William J. Galbraith papers, 1906-1994 (bulk 1940-1945).

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William J. Galbraith papers, 1906-1994 (bulk 1940-1945).

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60491497

The bulk of these papers consist of approximately 100 letters written by Galbraith, then a lieutenant commander, while he was being held by the Japanese in the Zentsuji POW camp on the Japanese island of Shikoku. The letters, most of which are addressed to his son "Billy", were written in Gregg shorthand to conceal their contents. The collection consists of the transcripts, which were done by his sister and later by a member of the Naval Historical Foundation, along with a significant number of originals in short hand. The latter were frequently written on the backs of letters that Galbraith had received while a POW--presumably due to a shortage of paper in the camp--and provide a unique picture of the messages he was receiving from home. The letters from his son, who was just seven years old, are especially poignant.

0.4 cubic ft. 1 box.

Navy Department Library, Naval History & Heritage Command

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 7779480

Navy Department Library, Naval History & Heritage Command

Related Entities

There are 3 Entities related to this resource.

Houston (Cruiser : CA-30)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63n5vph (corporateBody)

Galbraith, William J., 1906-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66q4tf6 (person)

Naval officer. William Jackson Galbraith was born on 15 September 1906 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Galbraith graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned an ensign on 8 June 1929. Galbraith, who had risen to the rank of lieutenant commander, was on board USS Houston when the ship went down during the Battle of the Java Sea on 28 February 1942. Galbraith endured eight hours in heavy seas until he managed to reach the beach at Java. There he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. His capture wa...

United States. Navy

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68m0zj8 (corporateBody)

Built and launched at New York Navy Yard; commissioned Nov. 12, 1944; scraped in 1993. Served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. From the description of USS Bon Homme Richard (CV/CVA-31) photograph collection 1944-1971. (The Mariners' Museum Library). WorldCat record id: 41657866 The federal government decided in 1941 to send Supply Corps personnel to Harvard Business School for training in the business of equipping the Navy. This was effected by a transfer...