University of Richmond
Book Arts, Archives, & Rare Books, Boatwright Memorial LibraryCopyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
[Box Number, Folder Number], MS-32, WWII Correspondence Collection, Book Arts, Archives, & Rare Books, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia.
This collection was purchased at auction.
The collection arrived as a single unit of materials mixed together. The processor decided to separate into individual correspondents and organize the collection by correspondent and then chronologically.
Processed by Lynda Kachurek.
The bulk of these letters were written between 1940 and 1945 by servicemen from various branches of the armed forces during World War II. Because of the number of correspondents and the lack of additional biographical materials, any information located during processing is described in the individual series in the scope and content note. Additionally, the collection arrived containing letters predating and unrelated to World War II, many lacking names, dates, or other identifying information, as well as a few items of unrelated ephemera. Taken individually or as a whole, the World War II letters in this collection provide intimate access to the lives and experiences of several individuals throughout the course of the war.
Series I, George & Mary (Zyla) Orlikowski Letters, contains over 230 letters written by George Orlikowski to his girlfriend, and later wife, Mary Zyla Orlikowski. Dating between July 1942 and March 1945, the series traces Orlikowski's wartime activities as well as what was happening on the home front. Family concerns and military life dominate the writings, but they also offer views into larger wartime concerns of both military and life on the home front. Additionally, there are many examples of humorous envelopes and letterhead. In one letter from December 1944, as George's unit is preparing to ship out to the Pacific, he creates a code based on his salutations so that Mary can track his location without the censor's knowledge. Overall, these letters create a nearly complete and compelling story of a Midwestern couple during World War II.
Series II, Dorothy "Dot" Raynham Letters, contains 152 letters written to Dorothy "Dot" Raynham between 1941 and 1944 from a variety of correspondents. A student at Millsaps College at the time, Dorothy lived in Jackson, Mississippi. Between 1943 and 1945, Millsaps was home to the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which may help explain how she connected with many of her letter writers. One notable correspondent is Jack Devore Dunn, whose 52 letters include information about his service with the Army Air Corps South Pacific campaign, including his participation with his B-26 crew in the Battle of Midway. Dunn received both the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross. There are also 9 letters from Jack's mother, Mrs. Betty Uhlorn. Other correspondents included men serving in the Naval Reserve, the Marine Corps, and the Army. Overall, the letters in this series offer a wide-ranging and diverse perspective on military service throughout World War II as well as a sense of what life on the home-front was like for a female college student. Raynham married William C. Fullilove on June 6, 1944, and died in October 1967.
Series III, Parrish Family Letters, contains 88 letters from and about the W.R. Parrish family of North Carolina. Beginning in 1914, the correspondence runs through the end of 1943, with some gaps in the timeline. Many of the letters are written from W.R. Parrish or his daughter, "Lib" to Lillian [Mrs. W.R.] Parrish, and cover business concerns, family life, and some coverage of the war in letters from the wartime years.
Series IV, Walter "Wally" and Ann Wrobel Letters, contains 109 letters primarily from Wally Wrobel, with some from his wife, Ann, to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Wrobel, of Chicago, Illinois. Beginning in August 1943, when Wrobel was a private in the U.S. Army stationed at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, the letters follow his career across several different locations where, occasionally, Ann was able to join him. Many of the letters focus on the home front, discussing his parents' lives as well as things going on with his wife and, eventually, his young daughter. Early in 1944, his correspondence switches as his military activities increase and by Fall 1944, he makes brief mentions of being near New Guinea and later the Philippines. He occasionally mentions battles or other military activities, but usually his correspondence is more about the weather or activities at home. The last letter in the series was written on May 13, 1945, just one day before, according to military records, he died in action on May 14.
Series V, Other World War II Letters, contains three smaller sets of unrelated correspondence concerning World War II. The first set contains 92 letters written by Paul Dobin to Charlotte Gibbs. Between March 1 and July 23, 1944, he wrote nearly every day, talking of his life in the Navy as well as encouraging her in schoolwork, family matters, and eventually planning their wedding. Further research showed that Gibbs and her family were German Jewish immigrants having arrived in the United States in 1934. The second set of letters were written by Davis Lee, serving in the Navy, to his wife, Georgia, of Martinsville, Virginia, between mid-November 1944 and January 1945. Most of the 11 letters are trying to arrange plans for a furlough visit and telling how much he misses her. The third set contains 7 letters from Private Ray Trapp to his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Ray Trapp of Berea, Ohio, in April and May 1945, describing his activities during the end of the war in Germany.
Series VI, Other Letters, contains 26 folders of letters unrelated to World War II. Dating between 1857 and 1947, these often single letters contain a wide variety of information, including business advertisements, wedding announcements, and general correspondence from many areas. One of the more intriguing sets can be found in Box 2, File 16, which contains 3 letters from a Dutch Navy officer, known only as John/Jake, to Frances Pogue of Cincinnati, Ohio. Written while at sea in 1916 and later from his hospital bed in 1918, the author talks of books read and his experiences during the Great War. Box 2, File 29, may also be of interest as it contains a handwritten advertisement for a wife by an unknown male.
Series VII, Ephemera, contains 3 folders of items that are not correspondence. The first is a Latin notebook, which also contains newspaper clippings about London society. The second and third contain photographic materials.
This collection is arranged into 7 series:
Series I: George & Mary (Zyla) Orlikowski Letters Series II: Dorothy "Dot" Raynham Letters Series III: Parrish Family Letters Series IV: Wally and Ann Wrobel Letters Series V: Other World War II Letters Series VI: Other Letters Series VII: Ephemera