Remembering Christmas Letters From Home With Navy and Army Men
Christmas mail from Hempstead county servicemen paints a globe spanning scene. Jobe, Ellis, Hosier, Davis Jr and others share life on ships, airfields, and training camps from the South Pacific to Buckley Field Colorado. They describe leave limits, aircraft gunnery, and cold Colorado weather as a six hundred strong group faces Christmas apart.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
South Pacific
Willis Smith
Don Smith
Navy
Plains of Texas
Leonard Ellis
Mer
the Star
Ellington Field
Texas
Elis
George George Hosier
The
Star
K. P
Mountains
Jess Davis, Jr
Buckley Field
Colorado
Denver
Hempstead County
Burton Heath
Reds Sack Stalingrad Push and Far-Flung Advances
Russian forces renewed a relentless drive in the Middle Don and lunged into Stalingrad capturing a major factory area after heavy engagements that left about 500 Germans dead. Other fronts saw advances near Kantemirovka, Millerovo, and in the Caucasus as Axis resistance stiffened and Allied operations regrouped toward Tunis and Djedeida.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Eddy Gilmore
Moscow
Don
Stalingrad
Kotelnikovski
Caucasus
Nulchi
Nave
Tunis
Tebourba
Djedeida
Kantemirovka
Millerovo-Kiantemirevka
Millerova
Ukraine
U.S
Vatutin
Grekove
Millerove
Red Army
Malcheyskaya
Germany
Stlingrad
Koelnikovski
Nalehilk
Velikh Luki
Production Lag in Rubber Hit by Gillette
Senator Gillette says synthetic rubber production lags two to three months and laments complacency hindering a critical push to avert a crisis. He plans questions with Rubber Administrator Jeffers and WPB officials next month to determine the impediments and restore order amid looming shortages.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Gillette
Ernest B. Vaccaro
Washington
Senator Gillette
D-fows
Agriculture Subcommittee
William M. Jeffers
War Production Board
Bradley
Dewey
Jeffers
Omaha
Fraser M. Moffat
WPB
Chemeral
Gilledle
Gillotte
Hodnett Test Looms Up as Next Producer
Hodnett No. 7 from Southwood Oil Co in the Midway field Lafayete county shows up as the next producer after reaching a total depth of 6429 feet with cementing ongoing. Top porosity recorded at 431 feet and production tests are planned for early next week amid about 12 new operations expected to begin January 1.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Stamps
Ark
Southwood Oil Company
Hodnett No
CSW SE
Midway
Lafayete
Poll on Arkansas Issues Shows Legislators Favor Economy
AP to publish a summary of Arkansas poll results. A cross section of citizens answered 155 questionnaires, with 56 percent response from bankers and broad interest groups. Legislators favored economy and opposed tax hikes, while views on alcohol control, civil service, and four year gubernatorial terms varied. A series will run starting Monday.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Arkansas
ED L. Campbell
Little Rock
Associated Press
Gyith
J. C. Miller
Malvern
U.S.A
Yanks Closing In On Buna Mission In New Guinea
Australian and American troops press two prongs around Buna Mission as a bridge is built over Senemi Creek and forward Japanese positions near the old and new flying strips are knocked out. Engineers lay planks for a light advance while pillboxes and emplacements are destroyed or evacuated. Meantime Australia debates widening militia use and readiness to eject Japanese forces.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Melbourne
Australia
Buna Mission
New Guinea
Senemi Creek
Stuart Thnks
Australian War Cabinet
Carlin
Successor to Darlan Debated by the French
The 22 year old assassin who killed Admiral Darlan on Christmas Eve faced a swift court martial and death sentence. French North Africa’s leaders, including Gen Bergeret and Gen Giraud, weighed a successor as high commissioner while police powers shifted to Giraud. The execution was reportedly set for dawn but confirmed only by later dispatches.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Algiers
Dev
Jean Darlan
Imperial Council
Darlan
Reuters
London
Morocco
Jean Marie Bergeret
Henri Honore Giraud
North and West Africa
Pierre Boisson
West Africa
Yves Chatel
Algeria
Auguste Nogues
French North Africa
Giraud
Bergeret
France
Italy
Morand
Paris
University of Algiers
Rabat
French Morocco
Fjiille
Jean Durlan
CBS
Charles Cal
Magnet Cove Plant Damaged by Fire
A fire at the Magnet Cove Barium Corporation plant destroyed the drying room and warehouse, forcing a shutdown of at least a week. General Manager Roth Harrison estimated losses at 10000 dollars. the plant supplies ore for drilling mud used in oil well operations and is classified as an essential war industry.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Magnet Cove
