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

This collection is made up of 5 diaries that Frederick Lafferty composed while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Lafferty, who worked in a communications unit, described his experiences at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts; Victoria, Australia; New Caledonia; and Guadalcanal.

This collection is made up of 5 diaries that Frederick Lafferty composed while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Lafferty, who worked in a communications unit, described his experiences at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts; Victoria, Australia; New Caledonia; and Guadalcanal. The volumes cover March 24, 1941, and November 17, 1942, with detailed entries for January 20, 1942-August 11, 1942, and October 1, 1942-November 17, 1942.

Lafferty began his first diary with his enlistment and early training in the United States, and started keeping regular entries in late January 1942, after his deployment overseas. In a note to Helen dated August 15, 1942 (pp. 27-29), Lafferty indicated his desire for her to read his diary. He anticipated an upcoming assignment, and shared his belief in military service as a duty to one's country.

Lafferty wrote about his experiences onboard the transport ship Santa Elena while traveling from the United States to Australia via the Panama Canal; his stay in Ballarat and Melbourne, Australia; and his journey to New Caledonia, where he remained for several months. As a member of a communications unit, he often worked in a "message room" and reported rumors of upcoming maneuvers and news of recent battles; his unit worked in cooperation with French radio operators. He heard, and related, stories of Marines who had participated in combat against Japanese forces.

Lafferty's diaries primarily reflect aspects of soldiers' daily lives, such as meals and the poor quality of the food, mail, inspections, leisure activities, and religious habits. A Catholic, he often reported his discussions with priests, attended mass, and prayed the rosary. He also occasionally discussed air raids and training exercises.

Lafferty's final diary almost exclusively concerns his active participation during the Guadalcanal campaign. This diary also has a list of items the soldiers carried (pages 34-35).

Non-textual matter includes a picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill posed next to the Statue of Liberty and the flags of the United States and Britain (cover of the 3rd diary). Also, an entry is written on the inside of a Philip Morris cigarette package (laid into the 5th diary).

Two of the diaries contain enclosures:

• Volume 1
  • Printed maps of Ballarat, Australia [ca. 1942]
  • La France Australe, New Caledonia newspaper (August 13, 1942)
• Volume 5
  • Recipe for developing film (undated)
  • United States Army bulletin regarding military information and artillery practices, "Sterling Brand" Grape Juice, and battle precautions (August 9, 1942)
  • Real photograph postcard from Fred to Mrs. Eliza Lafferty, Boston, Massachusetts (September 4, 1906)
  • New Caledonia stamp [ca. 1942]

The collection holds two loose items. The first is a letter from Frederick Lafferty to his sister Helen about his intention to send her his diaries after the conclusion of the war. The other is a printed program for a memorial service held by the Elks of Boston, Lodge No. 10. Frederick Lafferty is recognized in a list of "Deceased Brothers," 1945-1946.

The Myron E. Moore papers pertain to Moore's experiences in the United States, Iran, and India while serving in the United States Army's 7th Postal Regiment during World War II.

The Myron E. Moore papers pertain to Moore's experiences in the United States, Iran, and India while serving in the United States Army's 7th Postal Regiment during World War II. He began writing letters home to his mother, Sadie R. Moore, while in training with the 524th Postal Unit at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in the late summer of 1942. He underwent intense preparation for chemical warfare and other general combat duties and confirmed rumors of conflicts between northern and southern soldiers, though he reported that attitudes on his own base were generally amicable (September 2, 1942). In October 1942, Moore joined the 7th Postal Regiment at Camp Blanding, Florida, where he informed his parents of his unit's preparations to travel overseas.

In early 1943, Moore's unit deployed to Iran, where he assisted in routing military mail. Throughout his service, he discussed the relaxed attitude within his unit and shared details about his leisure activities and the army's mail operations. Though he looked forward to his return to the United States, Moore took comfort in opening frequent packages from home and listening to the music of Glenn Miller. By January 1945, the unit had been transferred to India, and Moore spent much of 1945 at Camp Lee, Virginia, and Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. He was discharged in November or December 1945. In addition to Moore's letters home, the collection has a printed patriotic message from Franklin D. Roosevelt to army troops preparing to head overseas.