Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

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Collection

Demas Lindley Sears papers, 1916-1983 (majority within 1942-1946)

1.5 linear feet

This collection is made up of 158 letters, 8 speeches and writings, 36 documents, 25 ephemeral items and currency, 5 pamphlets or booklets, 43 newspaper clippings, 26 lithographs, and 99 photographs by or related to Lieutenant Colonel Demas Lindley Sears. The bulk of the collection pertains to his service as a mid-level intelligence officer in the U.S. Army's 37th Infantry Division during World War II. A small portion of the collection reflects his service in the 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment during the Punitive Expedition of 1916 and in the First U.S. Cavalry during World War I.

This collection is made up of 158 letters, 8 speeches and writings, 36 documents, 25 ephemeral items and currency, 5 pamphlets or booklets, 43 newspaper clippings, 26 lithographs, and 99 photographs by or related to Lieutenant Colonel Demas Lindley Sears. The bulk of the collection pertains to his service as a mid-level intelligence officer in the U.S. Army's 37th Infantry Division during World War II. A small portion of the collection reflects his service in the 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment during the Punitive Expedition of 1916 and in the First U.S. Cavalry during World War I.

The Correspondence begins with a telegram and four letters respecting the death of Demas and Lura Sears's child in August 1918. The remainder of the correspondence is made up of original and contemporary carbon copies of letters by Demas L. Sears between 1942 and 1946. The bulk of one hundred and forty three letters are personal letters from Demas "Pop" to his wife Lura "Mother" and daughter Frances "Baby," or from Demas to others, between January 1944 and December 1945.

Lt. Col. Sears was an engaging writer and he described everyday experiences with thoughtful attention to detail. Within the restrictive confines of military censorship, he was unable to share what he called "real news," but wrote about his living quarters, food, plans for his return home, requests for letters and photographs, and generally about life in the South Pacific. He sent his wife souvenirs, such as a Japanese rifle and an entrenching shovel. His descriptions of combat and war atrocities are vivid (see, for example, his letters from late February 1945, as the 37th fought to capture Manila).

Between April 2 and July 4, 1943, Demas Sears wrote a 46-page letter to his wife in a diary-like form. He kept the letter as an uncensored account of his time on the Fiji Islands and Guadalcanal (before departing for New Georgia). It is accompanied by a typescript of the letter, titled "From the Fiji Islands to Guadalcanal with the 37th Division."

Between March 8 and September 14, 1945, Demas also composed 10 diary-like letters, producing multiple carbon copies for Lura to distribute to particular family members. In the margins, Demas identified (by hand) March 8 and September 14 as the first and last of these "family bulletins," and provided his wife with lists of intended recipients.

A series of Writings and Speeches include one war date essay and eight postwar speeches. From the Solomon Islands after November 14, 1942, he reflected thoughtfully on the war as a "young man's war" (he was able to identify a total of 22 men out of 14,000 who had served in World War I) and the importance of maintaining U.S. military strength in peacetime. His speeches relate to his war experiences and his audiences included a Congregational Church Men's Club, a Memorial Day gathering at Bucyrus, an American Legion group, and others.

The collection's 36 Documents, 1917-1946 (bulk 1942-1946), include certificates and orders related to Demas Sears's commendations and awards; training materials; intelligence (G-2 Reports, copies of a captured and translated Japanese Sergeant's diary, summaries of the interrogations of General Tomoyuki Yamashita, a Japanese map of the Pacific, etc.), and other similar papers.

Seventy-one Printed Items include ephemera and currency, booklets and pamphlets, and newspaper clippings. Among the ephemeral items are three unique World War I-era holiday menus; a menu for a 1945 banquet in honor of Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler; admission and transport tickets; Japanese currency; two World War I-era record of service posters, and a manuscript note in Japanese. The two posters are located in the Graphics Division, and more information can be found in the Separated Materials section. The five booklets and pamphlets are each listed in the box and folder listing below. Forty-three newspaper clippings pertain to Lt. Col. Sears's World War II service.

The printed items also include 26 lithographs of pencil sketches by Edward "E. J." Dollriehs of the headquarters battery of the 37th Division. His illustrations include buildings, airfields, military headquarters, portraits, and the wreckage of Japanese planes. Dollriehs identified each with captions; most of the images are from the Luzon provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Tarlac.

