rd, and 424th Infantry Regiments of the 106th Division resulted in 8,663 casualties, 416 deaths, 1,246 injuries, and 7,001 soldiers M.I.A. (missing in action).  Pvt. Arthur Eason was captured and transferred to P.O.W. (prisoner of war) camps. Eason was transferred to the Stalag IV B camp in Northeastern Germany. He was among several other POW's from British and Russian battalions. These documents include personal letters, diary entries, official government documents of correspondence, maps, European...

Content Description This collection relates to Lieutenant David E. Bail Jr. who serves as a bombardier with the 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group in England during World War II. He attended University of Florida and enlisted in Spring of 1942. He flew two missions over France before he was shot down over Hanover, Germany on July 26, 1943 and killed in action. This collection contains seven folders includes Bail’s personal letters to his family from December, 1941 up to his death, letters from the War Department to Bail’s family first declaring him MIA, then later confirming him KIA, two photographs of Bail and his crew, and a letter from his sister to Bail’s parents recounting her interview with Bail’s...

Scope and Contents

This collection pertains to Technician Fifth Grade Zeddie P. Barron, Jr., who was stationed in Virginia, Kentucky, Ireland, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany between 1943 and 1945. As a clerk in the 552nd Railhead Company, Barron was attached to the First Engineer Special Brigade. The collection contains personal letters sent from Barron to his wife throughout his period of service, military documents including a ration book, Barron's military record and entrance physical, as well as newspaper clippings, envelopes, and an unpublished poem by Eugene S. Masters reacting to the use of the atomic bomb.

Content Description

This collection relates to Colonel Walter Carl Beckham who served with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a P-47 fighter pilot with the 353rd Fighter Group in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He was credited 18 aerial victories. He was shot down and subsequently became a German Prisoner of War. He was the recipient of the Distingquished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, Air Medal, and Legion of Merit. This collection contains Beckham's medals, badges, pins, photographs, veteran's items, and newspaper articles.

Scope and Contents

This family collection relates to Technician 4th Grade Sergeants Claude B. Shook, 207th Field Artillery Battalion, and Arthur B. Benson, 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion,  who were brother in laws and both served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the European Theater. Arthur B. Benson was killed in action on August 14, 1944. The collection contains letters, photograph negatives, a unit newsletter, ephemera, and diary.

Content Description

This collection relates to Sheldon F. Berlow who served with the 352nd Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, as the chief public information officer. This collection contains letters, photographs, newspapers, and official documents from Sheldon F. Berlow's time in England and Belgium. Numerous photographs document the activities of the 352nd Fighter Group. Letters discuss the progress of the war in Europe and life on the homefront.

Content Description

This collection relates to Samuel L. Bray and his service in the U.S. Army. Samuel L. Bray served in the Army before, during, and after World War II. During World War II, then Lieutenant Samuel L. Bray served in Europe with the Signal Corps, fighting at the Battle of Metz in the United States Third Army. While in Europe, Samuel L. Bray served in France and Germany, then moving to Japan during the United States occupation post World War II. This collection contains photographs, post cards, documents, and artifacts relating to the life, service, and death of Samuel L. Bray.

Scope and Contents

Eugene S. Brown served as a member of the 78th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II. He served from 1943-1946. His unit arrived in France in November of 1944. He performed duties as a runner and a jeep driver for his unit. This collection contains a transcript from an interview conducted June 7, 2000.

Scope and Contents This collection pertains to Thomas A. Butler, who served as a First Lieutenant in the 468th Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion during World War II. Butler served in France and Germany from 1944-1945, receiving five battle stars and a bronze star medal. In the immediate months following the war, he was stationed at the Berchtesgaden Hof Hotel, which was adjacent to Hitler’s retreat at Obersalzberg, where he operated the Hotel as a retreat for Army officers. Butler maintained a detailed Service Record Book that includes his personal information, transfers, the locations he was deployed, the people he met, and military letters he received during and after the war. In aggregate,...

Content Description

This collection relates to Judie Campbell who served in the U.S. Army with the 3104 General Quartermasters attached to the 450th Engineers in the European Theater of operations during World War II. This collection contains an oral history transcript where Campbell recounts his experiences in Liverpool, England, and throughout Europe as an African African. Campbell discusses desertion, his experiences being a squad leader, his experiences with European women, other soldiers who fathered children, and his experiences with race and racism.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Private First Class Edward Carrow who served with the 665th Engineer Topographical Company, 4th Regiment, in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.  The collection contains numerous letters dating from July 1943 to October 1945. The collection also contains a scrapbook containing telegrams, playbills, several photographs, two maps of Europe and the Pacific, and several currency notes from France, Germany, and Austria.

