Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Soldier from Bay City, Mich. who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes reminiscences and photograph album.

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.

Papers of a soldier with the 310th Infantry in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1919, 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 lended to the Bentley Historical Library before being returned. Preservation copies of these files 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 Photographs. Within each series, files are listed numerically according to the file arrangement they were given by the donor. The digitized files in this collection are in TIFF format.

Digitized files include letters from Alfred Lyttle and subsequent letters sent and received by his brother Stephen Lyttle regarding Alfred Lyttle's death, burial, and the correspondence and legal documents related to the collection of A. Lyttle's life insurance policy; includes digitized photographs relating to Lyttle's burial in Russia and his memorial tombstone in Argonne, France; also contains a digitized open letter in a newspaper authored by Lyttle relating to his experience, a newspaper article relating to his death and digitized photocopies relating to his army record.

Photograph collection of a soldier with the 167th Co., United States Army Transportation Corps, serving near Murmansk, Russia in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1919, the "Polar Bear Expedition."

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.

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.

Member of Co. E, 310th Engineers, U.S. Army who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes correspondence and personal miscellanea concerning the Polar Bear Expedition.

The papers include correspondence, Aug. 1918-July 1919, describing mapping expeditions, weather, scenery, shopping and baths in Archangel, and Russian houses and stoves (with diagrams). Also included are an essay "What Ails the ANREF?" dated April-May 1919, describing the causes of low morale among the troops; several poems about camp life; a copy of the final report of the 310th Engineers detailing construction projects completed; and a copy of The Midnight Sun, printed on the U.S.S. Steigerwald while the troops were being returned to the United States.

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.)

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.

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.

Microfilm of reports, studies, memorandums and other records from the Records of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I), 1917-23, record group 120 in the National Archives.

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.