Harold W. “Bill” Burdick, Jr. (1926-2000) Papers, 1943-1948 MSA 751-52, 761
Introduction
This collection contains the World War II letters and personal papers of Harold W. “Bill” Burdick, Jr., of Pawlet, Vermont, for the period 1943-1948. The collection was donated to the Vermont Historical Society by Leslie Tarbell, Bill Burdick’s daughter-in-law, in December 2015. The collection occupies three archival flip-top boxes and consumes 1.5 linear feet of shelf space.
Biographical Note
Harold W. Burdick, Jr., was born on July 24, 1926, in Cambridge, New York. His parents were Harold W. and Nellie Williams Burdick. He enlisted in the US Army as a Private First Class (SN#31404398) on June 2, 1945, and was honorably discharged with the same rank on August 7, 1946. He served with the 48th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). He married Marilyn Lewis (1930-2010) and they had two sons, Robert Lewis Burdick (1954-2004) and William Burdick. Bill made his home in West Pawlet, Vermont, and passed away on April 14, 2000.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains the World War II letters and personal papers of Harold W. “Bill” Burdick, Jr., of Pawlet, Vermont, for the period 1943-1948. The collection documents the personal experiences of one enlisted soldier who fought in France and Germany and served as part of the Occupation of Germany. Although Harold Burdick didn’t arrive in Europe until March 28, 1945, he saw some very heavy combat. In a lead role in Operation Undertone, the 7th Army fought its way across the Rhine into Germany, captured Nuremburg and then Munich. Finally it crossed the Brenner Pass and made contact with the US Fifth Army. This area of Germany was where the Nazi party started and many were fanatical SS troops (Waffen and Totenkopf), as well as large contingents of Wehrmacht (regular army) soldiers.
The collection includes a photo album (MSA 751:04) that is filled with many images of Bill Burdick’s time in Europe, a few photographs of the front of his boyhood home in Pawlet, Vermont, and a couple of color photographs of Bill as an older man.
Inventory
MSA 751:01 Miscellaneous Calendar page; March 1945. Mar 7, 13, 15, 23 are event dates. Page from Stars and Stripes newspaper, dated 29 March, 1946. Has details of the veterans’ bonus payments program. Twelve postcards of Germany
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Harold W. Burdick WWII Letters 2
:02 Official documents Letter to the families of newly arrived enlisted men, Fort McClellan, Alabama. Honorable Discharge, 7 August 1946 Reverse: WD AGO FORM 53-55, Enlisted Record. Length of service was 21 months and 8 days. Rated as Medium Tank Crewman; Armor branch.
:03 Printed items “We Came to Fight” 48th Tk. Bn. Copyrighted by Cpl. Nicholas Veltri Jr., published by R. Oldenbourg, Munich, Germany June 1945. This is a book detailing the experiences, honors and losses of this unit. Contains two pages of signatures from assigned personnel. “The Mauser HSc” Appears to be a type-written excerpt from a book about the Nazi war production and personal side-arms. “Occupation Map of Germany” Alexander Gross, F. R. G. S., Geographia Map Co. 145 West 57th Street, New York 19, NY
:04 Photographs Young male sailor, wearing “Dixie cup” cap Four soldiers in Germany; Bill (Burdick), T/4 Smith, Cpl Glass, Pvt. Jensen Young sailor and soldier Railroad overpass in West Pawlet, Vt. Postcard, Granville High School, Granville, N.Y. 8x10 photograph, men at a banquette table, many have jackets that read “Syracuse Dodge Cavalcade,” perhaps taken in 1959. 8x10 photograph, bride and groom walking down the aisle of a church; bride is identified as Marilyn Lewis; groom is Harold Burdick 8x10 photograph of a lake and hillside Photo album, 21 pages, mostly taken in Europe during the war, a few modern color photographs pasted in at the end.
:05 Letter, September 1944 Sep 15, 1944. Posted from 1551 Dean Street, Schenectady 8, NY. This was the home of Miss Phyllis Ann Hughes. Letter includes short note from Phyllis.
:06 Letters, November 1944 1 Nov 1944. Postcard mailed from Fort Devens, Ma. This is his “Arrived Here” notice. 1 Nov 1944. Letter was posted from Fort Devens, Ma. 1 Nov 1944. National Service Life Insurance policy; Form 360, verified 14 Nov 1944. 2 Nov 1944. Barracks inspection and travel plans. Assigned to: Co. C, 4th Battalion, 14th Regiment.