Content Description

This collection relates to Technician 5th Grade Charles Wilfong Chalker who served with the 76th Infantry Division in the European Theater during World War II. The collection contains three German World War II period flags brought back after the war from Europe by Chalker.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the personal papers, photographs, ephemera, documents, newspaper clippings, and various other papers relating to World War II years and post war years lives of Herbert and Betty Colker as well as many family members and their correspondences with the Colkers.

Scope and Contents

This manuscript was written by Norval Vernon Cummings (Sergeant) who served with the 35th Combat Engineer Battalion during World War II in the European Theater.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a transcript of an interview conducted with Stanley and Elsie Davis on June 12, 2000. Stanley Davis served in the U.S. Army in the Military Railway Service in the European Theater during World War II.  The collection also contains 6 photographs, a photocopy of Stanley and Elsie's marriage certificate, and a copy of Kaiserzeit: Journal of the Imperial German Military Collector’s Association vol. III, summer 1974.

Scope and Contents

This collection pertains to First Lieutenant Elwood Harry Fredrickson who served as a bombardier in the 743rd Bomb Squadron, 455th Bomb Group. The collection contains flight records, textbooks and notes from flight school, assignments from flight school, various documents regarding Fredrickson’s postings, personnel lists, volumes one and two of the 455th Bomb Group Journal, booklets on aviation and cadet life, various receipts, certificates and photographs.

Content Description

This collection relates to Stan Hall who served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force at the beginning of the Office of Strategic Services project where he completed tours in the European Theater (ETO). This collection contains various photographs and descriptions of Hall's service in World War II.

Content Description

This collection relates to James A. Huffaker who served as a 2nd Lieutenant as a Bombardier/Navigator on a B-26 Martin Marauder with the 552nd Bomb Squadron, 386th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, based in England during World War II. This collection includes two silk maps of Western Europe.

Scope and Contents

John Richard Pandora served in the U.S. Army during World War II in Austria. This collection contains letters from a friend Richard Boucher, who served in the U.S. Navy, European currency, photographs, a postcard, and a copy of a newspaper article.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to William J. McCusker III who served as a C-47 pilot with the 18th Troop Carrier Squadron during World War II.  The collection includes letters, documents, photographs, flight records, certificates, pilot manuals, and pilot training class yearbooks. The collection also contains handwritten notebooks kept by William J. McCusker III during his service as a police officer with the New York Police Department.

Content Description

This collection relates to Major James J. McFarland who served with Headquarters, 59th Medical Battalion as a physician in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. The collection contains letters written by McFarland to his future wife Joy McFarlane.

Content Description

This collection relates to William Edward McKee Sr. who served as a sergeant with the 324th Squadron, 91st Heavy Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force in Europe during World War II. McKee Sr. was shot down along with the crew of the B-17 bomber on March 29, 1944. The entire crew survived and then became German prisoners of war at Luft Stalag 17B. Mckee Sr. received the Air Medal and Purple Heart Medal. This collection includes letters, documents, photographs, prisoner of war memorabilia, and memoirs.

Scope and Contents

This collection includes personal photographs, personal letters, and paper ephemera related to Rosemary Reed Powell who served in the Women's Army Corps with the 3rd Army during World War II.

Content Description

This collection relates to the Reserve Officers Association and the experience of its members during World War Two.

Content Description

This collection relates to Howard P. Rives who served as a First Lieutenant with the Heavy Weapons Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 301st Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations. Rives received the Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal. The collection contains military personnel records, 94th Infantry Division Veterans' Association papers, veteran reunion papers, correspondence between veterans of the 94th Division, and personal accounts of veterans.

Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Private First Class Roger Luther Peters who served with the 1143rd Engineer Combat Group in the European Theater during World War II. The collection contains three short memoirs.

Content Description

This collection relates to Sergeant Sidney Rothenberg who served with the 745th Field Artillery Battalion in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. This collection contains 745th Field Artillery Battalion published newsletters and newspapers.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a compilation of personal letters and official documents, photographs, personal items, and military badges of Sgt. Simeon C. Sparkman who served with the 8th Air Force from 1943 to 1945, at Burtonwood Air Depot, Warrington, England, also known as Base Air Depot No. 1. Sparkman was specifically assigned to Hangar 5, Mary Ann Site, “B” Shift, Aero Repair Crew 6, and was the ranking NCO on Crew 6 in the grade of T/Sgt. The papers in this collection are comprised of correspondence with his wife, parents, and other family members and close friends.