Finding Aid for the William S. Harker Second World War correspondence 2016.121.w.r
Rob Strauss
Center for American War Letters Archives
06/22/2016
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: William S. Harker Second World War correspondence
Creator:
Harker, William S.
Creator:
Harker, Lois
source:
Cowell, Jean
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.121.w.r
Physical Description:
.75 Linear feet
(1.5 document boxes).
Date (inclusive): 1937 February 1 - 1960 March 14
Date (bulk): 1942 November 1- 1945 March 27
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence and records relating to Sgt. William S. Harker, USAAF. According to information provided
by the donor, Harker was a medic during World War II.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 51
Container: 1-8
Container: WWII 52
Container: 9-15
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Jean Cowell. This is a legacy collection from Andrew Carroll.
This collection is arranged by material type, author, and date.
- Series 1: Correspondence between Sgt. William Harker and Lois Harker
- Series 2: Correspondence between Sgt. William Harker and family members
- Series 3: Other correspondence with William Harker
- Series 4: Correspondence bewtween Lois Harker and family members
- Series 5: Other correspondence with Lois Harker
- Series 6: Other correspondence
- Series 7: Personal records of Sgt. Harker
- Series 8: Photographs
- Series 9: Diary of William S. Harker
- Series 10: Ephemera
- Series 11: Clippings
This collection contains letters and other correspondence written by Sergeant William S. Harker, his wife Lois, their parents,
and Sergeant Harker's sister Elvina, with the bulk of correspondence between 1944 and 1945. The letters were written while
Sgt. Harker was stationed at Randolph Field in Texas, at the Army Air Base in Blythe, California and at the Army Air Field
in Walla Walla, WA. Documents indicate that Lois was also stationed at Blythe for a period. An item in Series 10 says that
Lois Harker was secretary to the officer in charge of the Base Signal Office. One letter from 1945 is also written from Hofen,
Germany, although it is unclear if it is from Sgt. Harker. According to information provided by the donor, Sgt. Harker was
a medic in the Army Air Corps. The letters describe life on the bases, as well as life in Hawarden, Iowa, where William and
Lois were born and raised. In her letters, Lois describes her work at the drug store in Hawarden. The letters also describe
life on the homefront during World War II, particularly pertaining to rationed items. One letter that addresses rationing
is in Series 2. It is from Sgt. Harker's sister Elvina and is postmarked April 9, 1943.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.
[Item title / description; box "n" / Folder "n"] William S. Harker Second World War correspondence (2016.121wr), Center for
American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
World War (1939-1945) -- Homefront
World War (1939-1945) -- Hospitals
World War (1939-1945) -- Germany
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
Cowell, Jean
box WWII 51, folder 1-3
Series 1, Correspondence between Sgt. William S. Harker and Lois Harker. 1942 October - 1944 July
Physical Description: .16 Linear Feet(3 folders)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence between Sgt. William S. Harker and Lois Harker. Lois was Sgt. Harker's wife. He refers
to her as "Loaf" in the letters. Sgt. Harker writes about life and entertainment on the Army Air Base in Blythe, CA. The
letters also detail life on the homefront and in Hawarden, Iowa during World War II.
box WWII 51, folder 4-5
Series 2, Correspondence between William S. Harker and family members. 1943 - 1945
Physical Description: .16 Linear Feet(2 folders)
Language of Material: English.
Correspondence between Sgt William S. Harker, his parents, his sister Elvina, and other family members. The letters detail
family life and life on the military bases at which Sgt. Harker was stationed. The series also contains a letter written
in 1945 from Hofer, Germany but it is unclear whether it is from William Harker. The letter is addressed to "Aunt Annie"
and, according to the donor, Lois Harker's mother was named Annie. A letter from Harker's sister postmarked April 9, 1943
discusses rationing.