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6 Nov 1944. Letter mailed from Atlanta Service Men’s Center, 16 Courtland St. S E, Atlanta, Ga. He’s enroute to Fort McClelland, Alabama. Mentions pictures were taken. 8 Nov 1944. 9 Nov 1944. Classification Center. 10 Nov 1944. 11 Nov 1944. Was selected to attend school as “scout”, aka “recon”. 12 Nov 1944. 14 Nov 1944. Transferred to: Co. D, 15th Battalion, 5th Regiment. 15 Nov 1944. 16 Nov 1944. Mentions he can’t be shipped O/S until he’s 19 (24 Jul 1945). 17 Nov 1944. New Commanding Officer arrived. 19 Nov 1944. 3.2% beer. 20 Nov 1944. Tear gas chamber. 21 Nov 1944. 22 Nov 1944. 23 Nov 1944. Received package from home, described Thanksgiving meal. 26 Nov 1944. Received package from Phyllis. 28 Nov 1944. 29 Nov 1944. 30 Nov 1944. Trained all day and had a night infiltration exercise.
:07 Letters, December 1944 1 Dec 1944. Received a package from home. 2 Dec 1944. Got new bunks. 3 Dec 1944. Expects to finish training 11 Mar 1945. 4 Dec 1944. Received package, went to firing range. 5 Dec 1944. 6 Dec 1944. 8 Dec 1944. Drawing of helmet and pack. 9 Dec 1944. Probably was the 8th. Qualified “Sharpshooter” with the M1. 9 Dec 1944. Had weekend pass, went to Anniston, Al. Sent picture home. 10 Dec 1944. 12 Dec 1944. Received package and pictures from home. 13 Dec 1944. 14 Dec 1944. 17 Dec 1944. 18 Dec 1944. 19 Dec 1944. Received pictures, drew “sharpshooters” badge. 20 Dec 1944. Letter from Johnny Reston 20 Dec 1944. This is actually 21 Dec 1944. 22 Dec 1944. Speaks of night maneuvers. Weighs 169 lbs. 24 Dec 1944. Has pass to Anniston, Sunday and Monday off. 24 Dec 1944. Went to Anniston. Mentions a SSG (mess) Sergeant there, from Pawlett. 26 Dec 1944. Classes began. Speaks of wanting to become a paratrooper.
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27 Dec 1944. Training info. Guard duty. Cycle may be reduced to 13 weeks. 29 Dec 1944. Guard duty story. 31 Dec 1944.
:08 Letters, January 1945 01 Jan 1945. Live fire exercise on the shooting range. 01 Jan 1945. Cartoon of soldier 02 Jan 1945. Classes and money. 03 Jan 1945. Classes on maps, talks of money. 04 Jan 1945. Stationary from Hotel Jefferson Davis, Anniston, Alabama, about room rates. 04 Jan 1945. 10 Jan 1945. Father is coming to Anniston. 12 Jan 1945. Letter from his friend mentions Solomon Islands. 12 Jan 1945. 16 Jan 1945. Bayonet practice. 25 Jan 1945. USO dance in town. 26 Jan 1945. Leave scheduled, speaks of troop ships. 27 Jan 1945. USO, drove truck in training. 28 Jan 1945. 30 Jan 1945. Speaks of furlough itinerary. 31 Jan 1945. Told it’s likely he’ll go to Europe from Ft. Meade, Md.
:09 Letters, February 1945 04 Feb 1945. Leaving for two weeks of bivouac. 17 Feb 1945. Received orders to Ft. Meade, headed to Europe after leave. 18 Feb 1945. 18 Feb 1945. Grenade practice, infiltration course. 19 Feb 1945. Received money from home. 21 Feb 1945. Last letter from Ft. McClelland, Alabama.
:10 Letters, March 1945 08 Mar 1945. Ft. Meade, Md., waiting for embarkation to Europe. 10 Mar 1945. 13 Mar 1945. Enroute, destination censored by cut-out. 23 Mar 1945. On ship, headed to Europe. 28 Mar 1945. Arrived in France.
