Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Soldier from Detroit, Mich., member of Co. A, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes letters from home and diary concerning living conditions in the army and combat duty with the Polar Bear expedition.

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.

Member of Co. H, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes field diary recounting the Polar Bear expedition and photographs of Archangel and members of the expedition.

The collection contains a copy of the field diary of Co. H, Sept. 1918-Apr. 1919, describing the company's service on the Onega front, including fighting at Chekuevo, Sept. 1918; Wazentia[?], Oct. 1918; Turchasovo, Dec. 1918; Chinova, March 1919; and Bolshie Ozerki, March and April 1919. Also included are 34 photos by the American Red Cross, containing group portraits and pictures of base areas, churches, Russian people, soldiers on patrol, and fortifications, all taken in the Onega- Chekuevo area.

Member of Co. D, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes transcript of his diary describing his experiences in Russia.

Transcript of a diary describing his experiences in Russia.

Member of Co. B, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes record of combat experiences against Bolshevik troops.

The diary, July 1918-July 1919, describes his journey from Camp Custer to Russia, patrolling the countryside, his uncertainty and bewilderment over the objectives and purpose of the campaign, fighting at Seltso, Oct. 1918, and Toulgas, Oct. and Nov. 1918; the defense of Toulgas, Jan.-Feb. 1919; fighting at Kurgomen, March-April 1919; and his return to the United States.

Soldier from Detroit, Mich., member of Co. A, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes diary, letter, memorabilia, and notes concerning his part in the Polar Bear Expedition.

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.

Soldier from Detroit, Mich., member of Co. E, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes diary of service in Russia, Nov.7, 1918-Jan.14, 1919 and other war-related papers.

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.)

Harold Green was a Mount Clemens, Michigan, optometrist who served with the U.S. Army 339th Medical Detachment during the American intervention at Archangel, Russia. This collection contains a typescript copy of his diary, containing generally brief entries describing his actions in Russia.

Diary and typescript containing generally brief entries describing his actions in Russia; also, photographs.

Papers of a soldier in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition."

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 two series, Papers and Visual Materials. Within each series, files are listed numerically according to the number they were given by the donor. A short description of the digitized object follows the file number. The files in this collection are in TIF format.

Digitized papers include the 310th Engineers Christmas Greetings, Archangel Russia, the Midnight Sun, a diary of his service, which he called his Army record, two newspaper clippings and an untitled document dated June 30, 1919. Digitized photographs include: Amos by himself in uniform, Amos with three other soldiers, Firchow Mull and Drew in winter uniform, an unidentified photograph and a digital photograph of a uniform button.

Soldier from Fruitport, Mich., member of Co. I, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes a diary, article from The Literary Digest, and newspaper clipping describing his combat experiences in Russia.

The papers, all photocopies, include a typescript of Colburn's diary, Sept. 1918-April 1919, which contains very brief accounts of his experiences, including fighting on several fronts and the alleged mutiny of Co. I. Also included are a short reminiscence, a newspaper clipping containing a letter from Colburn describing fighting along the railroad in Sept. 1918, and an article from The Literary Digest describing the "mutiny" of Co. I. The originals of the papers are owned by Colburn.

1st Lieutenant, Co. M., 339th Infantry, sent to northern Russia at the end of World War I. 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; and CD-ROMs of selected items.

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.