Magnet Cove Barium Corporation
Roth Harrison
Auto License Office to Stay Open at Night
Hempstead county faces a looming deadline with about half of 3500 vehicles still unlicensed. I L Pilkinton announced the Revenue Department office in the courthouse will stay open at night next week to serve roughly 2000 car owners over four days and nights to avoid penalties.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hempstead County
I. L. Pilkinton
State Revenue Department
Pitkinton
Flying Fort Downed Enemy With It In Death Dive
London dispatch reports a Flying Fortress missing after last Sunday's Romilly Sur Seine raid turned up later to have sacrificed itself by taking an additional Nazi fighter with it. Staff Sergeant Jack D. Snell said the four forts in formation faced incessant attack before the rear plane descended in a steep dive and opened fire on a Focke Wulf 190. The German craft shattered as the Fort fired its last shot. The aircraft was among six missing from the raid in which at least 44 enemy planes were destroyed.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Romilly- Sur-Seine
Jack D. Snell
Sedalia
Highth
United States Air Force
Snell
T R Griffith Dies Funeral 3 p m Today
Thomas Rowland Griffith aged 25 died here today. He is survived by his father J D Griffith two sisters Evelyn of Hope and Mrs J L Badberry of Waldo one brother Jack of Fort Worth Texas. Funeral services set for 3 PM at Herndon-Cornelius Funeral Home burial at Rose Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers listed. Carlsbad Cuorns claim-wide fame with massive public exhibit in Big Room.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thomas Rowland Griffith
J. D. Griffith
Evelyn of
Hope
J. L. Badberry
Waldo
Jack
Fort Worth
Texas
Herndon-Cornelius
Rose Hill Cemetery
C. Cook
Jess Gilliam
William Stephenson
Webb Laseter Jr
Earl O'Neal
Norman Moore
Flashes of Life and War News Snippets
World War II era brief items report WAAC training challenges in Daytona Beach with a four in hand necktie note. A San Francisco mail thief swiped 100 undelivered packages. Hawaiian dancer Princess Luana’s Dec 7 marriages cited with Pearl Harbor ties. A Chicago robbery ends with a Christmas greeting as the thief flees.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Los Angeles
Luana
M. H. Sayers
Pearl Harbor
Spearhead of Attacks Only 12 Miles Out
Allied forces reportedly pushed to within 12 miles of Tunis per Algiers radio, with Tebourba possibly retaken. British Eighth Army holds coast east of Tripoli as Rommel’s forces retreat in Libya. Tunisian front sees intense fighting with Allied defenses at Medjez-El-Bab and Sousse area, while air raids stress targets from Crete to Taranto.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Associated Press
London
Algiers
Tunis
Tunisia
Tebourba
Bourba
North Africa
Cairo
Eighth Army
Mediterranean
Tripoli
Marshal Rommel
Libya
Iomunique
Morocco
Lake Chad
Equatorial
Africa
Marsh Erwin Rommel
Sirte
Yes
Africa Corps
Sir Bernard Montgomery
el Agheila
Battlegran
Beatin J
Tunisai
Sousse
Tunisian
Kairouan
Pont-Du-Fahs
Hon
Crete
Naples
Taranto
Medjez-El-Bah
Els
Wea
Medjez-El-Bab
Pont-Du-Fahs' Tut
Students Study Equatorial Diseases at University of Washington
A selective class at the University of Washington trains for diagnosing and controlling disease bearing parasites in sub equatorial war zones. Prof John Rankin Jr notes the two fold aim to aid patrol fronts and prepare troops for combat. The course began last spring and some graduates are already serving with the medical corps of the armed forces.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Seattle
University of Washington
John
Rankin, Jr
Sanity Medical Corps
Armed Forces
Also Mentioned on This Page
Alex. H. Washburn
Christmas Mail-Bay
Armed Services
Thomas
Jobe
Star Finotyper and Pressman
Tommy
Miami
Tammy
South Dakota
Yommy
States
Austria
England
United States
Hitler
Meginot
der Fuehrer
Europe
Federated Malay State
Burivia
China
India
Thailand
Congo
South Africa
Niagmia
Aussria
Alaska
Angora
Asia Minor
Felin Fallagy
Persia
Arabia
Hodnett Test
Portugal
Indies
Dominion of Canada
British Columbia
U. S
Old Fort Niagra
Port Niagara
Bhiski
Rostov
Soviet
Kharkov
Eo Amen
Miles
Mi Elbras Elbrus
Guchor
Krotskaya Kalachji Vy
Aer Pen
Russia
Petrovekao
Blagodarnoe
Yanks
Buna
Pacific
T. R. Griffith
Carlsbad
Daytona Beach
Fla
WAAC
Charles L. Sims
Waac Unifern
San Francisco
Russ Barnecui
Chicago
Julius Frumt
Atching Hawks Turkestan
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!