George E. Pepin Papers, 1918-1919
1 folder — 46 digital files
Typescript of diary of Pepin's military service; also Russian postcards and photographs of Pepin.
1 folder — 46 digital files
Typescript of diary of Pepin's military service; also Russian postcards and photographs of Pepin.
0.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 339 digital files
Diary (with transcription) describing war-time activities, 1917-1919; scrapbook of clippings from Detroit and Toledo newspapers describing the "Polar Bear" expedition; orders received; photographs.
1 folder
A photocopy of a citation for bravery from the French government and photographs taken at the ceremonies at White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery during which the bodies of American soldiers returned from Russia were reinterred.
1 volume (86 pages)
The reminiscence describes his training at Camp Custer, the journey to Russia, the Russian countryside and towns, hospital work in Shenkursk, Ust Vaga and Osinova, fighting at Nijni Gora, Jan. 1919, the evacuation of Shenkursk, Jan. 1919, and his return to the United States. It includes sketch maps of the Dvina-Vaga front and of the battle at Nijni Gora and Ust Padenga, Jan. 19, 1919.
1 folder
Letter (Nov. 13, 1918) to his parents (censored); photocopies of his military records and newspaper articles about him; photocopy of photograph of flowers and flag at his funeral; and photograph of his gravestone.
1 volume
The diary, July 1918-July 1919, is a photocopy of a typescript, and describes his voyage to Russia, the movements of Co. D, and fighting at Seltso, Sept. 1918; Kodish, Oct. 1918; Toulgas, Nov. 1918; Vistafka, Feb.-March 1919; and Tooting[?], April-May 1919. Also included are sketch maps of Vistafka Half Way Post and Shegovaya and a clipping, May 25, 1930, from the Detroit Free Press titled "The Forgotten Regiment," in which Smith describes his experiences in Russia. The article is based on the diary.
1 folder
Diary and typescript containing generally brief entries describing his actions in Russia; also, photographs.
0.2 linear feet — 2 oversize folders
3 folders — 120 digital files
Duink's papers include a typed compilation of his letters during his service, a roster and rules of the 167th Company Transportation Corps, and transportation drawings, along with a photograph album including scenes of ports, camps in England and France, the countryside of Russia, Murmansk, men on patrol and in camp, battle casualties, battle damage and construction on the railroad, Russian people, village scenes, fortifications, allied soldiers, airplanes, repair of railroad cars, and the voyage home.
1 folder
The collection consists of photocopies of clippings, certificates, and miscellanea.
1 folder
The papers include a copy of the "Summary of activities of medical personnel with 1st Battalion 339th Infantry, Sept. 1918-May 1919, which describes medical work at Shenkursk and fighting at Toulgas, Sept. 1918; Kodema [?], Dec. 1918; and Vistafka, Jan.-Feb. 1919. Also included are Katz's promotion and discharge papers.
9 files
Photos of the 337th and 340th Ambulance Companies and 310th Field Hospital training at Camp Custer, Mich. and of the Michigan Hut at Conlie, France.
The original photographs are owned by the donor; the Bentley only holds the digital versions.
2 microfilms (positive)
Creation of Historical Files
The Historical Branch, War Plans Division, 1918-21, and its successor, the Historical Section of the Army War College, 1921- 42, created the Historical Files of the AEF, North Russia. These historical units collected, preserved, indexed, and published documents of historical value relating to the American effort in World War I. In the course of its duties the Historical Branch began collecting and classifying documents of the North Russian intervention about 1920. The first page or cover sheet of many of the documents in this series bear the stamp "HISTORICAL BRANCH" and immediately below the stamp the file designation "57" and another number. The Historical Section of the Army War College continued to add to the Historical Files of the AEF, North Russia, during the 1920's and 1930's. The records comprising the Historical File came from two major sources: Headquarters of AEF, North Russia, and the Military Intelligence Division of the War Department General Staff. In addition, records from several other War Department agencies are included in the series reproduced on this microfilm publication.
