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World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, American--Personal narratives

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources

Found in 14 Collections and/or Records:

97th Bomb Group Reunion Association collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 01.0601
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...
Dates: 1942-2000; Other: Date accessioned

Harold G. Blunk papers

 Collection — 14.0004 - Box 1
Identifier: 14.0004
Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Harold G. Blunk served as Sergeant Major for the 5th Air Depot Group, 39th Station Composite Squadron, Administrative Division, 35th Depot Repair, in the 8th Air Force Command Station in England from 1943-1945. This collection contains photographs, a newspaper clipping, and documents relating to his personal life and military career.

Dates: Created: 1942-1962; Other: Date acquired: 12/14/2013

Charles Diedling transcript

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2004 Box 2 (04.0046-04.0075), Folder: 04.0053 - Folder 1
Identifier: 04.0053
Scope and Contents

This collection contains an oral history transcript of Staff Sergeant Charles Diedling, a flight engineer on a B-24 with the 460th Bomb Group at Spinazola, Italy. Charles Diedling discusses his training as a flight engineer and waist gunner for the B-24 at Keesler AFB, Mississippi and Loredo AFB, Texas.  In June of 1944, he was assigned to the 460th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force in Spinazola, Italy. Diedling was shot down over Germany becoming a prisoner of war.

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

Charles P. Campbell papers

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2002 Box 11 (02.0285-02.0300), Folder: 02.0288 - Folder 1
Identifier: 02.0288
Scope and Contents

Charles Campbell was bombardier on a B-17 who was shot down over Linz, Austria and captured by the Germans. While in captivity, he was sent to Mauthausen concentration camp and managed to keep a journal of his experiences there. He served with the 483rd Bombardment Group. Just prior to the war's end, Campbell was transferred to an unidentified Stalag and credits this with saving his life. The collection includes reproductions of 483rd Bomb Group artwork, a statement and picture of the Mauthausen concentration camp from after the war, a World War II memoir with pictures and documents and a copy of his obituary.

Dates: Created: 1945-1997; Other: Majority of material found in 1945; Other: Date acquired: 07/26/2002

Craig Darius Whitesell papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 08.0187
Scope and Contents This collection relates to Private First Class Craig Darius Whitesell who served as an armorer with the 3rd Search Attack at Langley Field, VA during World War II. He was stationed in Atlantic City, NJ, Buckley Field, CO, Langley Field, VA, Florence, SC, and Great Bend, KS. This collection includes letters, documents, postcards, photographs, and newspaper clippings. The letters in this collection were written by Whitesell to his parents throughout his time in the Army Air Corps. His letters detail the life of a mainland armorer in the Army Air Corps, which includes training classes, KP and guard duty, and relations between privates and their superiors. He also discusses...
Dates: Created: 1942 - 1945; Other: Date acquired: 02/04/2009

Crispen Nissen papers

 Collection — Box 98.0704
Identifier: 98.0704
Scope and Contents

Crispen Nissen served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the 12th and 18th Weather Squadrons during World War II in the United States, England, North Africa, and Italy. This collection includes an original diary Nissen kept from 1941-1942, describing his daily thoughts, experiences, and observations about the general war effort. The collection also includes Vmail and handwritten letters, written by Nissen to his fiancee and future wife, Etrulia Ellis, as well as the letters she sent to him.

Dates: Created: 1941-1999; Other: Majority of material found in 1943; Other: Date acquired: 09/10/1998

James Crooke papers

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2005 Box 6 (05.0149-05.0178), Folder: 05.0172 - Folder 1
Identifier: 05.0172
Scope and Contents

This collection consists of an oral history transcript of an interview with 2nd Lt. James J. Crooke, who served in World War II. Crooke served in the Army Air Corps with the 303rd Bomb Group in the European Theater (ETO).

Dates: 1921-1945; Other: Majority of material found within 1943; Other: Date acquired: 12/15/2005; Other: Date accessioned: 2020-05-22

David Westheimer papers

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2001 Box 16 (01.0407-01.0420), Folder: 01.0418 - Folder
Identifier: 01.0418
Scope and Contents

This collection relates to David Westheimer who served as a 1st Lieutenant Navigator on a B-24 Bomber with the 457th Bomb Group during World War II and was shot down over Italy where he became a POW. This collection consists of an oral history transcript of David Westheimer.

Dates: Created: 1941-1945; Other: Majority of material found in 1943; Other: Date acquired: 01/14/2000

George Logue transcript

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2002 Box 15 (02.0400-02.0424), Folder: 02.0412 - Folder 1
Identifier: 02.0412
Scope and Contents

This oral history interview transcript relates to George Logue,  an aerial gunner armament specialist on a B-24 assigned to the 15th Air Force.  Logue discusses his bombing missions over Europe, being shot down, life as a prisoner of war, and his brief service with the British 5th Army.

Dates: Created: 1943-1945; Other: Majority of material found in 1944; Other: Date acquired: 10/07/2002

Bernard Silverblatt transcript

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2006 Box 2 (06.0075-06.0150), Folder: 06.0126 - Folder 1
Identifier: 06.0126
Content Description

Bernard Silverblatt served as a co-pilot on B-24s with the 492nd Bomb Group from 1943 to 1945, serving in the European Theater of War. He flew diversionary missions for the Royal Air Force and supply missions to Denmark and Norway. All 12 missions were at night. This collection contains an oral history interview transcript of Silverblatt.

Dates: May 8, 2004; Event: Majority of material found within 1941-1945

Simeon C. Sparkman collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 16.0030
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.

Dates: 1940-1976; Other: Majority of material found within 1942-1945; Other: Date acquired: 2016-10-28; Other: Date accessioned: 2020-06-01

Stalag 17 POWs papers

 Collection — Box 98.0475-Box 1
Identifier: 98.0475
Scope and Contents

This collection was compiled by Edward McKenzie and includes a directory of New Hampshire Ex-POWs book. It is a boxed collection of approroximately 20 individual collections of American POWs who were interned at Stalag 17. The individual collections collectively consist of personal papers, transcripts, documents, photographs, and drawings relating to their experiences as prisoners of war.

Dates: 1937-1945; Other: Date acquired: 1998-05-12; Other: Date accessioned: 2019-09-04

Marvin S. Waits collection

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2001 Box 11 (01.0278-01.0305), Folder: 01.0299
Identifier: 01.0299
Scope and Contents

This collection relates to Marvin S. Waits who served with the 14th Air Force in China. He was enlisted from 1942-1945. This collection contains an interview with Waits with information about his experiences in China during the war, the censorship in the US Army, the terrors in the mission, and the relationship between soldiers and local people.

Dates: 1941-1945; Other: Date acquired: 2001-07-24; Other: Date accessioned: 2020-04-13

Hugh Zeigler papers

 Collection — Single Folder Collections - 2001 Box 11 (01.0278-01.0305), Folder: 01.0300 - Folder 1
Identifier: 01.0300
Scope and Contents

Hugh Zeigler served with the 454th Heavy Bomb Aviation Ordnance Company, handling and caring for bombs, during World War II in the Philippine Islands. He was captured there by the Japanese and spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp. This collection consists of an oral history interview transcript conducted on January 6, 2000.

Dates: Created: 1917-1951; Other: Date acquired: 07/26/2001