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Wilburn Lewis West collection, 1943-1957, Date acquired: 04/19/2002

 

Summary

Creator:
West, Wilburn Lewis, 1911-1944
West Sasser, Dallie Chason, 1910-2009
Extent:
1 folders
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Title of Item], [Date of Item], [Box and Folder number], Wilburn Lewis West collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-02-0163

Background

Scope and content:

This collection relates to Private First Class Wilburn Lewis West who served with the 32nd Photographic Squadron, 5th Reconnaissance Group, U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.  West was killed in action on April 20, 1944 while aboard a troop transport ship near Algiers, Algeria. The collection contains letters, documents, and a Purple Heart medal.

Collection includes the following: a Wilburn L. West engraved Purple Heart Medal in original case, two empty envelopes sent from Wilburn Lewis West to his wife postmarked March 17, 1943 and August 26, 1943; Department of the Army letter, dated September 20, 1949, sent to Dallie West which states the remains of Wilburn Lewis West are not recoverable; Western Union telegram, dated May 19, 1944, notifying Dallie West of the death of Wilburn Lewis West; letter from Secretary of War Henry L. Stinson, with facsimile signature, dated June 19, 1944, notifying Dallie West that she will receive a Purple Heart Medal; United States Army Air Forces Technical School Diploma, dated September 7, 1943, for PFC. Wilburn L. West, upon completion of airplane mechanics training at Lincoln Air Base, Lincoln, NE; a photocopy picture of West in civilian clothes; and an undated note written by Dallie West that contains a short history of Wilburn Lewis West.

Biographical / historical:

Wilburn Lewis West was born on March 20, 1911 in Lake City, FL.  Wilburn was married to Dallie V. Chason West before entering the service.  Wilburn served as a Private First Class mechanic with the 32nd Photographic Squadron, 5th Reconnaissance Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He resided in Baltimore, Maryland prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army February 27, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Florida. Wilburn was a passenger on the troopship S.S. Paul Hamilton (Hull Number 227) when the ship was sunk off Algiers on April 20, 1944 by an aerial torpedo dropped by a German Ju 88 bomber. The attack occurred approximately 30 miles off the coast of Cape Bengut near Algiers, Algeria by 23 German Ju 88 bombers of III./Kampfgeschwader 26, and III./Kampfgeschwader 77.  The ship sank within 30 seconds due to the high amount of explosives on board. A total of 580 men where lost with only one body being recovered.  West was declared "Missing In Action" later Killed In Action in the sinking of the S.S. Paul Hamilton. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Dallie remarried in 1957 and changed her name to Dallie Chason West Sasser.  Wilburn Lewis West is named on the Tablets of the Missing in the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial in Tunis, Tunisia.

Source:

Find A Grave. "PFC Wilburn Lewis West." findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=west&GSfn=Wilburn&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=56251202&df=all& (accessed November 11, 2017).

Acquisition information:
Donated by Dallie Sasser
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], Wilburn Lewis West collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/02-02-0163

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