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William Edward McKee Sr. collection, 1942-1996, Date acquired: 2020-12-05, Date accessioned: 2020-12-09, bulk 1943-1945

 

Summary

Creator:
McKee, William Edward, Sr., 1924-1996
Extent:
5.5 Linear Feet 6 half boxes, 1 OS box (31.5x23.5")
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], William Edward McKee Sr. collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-20-2010

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

William Edward McKee Sr. was born on February 18, 1924 in New Rochelle, NY. He graduated New Rochelle High School. Prior to joining the U.S. Army, he worked as a civilian courier for the U.S. Army. He entered service with the U.S. Army Air Corps on February 16, 1943 and attended Basic training in Miami Beach, FL, Armament training at Buckley and Lowry Fields in Colorado, and gunnery school at Kingman Field, AZ. Mckee Sr. was assigned to the 324th Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, and was sent to England on December 31, 1943. The B-17 on which McKee Sr. served was combat damaged and crashed into the North Sea on March 29, 1944 on Mckee Sr's seven mission. The entire crew was rescued by the German Navy. McKee Sr. became as prisoner of war at Luft Stalag 17B near Krems, Austria. He was liberated in Bramall, Bavaria on May 3, 1945 by the 13th U.S. Armored Division and returned to the U.S. on June 12, 1945. After the war, Mckee Sr. worked as a civilian fireman at Fr. Slocum, NY. He devoted the remainder of his life to lobbying for recognition and compensation of former U.S. prisoners of war.

Mckee Sr. passed away on January 16, 1996 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

Acquisition information:
This collection was donated by the son of William Edward McKee Sr., William E. McKee Jr. on December 5, 2020.
Custodial history:

Transferred from the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience to FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives in July 2022.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open to all researchers.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], William Edward McKee Sr. collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-20-2010

Location of this collection:
116 Honors Way
Tallahassee
FL
32306-2047
USA