Arrangement
The present arrangement of these documents is according to the so-called War Department historical decimal classification scheme, a filing system devised by the Historical Section of the Army War College, which despite its name lacks certain basic elements of a true decimal classification system. According to this scheme each file designation consists of two numbers separated by a hyphen. The number before the hyphen, the master number, represents the organizational entity to which the document was assigned; the number following the hyphen, the subject number, denotes the subject matter of the document. For example, the report of the Chief Surgeon of AEF, North Russia Jonas R. Longley, on the work of the Medical Department in North Russia bears the file designation "23-43.8." The number "23" is the master number for AEF, North Russia, and "43" is the subject number for the Medical Department. The number "43.8" is the designation for Medical Department history and reports. A descriptive list of folder contents and their file designations follows these introductory remarks.
Security Classification
None of the documents reproduced on this microfilm publication are now security-classified, but at one time or another many of them were. Some documents were classified as secret or confidential at the time of their creation and had security-classification markings stamped, typed, or written on them. The Adjutant General's Office reviewed the security classification of this entire series in March 1947 and marked each folder, file cover, or document with a rectangular stamp "CLASSIFICATION CANCELLED" or "CLASSIFICATION CHANGED TO CONFIDENTIAL." Between 1947 and 1970 National Archives and Records Service (NARS) staff members reviewed and declassified a few documents as a result of specific requests made by researchers. The remaining documents were declassified in preparing this microfilm publication.
Description of Records
Among the records included in this series are the following: reports of officers of the American Military Mission to Russia concerning the morale, efficiency, and operations of the AEF, North Russia; compilations of correspondence and issuances of Allied Headquarters and of Headquarters, AEF, North Russia, documenting conditions and events occurring in the Archangel-Murmansk area; British daily and weekly intelligence summaries pertaining to military and political affairs in Russia, Siberia, Germany, and Eastern Europe; and strength reports and returns, orders of battle, and maps and charts showing the strength and deployment of Allied and Bolshevik troops in North Russia.
0.4 linear feet
Correspondence of Howard Merrill and some of his wife Edith Merrill with relatives in the United States while stationed and traveling in Russia, Poland, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and --to a lesser extent-- Japan describing social, economic and political conditions, everyday life, and work of the Y.M.C.A. offices and volunteers in these countries. Merrill travelled and wrote about locations in Siberia, Moscow, Petrograd, Pskov, Archangel, Nizhnii Novgorod, Samara, Riga, among other locations.
Correspondence and Y.M.C.A. reports from Germany contain depiction of conditions in German prisoner-of-war camps and Russian prisoners. Russian-language handwritten publications of Russian POWs include playbills and illustrated newsletters.
Papers of Donald A. Lowrie, Y.M.C.A. secretary who served in Russian and Eastern Europe between 1916 and 1932 include his 1920 "Moscow diary" and miscellaneous writings on the subject of Russian prisoners of war.
2 oversize photographs
Two oversize photographs (original and copy) depicting Company A, 339th United States Infantry, which served in the Allied intervention in Northern Russia, 1918-1919, also known as the "Polar Bear Expedition." The original photograph was taken in June 1919 in Brest, France when the Company returned from Russia.
0.4 linear feet (4 v. and 2 folders)
The collection includes two scrapbooks containing a letter, Nov. 16, 1919, of Theodore R. McPhail, describing the 339th Infantry's homecoming parade in Detroit, poems, and newspaper clippings relating to the fighting in Russia, the mutiny of March 1919, the return of the 339th Infantry to Detroit, the return of the bodies of men killed in Russia, and later Polar Bear activities. Also included are rosters, certificates of promotion, lists of citations, and lists of casualties for Co. A, a cartoon by "Bug" Culver, a map of the Archangel area with areas of operations marked, lists of the bodies returned in 1929, and a receipt book of Captain Otto Odjard
15 items — 3 audiocassettes — 1.52 GB
The tapes contain two interviews conducted in Dec. 1971 by Sheldon Annis, in which Salchow describes his general memories of the campaign, the Russian people, Archangel, relations with British and French troops, his experiences at Camp Custer, machine gun training, army food, the mutiny of Co. I, and the morale of the troops. A partial transcript of one of the interviews is included in the papers, along with issues of The Trident, published aboard the U.S.S. Von Steuben while returning from Russia, six post cards of Archangel scenes, and some Russian money.
1 folder
The reminiscence (41 p., photocopy) details his capture, stays in hospital, observations of the Russian people, buildings, social customs, and his subsequent release.