The Sears papers contain 99 Photographs. Fifteen images from the period of Sears's service in World War I include two panoramic photographs of the First Cavalry Regiment, one panoramic photograph of the headquarters staff of the 37th Division, and 12 snapshots and portraits. The collection also contains 84 photographs from Sears's World War II service in the Pacific, including individual and group portraits, snapshots depicting camp life; a series of aerial snapshots taken from a C-47 on a leaflet-dropping mission over the Philippine Islands; five photographs of a Kava Ceremony in the Fiji Islands; and a selection of confidential Signal Corps photographs.

Collection

Elizabeth Bonney van den Bosch collection, 1943-2002 (majority within 1943-1951)

32 items

This collection is made up of military documents, photographs, and ephemera related to Lieutenant Elizabeth Bonney van den Bosch's service in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve during and after World War II.

The Documents series (15 items) contains official military records from Bonney's service in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve. They relate to her training at the United States Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School at Smith College and the Naval Training School at Mount Holyoke College; her promotions to ensign and lieutenant; and her formal resignation from the naval reserve in 1951. Also included are an identification card verifying her active duty in the United States Navy and certificates acknowledging her military participation in World War II.

Photographs (11 items) include black-and-white portraits of Elizabeth Bonney and other women in naval uniforms. Govert van den Bosch sent Bonney pictures portraying soldiers and a military funeral from his service in Indonesia with the Royal Netherlands Marines.

The Printed Materials series (6 items) consists of commencement programs for the United States Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School and the Naval Training School for communications, a commemorative book with photographs of navy officers in training at the Midshipmen's School, and a page from the Sundial with humorous cartoons and quips. Two items form 2002 are a printed poem dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Bonney van den Bosch and her obituary from the Ann Arbor News.

Collection

George W. and Marguerite Harms papers, 1909-1985

1 linear foot

The Harms papers consist of manuscript material, graphics, ephemera and books relating to George W. and Marguerite Harms during the mid 20th century, particularly relating to George's service in the Pacific Theatre in World War II.

The Harms papers consist of manuscript material, graphics, ephemera and books relating to George W. and Marguerite Harms during the mid 20th century, particularly relating to George's service in the Pacific Theater in World War II.

The manuscript documents in the Harms papers provide an official record of George Harms' service with the Marines during the Second World War. The manuscript material is sparse, consisting of his service record and a small number of miscellaneous documents, but the collection includes a number of photographs taken by Harms and his friends while in the Pacific that provide a personal perspective on the war. The most touching -- and most difficult -- items in the collection are a photograph of a soldier's children taken from a Japanese soldier killed on Okinawa, a picture of Harms and Okinawan children saved from committing suicide when the Americans captured the island, and an image recording Japanese atrocities on Guam, 1944.

Equally interesting are George Harms' pre-war photograph albums, one documenting in the national championship year he enjoyed with his American Legion team, 1936, and another recording a trip to New York City in the late 1930s.

Collection

Horace Miner collection, 1941-1992 (majority within 1941-1945)

0.5 linear feet

This collection contains military records, photographs, printed publications, maps, and ephemera related to Horace Mitchell Miner's service with the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps in North Africa and Europe during World War II.

This collection contains military records, photographs, printed publications, maps, and ephemera related to Horace Mitchell Miner's service with the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps in North Africa and Europe during World War II.

The Military Papers series (27 items) contains reports, orders, and other material related to campaigns in North Africa and Europe during World War II. The documents pertain to military personnel, orders, intelligence procedures and policies, counterintelligence operations, and the progress of the war in Central Europe. A small group of items pertains to a tea hosted by King George VI and the queen consort, Elizabeth, in November 1943. The series includes Miner's military identification, a translation of a "captured diary" (Lemiers, [Netherlands], September 16, 1944-September 29, 1944); a document promoting Otto Sulzbach to SS-Sturmbannführer of the Waffen-SS, signed by Heinrich Himmler (December 8, 1941), a signed note of thanks by Heinrich Himmler (undated), and a Counter Intelligence Directive for Germany issued by the 12th Army Group headquarters (April 18, 1945). Later items include a 1953 essay by Horace Miner about the actions of the II Corps in Tunisia and Sicily, printed letters from George H. W. Bush and Gordon R. Sullivan (October 1991), and a veterans' newsletter (July 15, 1992).

