Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Digital copies of materials relating to the military service of James F. O'Brien, who served as 2nd lieutenant in Company E, 339th Infantry, sent to Archangel, Russia at the end of World War I, 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 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.

Walter C. Matuszewski served as a private in Company G, 339th Infantry, during the American intervention at Archangel, Russia, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Group portrait of Company G, 339th U.S. Infantry taken at Brest, France, June 1919.

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, 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 TIFF format.

Files include digitized panoramic group photographs of Company G, 339th U.S. Infantry taken at Brest, France, June 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.)

Member of the U.S. Polar Bear Expedition in Archangel, Russia; collection includes digitized photographs from Decoration Day ceremonies at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Mich. and notes from Flack's copy of The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki.

The Robert Bruce Flack papers consist of a two series, Photographs and Annotations.

The Photographs series contains digitized images of Robert Bruce Flack with fellow veterans and family members at Decoration Day events at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Mich. in the early 1950s. These include several images of Flack and family members in front of the cemetery's Polar Bear Monument, which was sculpted by Leon Hermant.

The Annotations series contains digital images of notes made by Flack in his copy of The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki (1920). These annotations provide details on Flack's service as a machine gunner on the Kodish and Railroad Fronts from December 1918 through April 1919.

Soldier from Grand Rapids, Mich., member of 337th Ambulance Company who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes diaries and reminiscences of his service in Russia and training at Fort Custer, Michigan; also his diaries of life in Grand Rapids, photographs, motion pictures, and miscellaneous.

The collection includes diaries and a reminiscence of his service in Russia, at Obozerskaya and Archangel, and his training at Fort Custer, Mich.; also clippings and miscellanea. The collection also includes views of Fort Custer, Mich., and photos taken in Russia (both U. S. Signal Corps photos and snapshots) of American and allied soldiers, cities and towns, Russian people, battle scenes, and means of transportation; also a motion picture (16 mm original with DVD and streaming file use copies) containing miscellaneous scenes of American troops in Archangel. Also included Smith's diaries dated 1910 and 1914-1916.

Photographs taken during the Polar Bear Expedition to northern Russia, and accumulated by several veterans; include scenes of American soldiers in camp and on patrol, of life in Archangel and in Russian villages, and of battlefields, fortifications, armored trains, ships, airplanes, burial rites, and graves. Also includes a list of photographs and their captions.

About 185 photographs. The photographs include scenes of life in Archangel, armored trains, villages, port facilities, rural life, men in barracks, fortifications, prisoners, group portraits, men on patrol and in camp, the railroad, an airplane, burials, and graves. Also included is a "List of official U.S. photographs illustrative of the activities of the North Russian Expeditionary Force" which contains descriptions, including names and locations, of ca. 575 Signal Corps photos, arranged by photo number.

Soldier from Numa, Iowa, served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes letter written from Archangel to his wife describing cold weather, daily routine, and hopes of returning home.

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.

Member of 310th Engineers, U.S. Army who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes 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.

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.

Soldier from LaCrosse, Wisc., captain of Co. M, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes miscellaneous citations, orders, and correspondence relating to his activities with the Polar Bear regiment; also photographs.

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.

Resident of Detroit, Mich., who served as a photographer with the 310th Engineers during the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes photographs of 310th Engineers training at Camp Custer, Mich., and in Russia, Detroit Fire Dept. personnel and equipment, Detroit waterfront, farming in Roscommon County, hunting and fishing in Roscommon County, logging in Baraga County.

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.