Orrell Anza Borrego Desert Collection, 1940-1993

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Summary

Creators:
Orrell, Fred Lewis
Abstract:
The collection consists of documents related to Fred Lewis Orrell’s research of military activity in the Anza-Borrego Desert area and Southern California during World War II.
Extent:
1.0 Linear feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Orrell Anza Borrego Desert Collection, MS 213, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of correspondence, research notes, and maps related to Orrell’s research of military activity in the Anza-Borrego Desert area and Southern California during World War II. Orrell corresponded with military officers, veterans, historians, archivists, and librarians to conduct his research. The research materials make up the bulk of the collection and include Orrell’s personal notes, unclassified military documents, book and journal excerpts, newspaper clippings, and maps. The materials correspond to either a particular military installation, military organization, or a relevant military subject.

Biographical / historical:

Fred Lewis Orrell was an amateur historian who, under the auspices of the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, studied the presence of the United States military in the Borrego Desert area during World War II. He conducted his research in the early 1990s, hoping to “identify the units participating, describe their activities, relate these to the major artifacts left behind, and determine the manner in which they obtained access to the Park lands.” Orrell’s studies focused primarily on the Anza-Borrego Park area, especially the Desert Training Center at Camp Young, but encompassed other parts of Southern California as well, including San Diego. Run by General George S. Patton, the Desert Training Center (DTC) was the main training facility for combat troops during the 1942-1943 North African campaign. The DTC spanned from Pomona, California all the way to Yuma, Arizona. In 1943, after the end of the conflict in North Africa, the DTC’s name was changed to the California-Arizona Maneuver Area. The end result of Orrell’s work was a report on the subject for the educational programs of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Acquisition information:
Accession number 990623.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Lauren Rasmussen on June 21, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into four series:

Series I: Orrell Project Correspondence and Research

Series II: Military Camps and Bases

Series III: Military Facilities

Series IV: Military Groups and Subjects

Items within each series are arranged by subject.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Orrell Anza Borrego Desert Collection, MS 213, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website