The collection consists of Williams's reminiscences of his experiences as a military officer in the Philippine Constabulary stationed in the mountain district of North Central Luzon, particularly his essay Spear and bolo interlude (68 [i.e., 72] p., typescript with holograph corrections); of his employment by the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company of New York in the South China Division, including an essay and a report describing the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong in 1941 and his subsequent six-month imprisonment at the internment camp on Stanley Peninsula; and of a childhood friendship with a black man, accused, tried, convicted, and hung for the murder of a white policeman in Booneville, Missouri. The Papers also include documents (diploma, commission papers, passport, etc.), military memorabilia, newspaper clippings, and a large collection of photos, chiefly depicting military camps and native inhabitants of Luzon. The second half of the collection is comprised of Williams's photographs, almost entirely of his time in the Philippines. Subjects are most often people, mostly posing for the photograph; some more candid photographs; some are of landscapes and scenery. All have been digitized with links available in this finding aid.