2 boxes — 2 folders
The papers include a diary, Nov. 1918-Jan. 1919, describing daily life, monotony, the weather, and fighting at Kodish, Dec. 1918. Also included are newspaper clippings, miscellanea, and photographs. Also artifacts: helmet, shell casing trench art (75 mm), 37 mm shell, VFW Post 436 cap, and uniform insignia. (The photographs and artifacts have not been digitized.)
1 volume
Photocopies of photographs and other documents relating to his service in Russia.
14 digital files (24.6 MB)
This collection contains digital records; the original papers and/or photographs are owned by the donor. The digital items in this collection were digitized from originals by the individual donors before being received by the Bentley Historical Library. Preservation copies of these files with their original file names and CD-ROM file structures intact have been submitted to Deep Blue. Access copies of these digital files can be viewed by clicking on the links next to the individual folders in the Content List below.
In this finding aid, the files have been arranged into one series, Papers and Photographs. Within each series, files are listed numerically according to the file arrangement they were given by the donor. The files in this collection are in JPG and BMP format.
Files include digitized military documents diary entries, photographs relating to his service ca. 1918; also includes photographs of O'Brien and Captain Otto Odjard in a hospital ward, and photographs and newspaper clippings, possibly at the Detroit Ordnance District ca. 1943.
1 digital files (55.4 MB)
This collection contains digital reproductions; the original papers and/or photographs are owned by the donor. The digital items in this collection were digitized from originals by the individual donors before being received by the Bentley Historical Library. Preservation copies of these files with their original file names and CD-ROM file structures intact have been submitted to Deep Blue. Access copies of these digital files can be viewed by clicking on the links next to the individual folders in the Content List below.
In this finding aid, the files have been arranged into one series, Papers. Within each series, files are listed numerically according to the file arrangement they were given by the donor. The file in this collection is in PDF format.
Includes a file containing the digitized diary and narrative reminiscence of Spaulding's service; file also contains a brief biographical note with photographs, written by his son.
1 volume — 4 items
Typescript of a short account of his service in northern Russia, from leaving Camp Custer, July 1918, to his return to the United States, July 1919. The original is owned by Sarah Bonnell, Bay City. The papers also include a post card and a poem "Ode to the Shackleton Boot."
The collection includes an album (1918-1919, ca. 250 photographs) containing scenes of building construction, buildings and fortifications constructed by the 310th Engineers, views of Archangel and other places, pictures of Russian people, scenes of American soldiers in camp and on guard, and portraits of officers of the 310th Engineers; also a group photograph of Co. A, 310th Engineers.
9 folders
The papers contain primarily certificates and personal documents. The photographs include pictures of American and foreign soldiers, Russian people and scenes, and naval ships; also pictures of the 1929 memorial services for bodies returned from Russia, Polar Bear Association reunions, and personal photographs. Printed maps have been removed from the collection and cataloged separately.
1 folder
The John Peterson papers consists of photocopies of military discharge papers and other official documents and a 1960 invitation to Polar Bear reunion and also a photograph of Peterson in uniform.
1 folder
The papers contain clippings regarding the 339th Infantry's arrival in France, June 1919, and later clippings regarding the return of bodies and the campaign in general. Also included are post cards of Archangel and France and a YMCA Russian phrase book.
1 folder
Transcript of a diary describing his experiences in Russia.
0.1 linear feet — 254 MB (4 digital files; online)
This collection contains physical files as well as digital reproductions. In this finding aid, the collection has been arranged into one series, Papers.
This collection contains digitized sound recordings (Folder 1); the original sound recordings are owned by the donor. The digital items in this collection were digitized from originals by the individual donor before being received by the Bentley Historical Library. Preservation copies of these files with their original file names and CD-ROM file structures intact have been submitted to Deep Blue. Access copies of these digital files can be viewed by clicking on the links next to the individual folders in the Content List below.
Papers include an interview with transcription of John Percey Clock and Lawrence K. Montgomery of Charlevoix, Mich., who served in Company K, 339th Infantry, interviewed by John Robert Clock June 25, 1978. Also miscellaneous papers relating to Clock's service and activities of the Polar Bear Association.
