Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

The collection is without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Overton C. Elkins Letters, 1944-1945, Accession #11415, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

These letters were purchased by the University of Virginia Library from Charles Apfelbaum of Watchung, New Jersey, on March 19, 1997.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of letters from 2nd Lt. Overton C. Elkins, of Nashville, Tennessee, to his wife, Mary Elizabeth (Sharp) Overton, with an occasional letter to his mother-in-law, Mrs. Vernon H. Sharp, Sr., 205 items, (1.5 Hollinger boxes) 1944-1945. Overton C. Elkins, son of George W. Elkins of Nashville, graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy, and worked for the Gray, Shillinglaw & Company prior to his service in the Army. These letters mainly discuss Elkins' experiences at the Officer Candidate School in Miami Beach, and as an officer at the Langley Air Field, Virginia. Elkins apparently entered the Army in 1942 October, but only his correspondence as an officer candidate and 2nd Lt. officer is present in this collection.

His correspondence begins with a postcard written on a train to Miami, dated January 7, 1944, and continues with a letter written from Smyrna, Tennessee, on January 8th, while he is en route to the Air Forces Officer Candidate School located at Miami Beach, Florida. During his participation in this school, he stayed at the Greystone Hotel, Miami Beach. In these early letters, he describes his difficult schedule and the terrible treatment by the upperclassmen who run the entire school, including "bracing," the exaggerated standing at attention and "wracking back," being bawled out by the upperclassmen (1944 Jan 16, 27).

He was assigned to Squadron 5, Class 44-E, and continues his description of his rigorous military and academic schedule (Jan 19); his first guard duty and more of his hectic routine (Jan 21); description of his class work (Feb 3, 16, 18, 24); the change of his group to 3rd classmen on Monday (Feb 4); beginning the second month of training (Feb 9); description of his first "open post" night (Feb 27); becomes a member of the 38th Mess Squadron and transferred to the Abbey Hotel (Mar 6); preparation to go on bivouac at Ft. Lauderdale (Mar 15, 20); practice "gas attack" and bombing raid on his squadron (Mar 21); still on bivouac and in charge of the garbage detail; graduation planned for April 29th (Mar 22); letter to his mother-in-law, Mrs. Vernon H. Sharp, Sr., thanking her for her letters, and telling her he hopes to become a 2nd Lt. on April 29th (Mar 27; Apr 2); and expresses his love and appreciation for his wife of almost nine years and encloses a copy of the Bivouac Beacon (Mar 25).

Elkins makes plans for the visit of his wife before graduation and studying for the final examination (Apr 2, 3, 9); Lt. Elkins becomes a member of the 111th AAF Base Unit, Section "G," Langley Field, Virginia, as Mess Officer and probably Supply Officer (May 4, 12); description of Hampton Roads, Virginia (May 15); his visit to Williamsburg, Virginia (May 22); additional assignment as war bond officer and supply officer for his section (May 25, 30); description of a parade at Langley Field (Jun 4); description of how he had helped several of his men and his varied duties (Jun 4, Jul 4, 5, Jul 25, Aug 9, Oct 6); description of Major Switzer, a flight surgeon at the base (Jun 12); description of his duty as "officer of the day" and the new assignment as insurance officer (Jun 15); description of a crash at the base between an observation plane and a B-24 (Jun 17); his plans to vote against Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jun 28); his promotion to adjutant with the addition of being section soldier voting officer (Jul 6); and photographs of Elkins and friends at Grand View Beach, Virginia (Aug 6).

Elkins continues with plans for the visit of his wife to Langley (Aug 6, 8); present principal duty is as adjutant of his section (Aug 11); trying to get in the Contract Termination School, reference to the recent visit of his wife (Aug 29); hurricane warnings, and news that Langley Field has become the 3539th AAF Base Unit (Technical School) of the Eastern Training Command and Section "G" has been consolidated into another section, probably Section "C," the Maintenance and Supply Section (Sep 15); his opinion of Sad Sack (Sep 15); Elkins becoming adjutant of Detachment 2, Section "C," 3539th AAF Base Unit (Sep 17); mention of an intentional "crashing" of a specially prepared B-24 in the James River as an experiment (Sep 22 & 23); and description of his visit to some of the buildings of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics where stress tests are conducted on aircraft (Sep 30).

Elkins' letters to the end of the year discuss his position as acting commanding officer of his section, with examples of his work (Oct 6); Elkins' situation at the base in utter confusion (Oct 11-30); becoming the commanding officer of Flight 2, Section "C" (Nov 18); his readiness for Christmas leave (Dec 14); and his return to base from leave (Dec 29).

Letters from Elkins to his wife in 1945 include the following subjects: Major Bargamin?s replacement by Lt. Colonel Bitzer (Jan 10, 12); reorganization of his section and renaming as squadron "C" (Jan 18, 20); Elkins initially made Personnel Officer for Squadron "C," plus other changes & reorganization activities (Jan 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31); given an additional job on the Promotion & Reduction Board (Feb 2, 8); Elkins efforts to be released from the Air Force to work with Allen Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee (Feb 22); more organizational musical chairs at Langley Field (Mar 2); comments about Colonel Raley and his own role presently serving as Adjutant of Squadron "C-7" (Mar 5, 9, 12, 16); new base commander, Colonel John K. Nissley (Mar 30); moving his squadron into new barracks (Apr 16); and Elkins' transfer to Scott Field, about thirty miles from St. Louis, Missouri (Apr 20, 21). There are no additional letters from Elkins present in the collection following the news of his transfer to Scott Field and a grant of a ten day leave en route to his new post.

Also present is an apparently unrelated letter, [May 11, 1936], from [Campbell Bligh?], Charleston, West Virginia, to Mrs. Campbell Bligh, Nashville, Tennessee.