Special Collections Research Center

Letters, 1944-1945, written by Carl M. Bunker, a private in the US Army during World War II, to his parents in Dayton, Ohio.  For more detailed description provided by the seller, click on the Finding Aid link below.

This collection contains a single letter, written immediately after the announcement of the surrender of Germany by a mother in Connecticut to her son, Private First Class Carl Holmberg, who had been wounded. The letter discusses the arrival of V-E Day, the continuing fighting in the Pacific, and advice to not continue serving.

Letters, 1943-1946, of Harold R. Cunningham, a Navy chaplain from California.  Includes letters written while at the Chaplain's School at the College of William & Mary and while on subsequent duty assignments in Wales, at the Sampson Naval Training Center in New York and aboard the USS Arkansas.  Most of the letters are addressed to his mother in California.  All others are addressed to  his wife.

Scrapbook of Robert L. Curtin, covering the years 1941-1949, including his years served in the U.S. Navy, 1943-1945. Included are letters of both private and military nature, photographs, newspaper clippings, military orders, wedding announcements, telegrams, invitations, and currency. Places mentioned in the scrapbook are Connecticut; Massachusetts; Camp Peary, Williamsburg, Virginia; California; and the Philippines.

Letters including V-mail, 1943-1946, written to Yvonne E. DeJean of Opelousa, Louisiana from Joseph D. Prince (boyfriend) and other soldiers. Other writers are Joseph Minix, Sgt. B.J. Lewis, Pfc. Frank Brown, Raymond Stout, Harry Tyler, Killroy Car and Eddis Tyler. Most letters are personal with some mention of the war, their surroundings, and training/duties.

The Heinz and Gertrud Siegel Elber papers consist of a scrapbook and a guestbook documenting their social life and Heinz Elber's professional career as a kapellmeister (bandmaster) in Dresden, Germany. Heinz Elber (30 April 1882-5 December 1969) and Gertrude Siegel in 1951.

Also included is biographical background information provided by relatives in form of diary excerpts, correspondence and a newsletters article about Heinz Elber's life and violins.

Four letters written by German soldiers to their families, discussing mostly private matters. The soldiers were stationed on army bases in Germany. All of the letters are written in German and three are in Suetterlin script.

Letters home to Gatesville, Texas from two brothers, Cam and Burl McGilvray who served in the Army and Marines respectively during World War II. Cam McGilvray was in the Army Officer Candidate School No. 1 in Fargo, North Dakota.  Burl McGilvray was stationed overseas and returned in April 1943 to the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, California due to a heat stroke complication. The collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, song lyrics and postcards.

Papers, 1945-1946 of Sergeant August R. Offer Jr., consisting of letters, photographs, Chinese currency, Chinese stamps and a military pass for the City for Shanghai. Letters are addressed to Offer while stationed in Shanghai after the end of the WW II and also to the U.S after his return in December 1945. folder link on the right.

World War II Scrapbook, 1941-1945, most likely compiled by Mrs. R. H. Payne of Remington, Virginia. Included are news clippings relating to the war, as well as a telegram, postcards and letters sent to her by her son Barksdale McClanahan Payne (1907-1985) from his military service in Europe, Barksdale Payne's military insignia and foreign paper money.

Letters, 1944-1945, of Howard Ramey, a member of the United States Naval Construction Battalion, also known as the Seabees, and stationed upon the USS New Jersey during World War II. The letters are primarily written to his grandparents, whose names are unknown. Letters primarily concern Ramey's inquiries about life in the United States as well as his feelings about his service in the Navy. In one letter, Ramey mentions that there is much about which he is not allowed to write.

This collection consists of newspaper clippings, notes, letters and other material pertaining to Carl A. Rickert, a pilot in the 318th Bomb Squadron of the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. The letters include correspondence between Rickert and his family, mostly with his mother back home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also contained in the collection are newspaper clippings from various army newspapers and publications, as well photographs and illustrations.

The Ridell Family papers is primarily correspondence between Robert Calvin Ridell and his parents in Kerny, Nebraska. There is also correspondence from other family members, friends, and others. Ridell is nearly always addressed as Calvin. Ridell was a member of the United States Navy and correspondence dates from his time in training and while he was deployed at sea during World War II. Much of the correspondence and other printed material in the collection is from 1943-1946.