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Roberts, Bernard F. (Second World War correspondence)
2017.241.w.r  
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box WWII 30, folder 1-3, folder 1-3

Series 1, Correspondence from Bernard to Cecile 1944 December - 1945 December 24

Physical Description: .30 Linear Feet(3 folders)
Language of Material: English, German.

Scope and Contents

This series contains 102 correspondence from Sgt. Bernard F. Roberts, USA to his wife Cecile, who was living in Belgium.
Folder 1:
The first letter is written in German and has no author or date. The letter loosely translated describes a soldier who was waiting for German paratroopers. He was not sleeping well, and it was cold. At some point, he was able to sleep and slept the whole day. They continue waiting, but the paratroopers do not show up. He wrote a little about the war and what he wanted to do when it was over. The last paragraph says they have been waiting for the paratroopers for three days and three nights, and they still have not shown up. He wrote that he must wait there to fight the Wehrmacht. He ends by saying that the news/tidings are good though. It is possible that Bernard Roberts wrote this letter because the writer of the letter refers to wanting to see his Cecile, but he cannot get to Brussels, and there is a slight mixture of English in the German as well as the misuse of some of the German words.
He mainly wrote about his visits with his wife, who was his fiancé at the time. Closer to the end of the war he started writing more descriptively about experiences he had during the Allied march to victory. He wrote about German civilians and he even met some Belgian soldiers on their way home after being held prisoner by the Germans. He wrote about his experiences talking to forced laborers and their interactions with the German civilians. He started writing more about his experiences after the war was over, describing multiple interactions with German civilians. He wrote about the possibility of him having to go serve in the struggle against Japan. He wrote about the process for him to receive leave to be with his wife in Belgium.
Folder 2:
He wrote about moving around with his unit through Germany as an occupational force. He wrote about the process his wife was going to have to go through in order to enter the United States. He wrote about the German civilians believing the United States and Russia would engage in war soon and he could not understand why. He felt that the Hitler propaganda was still in the hearts of the German citizenry and it was going to take a long time to "reeducate" the German nation. He wrote about his travels around Europe and describe different cities and landscapes. He wrote about a delay in letters from the United States because they were moving around so much in Europe and his mail had to go to every place he had been so it could be forwarded to the next location.
Folder 3:
The third folder is largely correspondence pertaining to his journey back to the United States. He stayed in Creil, France for a short duration. He then made his way to Le Havre, France. After leaving Le Havre, he arrived in New York and sent his wife a telegram to notify her. The rest of the letters are from Massachusetts. One of the letters from the US is in German, which further supports the theory that Bernard wrote the first letter in the collection because this letter shows he had the basic ability to write in German. The letter dated 11 December, 1945 is typed as are the remaining letters.
box WWII 30, folder 4, folder 4

Series 2, Photographs and various documents 1945 April 21 - 1947 November 12

Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This series contains the marriage certificate received by Sgt. Bernard F. Roberts, USA and Cecile after being married in Belgium, photographs from the wedding as well as some from Bernard during his service in Europe, and military documents. The military documents are his discharge papers, a certificate of appreciation, and a letter from Harry Truman to those who answered the call of their country.