Collections

The collection of the 460th Heavy Bombardment Group Society contains a unit history of this B-24 U.S. Army Air Corps Group, 55th Wing, 760th, 761st, 762nd, 763rd Squadrons and Group Headquarters, which served in the Italian Campaign. This collection primarily focuses on the memory of the war and those who served in the 460th. Included is a listing of the airmen who were held as prisoners of war, including their squadrons, positions on the plane (e.g. pilot, gunner), the date, mission, and what country or stalag in which they were held. Also included is a booklet, "Remembering the 460th Bomb Group (H)," which contains photographs, personnel lists, and maps, and was prepared as a gift from Duane and Betty Bohnstedt to their members. There are mission lists, target details, flight records, and crew searches. The collection includes issues of the society's veterans' association magazine, "Black Panther" from mid-1990 to their final issue, December 2005.

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.

This collection consists of the business records from the Apalachicola Tent and Awning Company once located in Apalachicola, Florida. The company manufactured pyramidal tents under contract from the United States Army from early 1941 to at least October 1942. The records are unclear as to when the company ceased operations.

This collection relates to Audrey Kempfert Gordon who served as a U.S. Government homefront worker in Florida during World War II. The collection contains one letter written by Gordon to her former employer that provides details of her experiences in Jacksonville, FL during the war and two letters written by the former employee's wife to Gordon.

This collection relates to Barbara W. Makant who was a youth on the U.S. homefront during World War II. The collection includes a U.S. Jewish soldier's prayer book, seventeen History of the Second World War series magazines, and three History of the World War, Special series magazines.

This collection of memorabilia of Betty Wood McNabb's career and life consists of scrapbooks, appointment books, articles, and 2 framed, boxed collections of objects such as medals, pins, charms, and other items. Scrapbooks, dated from 1950-1989 with photos of family, friends, cats, dogs, airplanes, and boats; correspondence from friends and family, including letters, postcards, Christmas, birthday, anniversary, get well, and thank you cards; newspaper articles written by her; and certificates of recognition and awards she received.

This collection relates to Carl Lyren who served in the United States Marine Corps in 2nd Marine Division the Pacific Theater. The materials of this collection are made up of maps, unclassified documents from both Japanese and U.S. forces, books, letters, interviews with veterans, photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal notes made by Carl Lyren in his research in writing on the battle of Peleliu, also in this collection is the original manuscript of the publication Dogged Courage: The Struggle for Peleliu, 1944.

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.

This collection relates to Seaman Second Class Clifford Prince who was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center and San Diego with the U.S. Navy during World War II. This collection includes letters sent to and from Prince's family, greeting cards, photographs, and documents.