The Photographs and Maps series is comprised of photographs, printed and manuscript maps, a photographic aerial map, and a group of arranged and mounted photographs and colored manuscript maps.

The group of mounted photographs and maps respect the German invasion of France in 1940. The maps show the Wehrmacht's increasing progress through Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, and the photographs depict German soldiers, military cemeteries, German soldiers' graves, military equipment, destroyed buildings, and concrete bunkers. Some items are annotated in German. Two loose photographs are images of the Buchenwald concentration camp after Allied liberation, and a third shows a plaque donated to Clifton College by former members of the 1st United States Army's Headquarters Regiment in 1991.

The Printed Items and Ephemera series contains manuals, articles regarding military campaigns, propaganda, and other items related to North Africa, Italy, and Germany. One handbook and two manuals concern the Allied Forces' counterintelligence operations. La Favola Vera del Britanno, an illustrated book in Italian, is a work of propaganda in the form of a children's book, negatively depicting Great Britain. Three books about Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the SS were published in Germany between 1933 and 1940. Six items in the series are catalogued separately (see below). Ephemeral materials include items written in Arabic, a humorous poster regarding best practices for civilian blackouts, and United States, United Kingdom, and Romanian flags.

Collection

Marion E. Grusky Rucker collection, 1919-2017 (majority within 1940s-1950s)

0.5 linear feet

The Marion E. Grusky Rucker Collection contains materials reflecting on her service in the United States Navy Reserves from 1943 to 1961, her naval training and education, her promotions from ensign to lieutenant commander, and her work as a teacher and career consultant. A personal narrative describing her naval training exercise in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1945 and other items reflect aspects of sexism in the military during and following the Second World War.

The Marion E. Grusky Rucker Collection contains materials reflecting on her service in the United States Navy Reserves from 1943 to 1961, her naval training and education, her promotions from ensign to lieutenant commander, and work as a teacher and career consultant. A personal narrative describing her naval training exercise in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1945 and other items reflect aspects of sexism in the military during and following the Second World War.

The Correspondence Series contains letters sent to Marion E. Grusky Rucker, principally written in the 1950s and concerning her naval appointments, her coursework, and teaching opportunities, including her year abroad teaching with a Fulbright Scholarship. Several letters relate to her release from active duty and its impact on her coursework at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1953. One letter written by Donald Rucker to his mother announces his upcoming marriage to Marion E. Grusky. One undated letter written by Rucker's granddaughter is also present.

The Documents Series includes materials relating to Rucker's naval career, including personnel paperwork concerning her appointments, promotions, education, leaves and discharges, retirement, and other matters. The series also contains various instructions and orders, and authorization to wear the American Campaign Medal and American Theatre Victory Ribbon. The partially printed document appointing Rucker as a Reserve Officer at the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy in October 1956 uses male pronouns, indicating gendered expectations for the officer class. Personal affairs are also reflected, including her birth certificate, the official change of her last name to Grusky in 1948, her work permit allowing her to teach in England in 1958, and her resume. Three passports date from 1958, 1970, and 1975.

The Writings Series consists of typed accounts, speech notes, drafts, and a eulogy. Two accounts produced by Rucker and her colleague Dorothy Weeks on September 14, 1945, detail a trip to Norfolk, Virginia, to attend training exercises aboard the U.S.S. Beverly Reid. They discuss how they circumvented sexism to secure travel arrangements to Norfolk, their accommodations, and observations of the ship and its crew. In Rucker's account she wrote, "The day before I called and called trying to get reservation on the Nats, but all I got with my feminine voice was the run around. Being persistant [sic] and determined, I had a man lend us his voice to persuade the WAVE that we had to have passage on the 4:30 Plane. Being a man, his charm did the trick and we were put on the list." She also referred to other instances of gender and sexism. She also noted the captain showing her and Weeks a scrapbook that included photos, notes, and souvenirs relating to his tours, including photographs of women. The captain took their photo without warning, and Rucker reflected, "I suppose that we will be added to the collection." The later typed version of Rucker's account includes an additional page of reminiscences about her service as a USNR Communications officer, with a final thought that, "A male first name may have permitted me to be sent (to the amusement of my CO) on some unusual assignments. i.e. being aboard a submarine and other small craft while on training maneuvers with rarely another WAVE in the group." Weeks' account parallels Rucker's, offering different details and perspectives on their assigned mission.

