This collection contains around 190 letters that Major Kenneth L. Tingley wrote to his wife Thelma and infant daughter Susan while serving with the 304th Infantry Regiment in Europe during World War II. Tingley also received 7 letters from his wife, relatives, and friends.
Tingley began his correspondence on November 7, 1944, and wrote about life at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, until his deployment overseas in December 1944. He first traveled to England, where he shared his thoughts about the effects of the war and mentioned sightseeing in London. He was transferred to France in mid-January and continued to write almost daily throughout his service. Tingley described his travels through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany during the final months of the war, and commented on the local residents. He occasionally described his duties, which included arranging billets for soldiers and acquiring supplies. Tingley noted the Allies' constant attacks against Germany, and discussed his progress while advancing toward the Rhine River. On March 7, 1945, he reflected on the idea of total war and on the state of Germany. On April 1, 1945, he reported his promotion to major, and in May 1945 he received a Bronze Star.
After V-E Day, Tingley was stationed in Altenburg and Grafenau, Germany; he also travelled to Leipzig, where he described some of the war's destruction. He also commented on military and civilian life in postwar Germany, and provided more details about his experiences during the fighting. On September 17, 1945, he mentioned a visit to Adolf Hitler's home and to his headquarters, the Eagle's Nest. In his final letter, dated November 22, 1945, he shared his hope that he would return home in time to celebrate Christmas. Tingley's daughter Susan had been born while he was in the military, and he expressed his love and admiration for her and anticipated their first meeting.
Ephemera items include an invitation to a ceremony for wives of servicemen in the 304th Infantry Regiment, as well as a later document outlining the organizational hierarchy of a military task force and reporting some potential problems the force might face.
Kenneth Lee Tingley was born in Billerica, Massachusetts, on October 29, 1915, the son of Henry K. Tingley and Evelyn Blanche Newton. He had three siblings: Arthur, Ruth, and Charles. The Tingley family later lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where Kenneth and his wife, Thelma Garuti (1918-2009), resided in the early 1940s. Tingley enlisted in the United States Army before July 1942, and trained at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, in late 1944. He served in Europe with the 304th Infantry Regiment's supply company between November 1944 and July 1945, and saw combat during the Battle of the Bulge, the Rhineland Campaign, and the Central Germany Campaign. In July 1945, he was transferred to the 406th Infantry Regiment, and in October 1945 he was transferred to the 315th Infantry Regiment. He returned to the United States around December 1945. Tingley served as a captain in late 1944 and was promoted to major on April 1, 1945. He and his wife had at least two children, Susan (b. January 31, 1944) and Kenneth, Jr., and lived in Litchfield, Connecticut, in the early 21st century. Kenneth Lee Tingley, Sr., died on April 16, 2008.