1 folder
The papers include a typescript, dated 1964, of a diary covering the period July 1918-July 1919, which describes his daily routine, fighting upriver from Shenkursk, Sept. 1918, and fighting at Ust Padenga, Jan. 1919. The correspondence is chiefly to him from his family, and gives little information about the campaign.
8 items
The papers consist mainly of obituaries and miscellaneous clippings. Photographs include portraits of Bigelow.
6.12 MB (1 digital file)
Photograph of John W. Ferguson, a soldier in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, riding a horse in Russia, possibly in Murmansk.
0.4 linear feet
Photographs of ports, camps in England and France the Russian countryside, Murmansk soldiers on patrol and in camp, battle casualties, battle damage and construction on Russian railroads, airplanes, and other subjects. Most of these photographs are described in a printed list distributed by John E. Wilson.
1 item
Photocopy of a letter to Chriswell's cousin Mrs. Thomas Dittrich describing in general terms his activities in Russia.
1 folder
The papers include a diary, July 1918-July 1919, describing the voyage to Archangel, his movements in Russia, his longing for home, and the voyage back to the United States. Also found in the diary are a transcript of an address by Americans to the Bolshevik soldiers and a statement describing an explosion at Shenkursk in January 1919. A separate journal, dated January-February 1919, describes fighting at Ust Padenga, Nizhnyaya Gora, and Vysokaya Gora, and includes a sketch map of the area. Also included are a letter describing army food and his longing for home, and a chronology of his military service, July 1918-April 1919.
1 folder
The letter, a photocopy, describes the weather in Archangel, his daily routine, and his hopes of going home. The original is owned by Roger L. Heiple, South Lyon, Mich.
0.2 linear feet
Correspondence describing his experiences in the army during training at Camp Custer, Mich., and during his service in Russia; also miscellanea, and a paper based on Ramsey's correspondence, probably written by John O. Ramsey. Photographs include a portrait (in uniform) and postcards of Camp Custer, Mich., and Archangel.
0.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder
1 folder — 1 oversize folder
The papers include Fleming's diary, 1918-1919, and transcripts of the diary. Also included are an undated portrait of Fleming and Sarah M. McInnis and photocopies of an undated diary, photographs, a map, and Russian money.
128 digital files (118 MB)
This collection contains digital reproductions; the original papers and/or photographs are owned by the donor. The digital items in this collection were digitized from originals by the individual donors before being received by the Bentley Historical Library. Preservation copies of these files with their original file names and CD-ROM file structures intact have been submitted to Deep Blue. Access copies of these digital files can be viewed by clicking on the links next to the individual folders in the Content List below.
In this finding aid, the files have been arranged into one series, Papers. Within this series, files are listed numerically according to the file arrangement they were given by the donor. The files in this collection are in JPG and BMP format.
Files include digitized letters relating to his service in Russia (1917-1919). Also, digitized photographs and postcards of Russian scenes and photos of Bartels in uniform (1917-1919); digital photographs of Bartels' uniform, medals, accoutrements and field gear (2005-2006); digitized transcripts of an oral history (2005).
1 maps (color; 34 x 22 cm.)
The collection contains a map (not drawn to scale) collected by Heath showing the area south of Archangel, Russia along railroad and Dvina River between Bakaritza and Obozerskaya Kodish and Beresniki.
0.5 linear feet
The photograph album has been disbound. It contains photographs of the 310th Engineers training at Camp Custer, Mich., and in Russia, Detroit Fire Dept. personnel and equipment, the Detroit waterfront, farming in Roscommon County, hunting and fishing in Roscommon County, and logging in Baraga County.
1 volume — 3 folders
Correspondence relating to his military service, "Final consolidated report of the 310th Engineers, Archangel, Russia" (1919) which describes the construction and other activities of the unit, photographs, and miscellaneous items. The photographs chiefly depict Engineer projects but also scenery, miscellaneous buildings, informal portraits of officers, troops marching, and Russian people.
1 folder
The collection contains maps (Scale 1:420,000 and [1:1,050,000] not "1/105,000") of the district of Archangel, Russia created in 1918 by engineers of the Allied intervention in North Russia. Individual sheets are by the Elope Mapping Section or the N.R.E.F. Mapping Section.