The speech notes reflect Rucker's consulting work focusing on women, especially teachers, their career development, goal-setting, and self-appraisal. Other notes document Rucker's biographical events, listing out employment, her work undertaken as a Fulbright Scholar, and places she lived.

Lee Rucker Keiser's eulogy for her mother is included, entitled "A Four C's Woman of the World," commenting on Rucker's life and their relationship.

The Diary Series consists of one volume Rucker maintained during her year teaching in Norwich, England, from 1958 to 1959, describing daily life, work at the school, visits with her husband Donald who was working at the University of Birmingham, and travels in Europe during vacations. A list of her cash account for the year and a list of school vacations for herself and Don are also present, and two photographs of Rucker are laid in to the volume.

The Printed Materials Series includes a copy of The Buckeye Way: A Unique Guide to Columbus and Franklin County (1974), written by Marion Rucker and Anne Lapidus, with a newspaper clipping about the publication laid in. Newspaper articles concerning Rucker's naval career, a copy of her obituary, and a printed family memorial booklet produced following her death are also present.

The Photographs Series consists of 15 photographs. They depict Marion E. Grusky Rucker in uniform, both in formal portraits and informal snapshots with colleagues, at an Officer's Club dinner at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and in her doctoral robe at her graduation from the University of Michigan in 1963, as well as several personal photographs.

Collection

Robert S. Martin collection, 1923-2009 (majority within 1943-1946)

3 linear feet

This collection consists of the outgoing correspondence of Robert S. Martin, primarily to his wife Margaret (Roth) Martin, as well as photographs and other materials documenting his service with the United States Army during the Second World War. The papers detail his relationship with Margaret, Army training at Camp Callan, his education with the Army Specialized Training Program at Compton College and Texas A & M University, and his service with the 3483rd Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company, near Tacloban City in the Leyte Province, Philippines.

This collection consists of the outgoing correspondence of Robert S. Martin, primarily to his wife Margaret (Roth) Martin, as well as photographs and other materials documenting his service with the United States Army during the Second World War. The collection details his relationship with Margaret, Army training at Camp Callan, his education with the Army Specialized Training Program at Compton Junior College and Texas A & M University, and his service with the 3483rd Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company, near Tacloban City in the Leyte Province, Philippines.

The Correspondence Series includes approximately 2.5 linear feet of Robert Martin's outgoing letters, almost exclusively to Margaret (Roth) Martin from 1941 to 1949 (bulk 1943-1946). Several letters to his parents and Margaret's parents are also present. Robert's correspondence details his Army training at Camp Callan as well as his education under the Army Specialized Training Program at Compton Junior College and Texas A & M University. He described coursework, tests, and comradery among his cohort. Robert and Margaret's relationship is also documented, including their courtship, engagement, and wedding planning. Robert wrote of his voyage across the Pacific aboard the USS Admiral Capps and described daily life in the Army camp near Tacloban City, Leyte Province, Philippines, where the 3483rd Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company was stationed in a non-combat zone. He commented on his work as company clerk and later as a clerk in the maintenance shop. Robert regularly spoke of recreation activities at the camp, including movies, USO shows, radio programs, reading, and sports. In his free time, Robert worked on constructing boats, repairing Jeeps, and taking and developing photographs. Robert built his own darkroom by repurposing an Australian Red Cross truck. Many of his letters reflect on his relationship with Margaret and his reactions to events at home, including her education at DePauw University and her teaching elementary school upon graduation. He included some commentary on general wartime efforts, reactions to news of the Japanese surrender, the lifting of censorship, local Filipino culture and work, and demobilization efforts. Several post-war letters speak to his work with Caterpillar Tractor Company, including a demanding travel schedule as he attended equipment shows in the American South and along the East Coast.

