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Kliene (Gloria Watson Curtis) Collection
OCH.GWCK
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: Gloria Watson Curtis Kliene Collection
Creator:
Kliene, Gloria Watson Curtis, 1926-2010
Identifier/Call Number: OCH.GWCK
Extent:
0.21 linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1927-2008
Abstract: Gloria Watson Curtis Kliene was a
British national born and raised in Shanghai, China. During World War II Gloria and her
family were interned by the Japanese at the Yu Yuen Road Camp and the Yangtzepoo Camp from
February 1943 until April 1945. The collection consists of materials related to Gloria's
life in Shanghai, such as identification documents, internment notices, and personal
mementos.
Language of Material: English
Chinese
Gloria Watson Curtis Kliene was born May 31, 1926 at the Victoria Nursing Home in Shanghai,
China to British nationals, William Arnold Watson and Frances Watson (née Tilley). She was
given the name May Gloria, but went by Gloria most of her life. Growing up she attended the
Cathedral School in Shanghai. During the WWII Japanese occupation of China, Gloria and her
parents were interned at the Yu Yuen Road Camp beginning in February 1943 when Gloria was
sixteen years old. The family was transferred to the Yangtzepoo Camp where they stayed until
their release in April 1945.
Later in life, Gloria married and took the name Curtis. She and her husband had three
children together and resided in South Africa. In the early 1990s, Gloria attended an Old
China Hands reunion where she reconnected with Albert A. Kliene who had also grown up in
Shanghai. The two were married April 10, 1995 in Martinez, California and settled in
Brentwood, California where they lived until relocating to Sparks, Nevada in 2004, to be
closer to friends and family.
During her youth, Gloria enjoyed acting and dancing. She was a gifted seamstress, artist,
and organist. She loved photography and collected cameras. She was also a talented chef.
Gloria passed away in Sparks, Nevada on May 21, 2010; her ashes were scattered off the
coast of California.
The
Gloria Watson Curtis Kliene Collection consists of
documents and mementos related to Gloria's life in Shanghai and her internment during World
War II. An assortment of identification documents are included, such as Gloria's birth
certificate issued by the British Consulate-General at Shanghai, a photographic
identification card issued by the Swiss Consulate General in charge of British interests in
occupied China, and various documents in Chinese. Identification documents from Gloria's
later life are also included, such as a membership card to the Lion Match Group Pension
Fund, a passport issued by the United Kingdom of Great Britain, a passport issued by the
United States of America, and an identification booklet issued by the Republic of South
Africa. Internment materials include a total evacuation notice issued by the British Consul
General, a notice indicating Gloria's area leader with contact information, and a copy of
the pamphlet thrown over Shanghai by Allied planes on August 19, 1945. The collection also
includes the arm band worn by Gloria during the war, an offer of employment letter from the
Jardine, Matheson and Co., and a selection of personal mementos, including a photograph of
Chinese military and political leader Chiang Kai-shek, a bill of fare from Sun Ya Restaurant
in Shanghai, and the business card of Gloria's father from the Public Works Department of
the Shanghai Municipal Council. The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject and
chronologically within.
Related Material
The collection is open for research use.
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright
status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the
written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Diane Kliene Dahnert, 09/25/2015.
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival
Materials
guide.
Christine Hertzel, 2015