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Fee, William (Second World War correspondence)
2014.050.w.r
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Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: William Fee Second World War correspondence
source:
Fee, George
Identifier/Call Number: 2014.050.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 174
Physical Description:
1.25 Linear Feet
(3 document boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1943 July 24 - 1945 November 2
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence by PFC William "Bill" Fee, USA, and his parents, Dwight and Lucille Fee, during his
service with the 11th Armored Division during the Second World War.
Physical Description: Letters are in good condition. Some have light pencil markings, written by the donor, during the postwar years.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 3
Container: WWII 2
Container: 12-16
Container: WWII 4
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Fee family.
The William Fee World War Two correspondence collection is arranged by material type, author and recipient, in chronological
order.
- Series 1, Correspondence from William Fee
- Series 2, Correspondence to William Fee
- Series 3, Correspondence to Dwight Fee
- Series 4, Miscellaneous papers and documents
- Series 5, Correspondence and materials, miscellaneous
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], William Fee Second World War correspondence (2014.050.w.r), 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.
This collection contains 892 letters and correspondence from Private First Class William "Bill" Fee, United States Army and
his parents, Dwight and Lucille Fee, during his service with the 11th Armored Division during the Second World War. Letters
between William and his father make up the bulk of this collection, however this collection also includes letters from Dwight
Fee, written to William's commanding officers and higher ranking military brass.
In William's letters, he writes about his daily experiences training for combat and his life in the Army. William also takes
time to answer multiple questionnaires from his father, concerning many aspects of life in the service. Topics include weapons,
tactics, supplies, uniforms and training routines.
William was wounded on March 6, 1945, when a nearby land mine exploded, while advancing his light machinegun up a hill, at
night. He sustained a half-dozen slight wounds and one major wound in the groin, from shrapnel. He received treatment in England
and at the Woodrow Wilson hospital, in Virginia. He was discharged from the hospital on September 20, 1945, but did not return
to active duty.
Included in this collection is a transcription of a retrospective diary, written by William Fee, titled "With the Eleventh
Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge". In this diary, Fee gives a detailed account of his experience as a PFC (private
first class), in the light machine gun squad of the 55th Armored Infantry Battalion, 11th Armored Division. This diary recounts
the Ardennes campaign, December 1944 through January 1945. The diary focuses on the 11th Armored Divisions time in combat
and provides some additional details of William's military deployment.
NOTE: See also 2014-049-w-r Dwight Fee First World War correspondence, Series 3, for more materials by William Fee.
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. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
Basic training (Military education)
Military training camps
World War (1939-1945) -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy.
World War (1939-1945) -- Equipment and supplies
Battle casualties
World War (1939-1945) -- Casualties
Fee, Dwight
Fee, George
Fee, William
Fee, Lucille