Primary Sources: World War II: Personal Sources

"Abe L. Plotkin (1913-2007) was a 1935 graduate of St. Thomas College (now the University of Scranton). This digital collection contains material from Plotkin's United States Army experience in Germany during the last weeks of World War II and the ensuing months. The material includes photographs taken of the Ohrdruf concentration camp and of Holocaust survivors (displaced persons), as well as correspondence to and from Plotkin concerning his experiences as the war was ending and after liberation of the camps."

"This online exhibition of letters and audio, created by the Gilder Lehrman Institute and the Legacy Project, features correspondence from over 200 years of American conflicts, ranging from the Revolution to the war in Iraq. This exhibition uses the words of famous generals and lesser-known troops, as well as parents, sweethearts, and children, to explore such themes as leaving home, life in the military, the pride and worries of those left behind, and ultimate sacrifice. "

"The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project documents the contributions of women in the military and related service organizations since World War I. The project includes a wide range of source material including photographs, letters, diaries, scrapbooks, oral histories, military patches and insignia, uniforms, and posters, as well as published works."

"an online archive of the Canadian war experience, from any war, as told through the letters and images of Canadians themselves. It began in August 2000, located in the Department of History at Vancouver Island University."

"Letters written by Carolyn Itri to her future husband, Private Nicholas C. Soviero who served the United States Air Force 1942-1947 in the 20th Air Depot Group stationed in Africa; Rome and Naples, Italy; and Singapore. The letters pertain to Itri's day-to-day activities on the home front in New Jersey. Some also include information about Soviero's activities in the war."

"t was the Second World War. A million young Canadians were marching off to risk their lives. One of them, David K. Hazzard, was separated from his beloved wife Audrey, but soon found a way to fight the loneliness – with his pen.He wrote hundreds of letters, beginning each the same way – 'Dear Sweetheart.' They are a riveting account of what he went through. "
A collection from the Globe and Mail

"There are hardly any photographs from the camps; most of the available photographs were taken after Japan’s capitulation on 15 July 1945. The only genuine representations of living conditions in the Japanese camps are the internees’ drawings."

"The Hanashi Oral History Video Archive is the world's largest oral history collection of Japanese American World War II veterans' life histories. The archive contains keyword-searchable, professional-quality videos that students, teachers, researchers, and the general public can use to educate themselves and others on the life lessons inspired by the experiences of the Japanese American World War II veterans."

"The Joseph M. Fisher World War II Collection consists of a scrapbook compiled by Joseph Fisher's mother, Vanchie Fisher, about her son's experience in the Army. The scrapbook is made up primarily of letters from Fisher to his parents written from December 1942 until October 1945. Other materials included in the collection are mementos sent home by Fisher that were not fastened to the scrapbook, inserts from envelopes containing allotment checks and newspaper clippings. This digital collection includes the scrapbook in its entirety and digital copies of items in the scrapbook. "
Ball State University

"This nationwide bilingual project will create a record of Canada’s participation in the Second World War and Korean War as seen through the eyes of thousands of veterans. The Memory Project will provide every living Second World War and Korean War veteran with the opportunity to share their memories through oral interviews and digitized artefacts and memorabilia. These stories and artefacts will be available on this site for teachers, students and the general public.
The Memory Project Archives is an initiative of Historica Canada and is made possible with generous funding from Canadian Heritage."

"Contains over 350 letters written by Mary Elizabeth McIlvain and Ralph J. Ratcliff over the course of their courtship, engagement, and marriage, with letters ending soon after their daughter, Dianna Alice, was born. They met through a mutual friend in 1941 and began writing letters late that year, with the friendship quickly turning into romance. Ralph's conscription into the army in 1942 meant that they spent much of the next three years apart, with the exception of furloughs and a period in 1943 when she lived with him in Buffalo, New York, before his next transfer. The letters end in mid-1944.

Letters indicate that Mary was the one to propose engagement to Ralph. She was also the one who initiated the letter-writing. Both were working when they first met: Mary at a garment factory in Paris, Kentucky, and Ralph at a machine company in Cleveland, Ohio."

Rutgers University alumni and/or New Jersey residents who served on the home front and overseas during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War

Access first hand accounts from U.S. war vetrans. It currently covers the following: WWI (1914-1920), WWII (1939-1946), Korean War (1950-1955), Vietnam War (1961-1975), Persian Gulf War (1990-1995), Afghanistan and Iraq Conflicts (2001-). Accounts are also provided by U.S. civilians who participated in the war effort (USO workers, war industry workers, etc.)

A collection of Erfgoed van de Oorlog
"The National Collection of War Diaries has been compiled from the collections of 21 institutes and includes egodocuments from the Netherlands and the former Netherlands East Indies. Taken together, these authentic documents convey an impressive picture of life during wartime. "

A collection of letters written during World War 2 written by family and friends to and from servicemen and women from around the world.