1 maps (on 6 sheets; color; 118 x 137 cm.; 77 x 56 cm.)
The collection contains maps (Scale 1:420,000) of the district of Archangel, Russia created in 1918 by engineers of the Allied intervention in North Russia, the 1st Battalion, 310th U.S. Engineers. The maps were published by the Allied Mapping Section. This copy contains only five of the six sheets published. Another copy of this map is found in the Frederick C. O'Dell papers.
9 maps (color; 27 x 35 cm.)
The collection contains maps (Scale 1:420,000) of the district of Archangel, Russia created by engineers of the Allied intervention in North Russia, the N.R.E.F. Mapping Section. The Bentley Historical Library has only a partial set of these maps.
1 digital files (3.19 MB)
This collection contains digital reproductions; the original papers and/or photographs are owned by the donor. The digital items in this collection were digitized from originals by the individual donors before being received by the Bentley Historical Library. Preservation copies of these files with their original file names and CD-ROM file structures intact have been submitted to Deep Blue. Access copies of these digital files can be viewed by clicking on the links next to the individual folders in the Content List below.
In this finding aid, the files have been arranged into one series, Photographs. The original file in this collection is in BMP format, a jpeg copy has been made for web access.
The collection consists a sinngle digitized photograph of Rasmussen, who served Headquarters Company, 339th Infantry, in uniform, ca. 1918.
0.4 linear feet
The collection includes a copy of a petition, Feb. 1919, from people in Detroit asking for the withdrawal of American troops from Archangel; a diary, July-Sept. 1929, describing his trip to Russia and the search for bodies; correspondence, 1929-1930, regarding the commission and its work; a list of the bodies recovered and a map showing the location of some bodies found around Kodish; papers relating to the reinterment of the dead in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery; a 1965 memoir of the 1929 commission, and two letters, 1966 and undated, from Arthur Wickham relating his memories of service in Archangel. Also included are bulletins, meeting notes, speeches, eulogies, and programs of the Polar Bear Association and the constitution and bylaws of the Polar Bear Post, No. 436, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
1 folder
The photographs in this collection were received from various sources, the provenance of most of the photographs has been lost and therefore these images have been grouped together by subject into an artificial accumulation. The digitized Polar Bear Expedition photograph collection is a part of a larger collection which includes a wide range of subject matter. The 24 images relating to the "Polar Bear Expedition" include photographs and postcards depicting various scenes, events, and individuals. Identified individuals include Private Walter Streit of Company M, 339th Infantry and General Richardson (W. P. Richardson?), as well as various photographs of Russian people. The collection also includes photographs of Company M, 339th Infantry and the 339th Infantry Supply Company and a photograph of a marker for Company H, 339th Infantry soldiers killed in action. Russian places documented in these photographs include Murmansk, Tegra, Archangel, Konetsbor, and the Vologda Railway.
1 folder
The paper includes biographical information about Frisbie's uncle, Robert Granville, who served as sergeant, 337th Field Hospital, and transcriptions of several of his letters, Nov. 1917-March 1919. The letters include descriptions of army life at Camp Custer, his daily routine at Archangel, and the Russian people and their customs. A photograph of Granville is also included.
1 item
John E. Wilson's "North Russia Pictures" contains about 370 images of the work of the North Russia Transportation Corps. Each photo is numbered on the verso, with the numbers corresponding to Wilson's sales list. This list of photos is copied from Wilson's original sales list. All misspellings are Wilson's. A few numbers are omitted or used more than once. For each picture there is an indication of which collection or collections include the photo. A few of Wilson's pictures are not included in any of the three collections.
The photos document the entire history of the Transportation Corps, from their organization in France, to travel through England and by sea to Russia, service in Russia, and then travel by sea back to France and back to the United States. The last pictures are of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of France.
The work of the Transportation Corps in Russia is presented in detail, with pictures of patrols, the aftermath of battles, railroad construction and maintenance, camps, and recreational activities. There are many pictures of soldiers, some identified but many unidentified by name. Also pictures of Russian scenery and people.
In the McGrath collection the photos are pasted into an album, so the numbers cannot be seen. The photos are presented in the album in numerical order, with the captions copied from Wilson's sales list. The Grier and Minard collections consist of loose photos, arranged in numerical order.