The Documents Series includes 21 items, dating from 1923 to 2009 and representing Robert and Margaret's personal lives as well as Robert's military service. Personal documents include copies of Robert's birth certificate, educational records and diploma from Purdue University, Robert and Margaret's marriage certificate, and Margaret's license to teach in Missouri. Military documents include Robert's registration and identification cards, training and education records, war savings bonds, documents related to his honorable discharge and pension, and certificates acknowleding his service.

The Printed Items Series includes seven items: a newspaper clipping about Robert and Margaret's engagement, a Camp Callan Antiaircraft Replacement Training Center trainees' guide book, a Texas A & M photo pamphlet of campus with manuscript notations, a clipping from an Army newsletter, a copy of The Amended GI Bill of Rights and How it Worksa newspaper clipping of Robert Martin's obituary, and an in memorium flier.

The Insignia Series features two uniform insignia badges, one for the Antiaircraft Command and the other for the Army Specialized Training Program.

The Photographs Series includes one pocket photo album, with a photograph of Margaret taken while she was a student at DePauw University, and one of Margaret and Robert taken shortly after their marriage in August 1944. Eight loose photographs include three of Robert in uniform, one of Robert and Margaret, and four candid shots of camp life in the Philippines. Two reproductions of a wedding day photograph of Margaret and Robert are also present. Eighteen dis-bound photograph album leaves are also present, featuring images from 1941 to 1946. Photographs represent the Martin family, student life with the Army Specialized Training Program at Texas A & M, time stationed with ordnance units at Jackson, Mississippi, and Aberdeen, Maryland, as well as military life in the Philippines. Photographs from the Philippines primarily document informal camp activities, including men in their tents, posing with vehicles, and at rest. Some images represent local Filipino residents and architecture, Robert's photography darkroom, and two images of Japanese prisoners-of-war. Photographs labelled "?" depict Margaret (Roth) Martin.

The Service Record Series consists of one scrapbook, "His Service Record," documenting Robert's service in the Army. It includes manuscript notations about his personal and military history, six photographs, a newspaper announcement of Robert and Margaret's engagement, and a copy of the February 1944 The Slipstick, a yearbook from the A.S.T.P. at Texas A & M.

Collection

Sherlock and William C. Hibbs collection, 1909-2002 (majority within 1909-1968)

1.75 linear feet

This collection contains correspondence, military records, ephemera, and other material related to Commander Sherlock Hibbs, who served in the United States Navy during World War II. The material documents his service on the staff of Admiral Calvin T. Durgin and in an intelligence unit. Additional material concerns his grandfather, William Congress Hibbs, a Civil War veteran who lived in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.

The Sherlock and William C. Hibbs collection contains correspondence, military records, ephemera, and other material related to Commander Sherlock Hibbs, who served with the United States Navy in both theaters of World War II, and to his grandfather, William Congress Hibbs, a Civil War veteran who lived in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Included are 9 letters and documents, 2 photographs, and 1 typescript (47 pages) related to William C. Hibbs, concerning his Civil War pension and a Michigan soldier's experiences as a prisoner of the Confederate Army. Most of the material, including approximately 250 items and numerous photographs, relates to the military service of Sherlock Hibbs, who served in both theaters of World War II, and trained at Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

The William C. Hibbs series is divided into 3 subseries: Letters and Documents, Photographs and Newspaper Clipping, and Typescript.

The Letters and Documents subseries contains 9 items. Two items are letters: one from F. H. Wagner, a Civil War veteran, who reminisced about his Civil War service and enclosed a 2-page typed account entitled "The Johnson Court-Martial Case" (July 1909), and the other from Robert Hibbs to his brother William C. Hibbs, discussing the costs of a recent funeral (April 5, 1919). Other items include 4 documents concerning the Civil War pension claimed on behalf of William C. Hibbs, who served with Company I of the 14th Illinois Volunteer Regiment (1909-1921), and 3 forms discharging Hibbs from the Illinois Soldiers' & Sailors' Home (1918 and 1926), and from the Danville Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (1918).

The Photographs and Newspaper Clipping subseries includes two undated black-and-white photographs of a man standing amidst buildings, as well as a newspaper obituary for William C. Hibbs ([1927]).

