Byron Armbruster papers

 Collection – Box 1
Identifier: MS-0984

Collection Organization

The Byron Armbruster World War II papers are a remarkable collection of letters written to his parents and also to his girlfriend and later, his wife, Eloise Higgins. They are remarkable as they detail the life of a soldier in the 82nd, and later the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, as he is trained, transferred to England, sent to Normandy for the D-Day Allied invasion, returned to England, sent to Belgium for what would become known as the Battle of Bastogne, and ends at Berchtesgaden when Germany surrenders. Although many of his letters are censored V-mail, they still provide excellent documentation of the war in Europe.

In addition to the letters he wrote home, the collection includes letters written to his parents from other soldiers, letters written to Eloise from an English woman who married a good friend of Byron's while stationed in England, and a letter Byron wrote to the parents of a friend who died at Normandy. All of the letters date from 1943 to 1945.

Photocopies of scrapbooks kept by Byron are also part of the collection. These scrapbooks include photographs, official documents and newspaper articles, all of which help document his World War II experiences.

Correspondence to his parents, July-December 1943

 File – Box 1, Folder: 1
Dates
Creation: July-December 1943

Correspondence to his parents, January-May 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 2
Dates
Creation: January-May 1944

Correspondence to his parents, June-December 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 3
Dates
Creation: June-December 1944

Correspondence to his parents, January-July 1945

 File – Box 1, Folder: 4
Dates
Creation: January-July 1945

Correspondence to Eloise Higgins, April 1942, June-December 1943

 File – Box 1, Folder: 5
Dates
Creation: April 1942, June-December 1943

Correspondence to Eloise Higgins, January-March 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 6
Dates
Creation: January-March 1944

Correspondence to Eloise Higgins, April-December 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 7
Dates
Creation: April-December 1944

Correspondence to Eloise Higgins, January-February 1945

 File – Box 1, Folder: 8
Dates
Creation: January-February 1945

Correspondence to Eloise Higgins from English woman who married good friend of Byron, November 1944, January 1945

 File – Box 1, Folder: 9
Dates
Creation: November 1944, January 1945

Correspondence to his parents from other soldiers and people in England, April-December 1944, July 1945 (scattered)

 File – Box 1, Folder: 10
Dates
Creation: April-December 1944, July 1945 (scattered)

Letter / card to May Frease, 1942, 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 11
Dates
Creation: 1942, 1944

Correspondence to parents of Eloise Higgins, 1942-1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 12
Dates
Creation: 1942-1944

Letter to Mr. and Mrs. B.A. Hardin, October 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 13
Dates
Creation: October 1944

Letter writtne to parents of good friend killed during D-Day invasion, after June 1944

 File – Box 1, Folder: 14
Dates
Creation: after June 1944

Scrapbook (photocopy), 1942-1945

 File – Box 1, Folder: 15
Dates
Creation: 1942-1945

Scrapbook (photocopy), 1942-1945

 File – Box 1, Folder: 16
Dates
Creation: 1942-1945