In one letter, dated October 8, 1943 and addressed to Nellie, Sgt. Harker writes about the crash of a B-24: "Everyone here
calls them 'flying coffins'."
box WWII 51, folder 6
Series 3, Other Correspondence with William S. Harker 1944 July - 1946 April
Physical Description: .05 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains cards, postcards, and other correspondence addressed to Sgt William S. Harker by various people, including
Major K.B. Cassidy, Ismmert Ellison, John W. Graham, Sergeant Ray Nicholson, and Sergeant L.M. Shelton. Most of the correspondence
relates to Sgt. Harker's effort to get a furlough.
box WWII 51, folder 7-8
Series 4, Correspondence between Lois Harker and family members. 1943 June - 1945 August
Physical Description: .13 Linear Feet(2 folders)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence between Lois Harker and family members, including her parents, her sister-in-law Elvina,
her mother-in-law, and her niece, Mary. The letters mostly relate to family life and Sgt. Harker's work at the hospital.
In one letter, dated February 14, 1945, Lois writes about Sgt. Harker joining a rescue squad to search for the crew of a missing
bomber. There is also a clipping about the missing crewmen in an adjacent letter, dated February 24, 1945. In one letter
dated November 21, 1945, Lois appears to write to her parents about the birth of a child.
box WWII 52, folder 9
Series 5, Other correspondence with Lois Harker 1937 February - 1942 August
box WWII 52, folder 10
Series 6, Other correspondence 1943 - 1945
Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence to and from people other than Lois and Bill Harker. The series also contains a picture
of a group of unidentified women and a poem from an unidentified person. One letter, along with an accompanying military graduation
announcement, is from Earl W. Hultgren to "Aunt Louise." A card identifies Earl W. Hultgren as a Lieutenant Air Corps in the
United States Army. The card could refer to Sergeant William Harker's mother. Information provided by the donor identifies
Sgt. Harker's mother as "Louise Catherine (Ericson) Harker." A second letter is addressed to "Ernest" from "Aunt Annie."
The sender could be Lois Harker's mother, Annie (Tuynman) Benson. Her name was also provided by the donor.
box WWII 52, folder 11
Series 7, Personal Records 1942 - 1945
Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains the personal records of Sgt William S. Harker. It includes an auto insurance card that expired in 1943,
one War Ration Book One, and two booklets of War Ration Book Two. There is also an individual income tax return form from
1942 and a memo from headquarters at Walla Walla Air Field that mentions Sgt. Harker and appears to address discharges. In
addition, the series also contains a note from the Army Finance Center to Sgt. Harker.
box WWII 52, folder 12
Series 8, Photographs
Physical Description: .01 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
Items in this series include two undated photographs. One is a picture of an unidentified woman at a desk. On the back, a
stamp says "Official A.A.F. Photo. Base Photo Lab. A.A.B. Walla Walla, Wash." The other is a picture of a structure. "Base
Signal Office" is written on the back.
box WWII 52, folder 13
box WWII 52, folder 14
Series 10, Ephemera 1943 - 1944
Physical Description: .03 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
Items in this series include a wedding announcement, a graduation announcement, a US Savings Bond pamphlet, and a roster from
a 1943 Halloween celebration at the Army Air Base Station Hospital in Blythe, California. Other items include: a pamphlet
announcing the opening of an NCO Club in November of 1944 and a 1944 schedule of Mother's Day activities at the Army Base
in Walla, Walla, WA. There is also a blurb, possibly from a newsletter, talking about William and Lois Harker.
box WWII 52, folder 15
Series 11, Newspaper Clippings 1943 June - 1944 March
Physical Description: .02 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains several newspaper clippings. Only two of the clippings have dates: one is a story in a Hawarden, Iowa
newspaper from June 3, 1943. The other is dated March 4, 1944 and was in an unidentified newspaper. The other clippings include
a short blurb about Joe Demler, who was held at the Limberg Nazi Prison Camp and a story about soldiers coming home from Guadalcanal
for Christmas.