The Typescript, entitled "The Terrors of Rebel Prisons," by Private Thaddeus L. Waters of Company G, 2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment, recounts the author's experiences at Andersonville and other Confederate prisons after his capture at the Battle of Chickamauga. The document, published in 1891, consists of 12 chapters (47 pages).

The Sherlock Hibbs series holds correspondence, military documents, and other items, primarily concerning his military service during World War II.

The Correspondence subseries contains 42 items, including 10 letters and 2 Christmas cards addressed to Sherlock Hibbs, 4 telegrams Hibbs wrote during the 1940 Republican National Convention, 24 letters Hibbs wrote to his parents while serving in the United States Navy during World War II, 1 letter Admiral Calvin T. Durgin wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs, and 1 navy telegram.

Of the first 7 items, one concerns Hibbs’s financial career (February 19, 1933), and 6 relate to the 1940 Republican National Convention, including brief signed acknowledgments from Alf M. Landon and Wendell Willkie (June 24, 1940, and November 18, 1940), and 4 telegrams Hibbs sent to members of the convention, regarding his views on intra-party cooperation and his support for Wendell Willkie (June 25, 1940-June 27, 1940).

The following 29 items pertain to Hibbs's naval service, including 24 letters he wrote to his parents, William E. and Emma S. Hibbs of Battle Creek, Michigan, while onboard the USS Ranger in early 1943; during his training with the Commander Air Fleet at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, throughout the summer of 1943; and while serving on the USS Tulagi in 1944. He described several aspects of military life, including his friendship with Admiral Calvin T. Durgin and activities while on leave in New York City. He also commented on war news and offered his parents some investing and financial advice. Durgin wrote one letter to the Hibbs family on June 29, 1944, anticipating an upcoming foreign deployment and enclosing a photograph of himself from a newspaper clipping. After the war, Sherlock Hibbs received a typed letter of appreciation for his military service and well wishes for his future, signed by Secretary of the Navy James Vincent Forrestal (March 30, 1946). Also included is a telegram from the United States Navy Communication Service, relaying the news that the USSR had declared war against Japan (August 9, 1945).

Postwar material includes 2 photograph Christmas cards Sherlock Hibbs received from the Reynolds family of Sapeloe Island, Georgia, in 1947 and 1949, as well as 4 letters from Secretary of the Navy Thomas S. Gates, who thanked Hibbs for providing advice about business opportunities (February 24, 1959-April 29, 1968). Hibbs also received one undated letter from Margaret Durgin.

Two Diaries chronicle the wartime experiences of Sherlock Hibbs, during his service with the United States Navy in both theaters of the war. They are dated June 10, 1942-June 23, 1944, and June 13, 1944-December 11, 1945 (the first 5 pages are dated May 30, 1942). The diaries contain brief daily entries that relate the movements and other actions of Hibbs while onboard the USS Ranger and while working with the navy's flight command. Hibbs served along the East Coast of the United States, in the Mediterranean, and in the Pacific Theater.

The 158-page Personal Military Record of Sherlock Hibbs contains forms, official reports, and other documents pertaining to his service in the United States Navy during World War II and to his time in the United States Naval Reserve until 1968. Early documents relate to his service on the staff of Admiral Calvin T. Durgin and to his actions in the Pacific Theater of the war. Documents include the citation for his Bronze Star award (March 4, 1945, pp. 92-94) and a form authorizing his release from active duty (October 2, 1945, p. 68). Many later items relate to his health and physical fitness.

The Appointments series is comprised of 40 official forms and military documents related to the naval service of Sherlock Hibbs. The material traces his movements with the United States Navy throughout World War II, and includes appointments to different positions, orders to complete temporary duties, and paperwork concerning leaves of absence. The final document of June 8, 1949, signed by Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews, officially appoints Hibbs a commander in the United States Naval Reserve.