MSA752:01 Letters, April 1945 02 Apr 1945. Alsace-Lorraine, France. 7th Army, Gen. Patch 04 Apr 1945. 05 Apr 1945. Moving forward, letter is censored but visited Nancy, France. 06 Apr 1945. Likes the countryside of France 12 Apr 1945. In Germany, MAY have been headed to Battle of Nuremburg. 14 Apr 1945. 20 Apr 1945.
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Harold W. Burdick WWII Letters 5
Apr 1945. C Co, 48th Tank Bn, 14th Armored Div. 7th Army. “Liberators”
:02 Letters, May 1945 3 May 1945. Speaks of home, fishing and his parents impending anniversary. 4 May 1945. Good food, lots of German motorcycles. 7 May 1945. Germany surrendered. Speaks of being shelled by German artillery (88 mm) 7 May 1945. Wants a food package 8 May 1945. Gen. Smith spoke to the troops, some were awarded the Bronze Star Medal. 9 May 1945. In good health. 10 May 1945. Says his unit was in combat since landing in France. Received the back logged mail. Mentions George Gilbert was K.I.A. 12 May 1945. H. B. is billeted in large house with running water and electricity. Shares room with a crew-mate. 13 May 1945. H.B. went to church, spends time reading and sleeping. 14 May 1945. Movie, signed up for schooling. 16 May 1945. Mentions freeing prisoners (Concentration Camp). 18 May 1945. Received back-logged mail. 19 May 1945. Hears peacocks while on guard detail, wonders what it tastes like. 19 May 1945. Goofing off. 20 May 1945. HB speaks of friends. 20 May 1945. Received mail. 21 May 1945. Censoring mail is over. HB is in a small town near Munich. speaks of praying when engaged against German 88 mm tanks. 22 May 1945. A letter, typed on a German typewriter. HB speaks of his experiences in combat, the dead and dying of both armies and the civilians caught in the middle. 22 May 1945. HB is in S.E. Germany. HB speaks of combat; artillery, tanks and Infantry attacking a town, P51’s strafing and bombing the enemy. 24 May 1945. Lengdorf, Germany post-card, shows where HB is staying. 24 May 1945. HB details weekly ration of comfort items. The letter is written on the back of SEIBT correspondence (HB was short of writing paper). SEIBT is a German company that publishes a list of businesses; “Seibt - where to buy to know the German industry”. The last line is a salutation; “Heil Hitler”. 24 May 1945. HB describes Munich to his grandmother. 25 May 1945. HB sent a handkerchief, embroidered with a swastika. 25 May 1945. HB speaks of field glasses he took from an SS officer. 26 May 1945. 3rd Army, awarded another combat star. 27 May 1945. A postcard, originally sent in 1922. 28 May 1945. Change of Allotment form 230. 28 May 1945. Guard Duty. NOTE- war is over, free mail is too! 29 May 1945. Speaks of friends killed in the war. 30 May 1945. Is stationed in Lingdorf, planning on seeing Berchtesgarten.
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Harold W. Burdick WWII Letters 6
30 May 1945. 31 May 1945.
:03 Letters, June 1945 1 Jun 1945. 4 Jun 1945. Visited Berchtesgarten, the Hitler and Goering homes. Remarks on the beauty of the homes (Goering house in ruins), the Bavarian Alps and the incredible view. General news (19 letters).
:04 Letters, July 1945 General news. (13 letters)
:05 Letters, August 1945 General news. (17 letters)
:06 Letters, September 1945 General news; 3 postcards and one tour of Louis XIV palace. (18 letters)
:07 Letters, October 1945 General news; one picture of dead Poles, taken in Dachau. (16 letters)
:08 Letters, November 1945 General news. (16 letters)
:09 Letters, December 1945 General news. Gen. Patton died. (17 letters)
MSA761:01 Letters, January 1946 General news; moved to Bad Aibling, guards POWs. (8 letters)
:02 Letters, February 1946 General news. (12 letters)
:03 Letters, March 1946 General news. (6 letters)
:04 Letters, April 1946 General news; visited Austria. (6 letters)
:05 Letters, May 1946 General news. (10 letters)
:06 Letters, June 1946 General news. (4 letters)
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Harold W. Burdick WWII Letters 7
:07 Letters, July 1946 On 16 Jul 1946, Bill shipped out to return stateside. (2 letters)
:08 Letters, October 1948 Letter home, from college
:09 Miscellaneous Three undated letters and several envelopes with no letters. (3 letters)
Timothy Leno October 2016 BurdickHaroldW.docx
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