Twenty-six letters written by four U. S. servicemen during World War II, plus fifty-two photographs and four artifacts.

Charles Burleigh’s letters are short and chatty. He wrote about his work in general, with frequent references to being tired, but he never mentioned the B-17s or their missions. He commented on living conditions, the dearth of comforts, camels, Arabs, and the relatively better situation in Italy. He wrote about activities during breaks, including day trips into Tunis and sightseeing in Italy. He spent three weeks in a hospital with yellow jaundice. He was engaged to be married when he returned to the U. S., which, as of his last letter in December 1944, he expected to be in February 1945. In response to letters and photos he received from Betty Jean, Burleigh sometimes mentioned her interests in horses, flying, and boys. A torn fragment of an unfinished letter was in the envelope with Charles Burleigh’s letter postmarked 1941 November 14; it possibly was the start of a reply from Betty Jean.

Three letters in this collection were written by three other servicemen. Two brothers, L. E. “Lew” Loyd and Cpl. Jimmy W. Loyd, wrote to their parents in Springfield, Massachusetts. Lew Loyd wrote from the USS Arkansas (1943 May 8); his letter is in the form of a poem about the restraints imposed by wartime censorship. Jimmy Loyd was a petroleum distribution officer based in South Asia (789th Engineer Petroleum Distribution Company); he wrote (1944 September 4) about managing a warehouse and his pending divorce. Pete Podner[?] served on the USS Ricketts, a convoy escort vessel; in his letter to Betty Jean Burleigh (1945 February 28), he mentioned having visited her in Massachusetts just before Christmas.