The Rosters of Officers are 14 lists of officers at various posts of the United States Navy, including:
  • USS Ranger
  • Commander Fleet Air, Quonset Point
  • USS Tulagi
  • USS Makin Island
  • Carrier Division 29
  • Composite Squadron 84
  • Commander Escort Carrier Force, Pacific Fleet
  • USS Wright

The 20-item Air Combat Intelligence subseries holds 20 items about intelligence operations related to naval air combat, including a manual for instruction at the Naval Air Combat Intelligence School at Quonset Point, Rhode Island (April 18, 1942), war-era documents requesting intelligence information, and programs and minutes from symposia and advisory meetings held between 1949 and 1953. A photograph of a meeting, held on November 19, 1953, is enclosed with a certificate of attendance for Sherlock Hibbs.

Identification Cards and Ration Book (27 items) include the cover for a World War II ration book for sugar, as well as various identification and business cards used by Sherlock Hibbs before, during, and after his service in the United States Navy. These include official naval identification cards, business cards, identification used while attending certain events, a pay allowances card, an immunization card, and similar items. Also included are a picture postcard from Japan and a business card from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, as well as a check and a brief note.

The Summaries of Flights subseries is a 135-page report entitled "Ranger Air Group Summary of Flights During Torch Operations November 8-12, 1942" that contains detailed, classified reports on naval air operations carried out by airmen serving on the USS Ranger near North Africa. These included intelligence missions, bombing raids, and scouting trips. The report includes a table of contents and four additional pages of introductory material.

The Military Papers are comprised of 45 miscellaneous documents from Sherlock Hibbs's service in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve. Most items date to World War II, though a few cover his time in the reserves after the war. Items include memoranda, forms, orders, and citations. The series contains a ribbon Hibbs earned for active duty service (February 6, 1945), a copy of a newsletter printed onboard the USS Makin Island (May 8, 1945), a note about Hibbs's qualification for promotion (October 8, 1945), a note regarding his separation from the Naval Service (November 15, 1945), and permanent citations for his Bronze Star (May 21, 1947) and Gold Star (June 10, 1947). Several later documents concern his transfer to the Naval Reserve after the war.

The collection's Photographs cover much of the World War II service of Sherlock Hibbs, including photographs taken on Iwo Jima, various Japanese islands, and in other unidentified tropical locations. The photographs depict naval vessels, such as the USS Makin Island and USS Tulagi, soldiers, and military events. Several show Sherlock Hibbs, including many prints of the ceremony at which he received a medal. Two larger photographs show an airplane catching fire and bursting apart, and one group shows celebrations onboard an unidentified ship, with many soldiers in pirate and other costumes. Though most pictures were taken in the Pacific Theater, others show scenes of destruction in France and Italy in 1944.

The Currency subseries contains 20 examples of monies used by various nations during the 1940s. Currencies represented:
  • United States dollar issued to forces serving in North Africa
  • Philippines
  • Japanese invasion money, Pacific Theater
  • Egypt
  • China
  • France
  • Italy
  • Tripolitania

The Maps subseries holds folded maps of southeast Kansas and of the "Trails of Utah." 7 cloth maps and 2 printed maps show Okinawa, Japan, and several Pacific Islands as they appeared during the Second World War.

The collection's Newspaper Clippings primarily concern United States Navy personnel who served in World War II, including Thomas S. Gates and Calvin T. Durgin. One article mentions business executives serving in the navy, and explicitly refers to Sherlock Hibbs. The series also holds 2 issues of The Stars and Stripes (July 11, 1944 and September 5, 1944), several pages of The Commercial and Financial Chronicle (January 24, 1952), an undated article entitled "A Bachelor's House," and obituaries for Calvin T. Durgin (March 27, 1965) and Sherlock Hibbs (July 8, 2002).

The Ephemera subseries has several types of items, such as pamphlets distributed by Allied forces in Southeast Asia during World War II, Japanese-language pamphlets, a political cartoon, 2 documents related to Sherlock Hibbs's studies at the New York University School of Law in the early 1930s, and "A Minute Review" of "Forever Amber." Also included are a pamphlet entitled "Instructions for Writing the Deck Log," issued for the USS Ranger in September 1942, the copy of The Bluejackets' Manual 1940 that belonged to Sherlock Hibbs, a data table on Japanese combat aircraft (June 1945), and a maneuvering board. A dog tag and uniform insignia identifying Hibbs as a lieutenant commander and commander in the United States Navy are also present, as is a 1 point red "opa" coin.