Oral History Interview with Charles Scheffel, May 10, 2000 (open access)

Oral History Interview with Charles Scheffel, May 10, 2000

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Charles Scheffel. Scheffel grew up in Oklahoma and enlisted in the Army ROTC in 1940. He was called up in 1941 after Pearl Harbor. He was allowed to finish out his senior year of college and was married in March 1942. He embarked on the Queen Elizabeth from New Jersey in September 1942. As leader of 200 men, he landed in Scotland and drove with them to Whittington Barracks where they joined with the British 51st Highlanders. He lists the three main survival lessons he learned from the seasoned English soldiers: having a batman to back you up, digging a two-man foxhole, and waiting for the ""crack and thump."" Scheffel how the ""crack and thump"" lesson would later save his life when he was seriously wounded when attacking the Siegfried Line. From England he went to Algeria with the British troops on the Scythia. The ship is torpedoed off the coast limps into Algiers. Scheffel made the decision to leave the British Highlanders and join up with American 9th Division in February 1943. The division went into Tunisia. Then he was sent to spend another month with the …
Date: May 10, 2000
Creator: Scheffel, Charles
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

Newsmap. Monday, May 10, 1943 : week of April 30 to May 7, 191st week of the war, 73rd week of U.S. participation

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Tunisia, Command, Russia, Southwest Pacific, China, Air offensive. Special illustrated section describes clearing mine fields in Tunisia. Large world map is keyed to text and shows United Nations, Axis and Axis occupied areas, countries with Axis relations broken, and neutral countries. Inset maps: Tunisia. Photographs: Planes wait to be ferried by barge to land; Convoy of Allied ships steam toward an Arctic port; Army trucks yield to aircraft along a road in Tunisia. Back: Text entitled "You may be eligible for the Army Specialized Training Program" describes the minimum requirements for the Army training program.
Date: May 10, 1943
Creator: [United States.] Army Orientation Course.
Object Type: Poster
System: The UNT Digital Library

Newsmap. Monday, April 12, 1943 : week of April 2 to April 9, 187th week of the war, 69th week of U.S. participation

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: Russia, Solomons, New Guinea, Aleutians, Bolivia, Tunisia, Air offensive. Large world map is keyed to text and illustrates time zones around the world. Inset maps show Sicily and Tunis. Includes photographs: Malaria control, Super block-buster [8,000 lb. aerial bomb], Change of ownership [captured Mercedes Benz troop-carrier], Bren-gun carriers support British Grenadiers in Kasserine Pass, Italian troops in the African war zone. Back: The Marine Corps. A unified fighting force. Graphic image shows helmeted Marine soldiers with rifles attacking a tropical island with ships and transport boats in background, as well as various photos of parachutes, bombardments, etc.
Date: April 12, 1943
Creator: [United States.] Army Orientation Course.
Object Type: Poster
System: The UNT Digital Library

Oral History Interview with Richard Donley, February 22, 1997

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Interview with Navy veteran Richard Donley. The interview includes Donley's personal experiences about the Mediterranean Theater during World War II, boot camp, Fleet Torpedo School, encounters with German "F-lighter" armed barges and E-boats, various assignments, and combat against enemy destroyers. Donley also talks about screening operations for the invasions of Sicily and Salerno, operations along the coasts of northern Italy and southern France and the interdiction of German barge traffic, torpedo problems, commando and intelligence operations, returning to the States, his reassignment to the Motor Torpedo Boats Training Center, and transferring to Samar, Philippines.
Date: February 22, 1997
Creator: Alexander, William J. & Donley, Richard
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 56th Evac Hospital: Letters of a WWII Army Doctor (open access)

The 56th Evac Hospital: Letters of a WWII Army Doctor

A collection of letters by army Dr. L. D. Collins from his tour of duty in World War II with the 56th Evacuation Hospital, chronicling his experiences and general history of WWII. He includes letters from his time stationed in Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, and Anzio Beach.
Date: 1995
Creator: Collins, Lawrence D.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Newsmap. Monday, May 17, 1943 : week of May 7 to May 14, 192nd week of the war, 74th week of U.S. participation

Front: Text describes action on various war fronts: North Africa, Southwest Pacific, China-Burma, Plans, Aleutians, Russia Large world map is keyed to text and shows United Nations, Axis and Axis occupied areas, countries with Axis relations broken, and neutral countries. Inset maps: Shrinking battle lines in Tunisia; Crimea and surrounding region showing Nazi held territories. Photographs: Army-Navy expedition lands at Amchitka; Army gunner sets up AA defense at the westernmost U.S. air base in the Aleutians; Navy Seabees take shelter in foxholes; Allied soldiers line up for chow in almost knee-deep mud. Back: Text entitled "So he can fight!" describes the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Date: May 17, 1943
Creator: [United States.] Army Orientation Course.
Object Type: Poster
System: The UNT Digital Library