Search Results: World War II from Langdon Manor Books LLC

[South Pacific?], 1945. Five watercolors and one pencil/colored pencil drawing measuring from 9½" x 6" to 10 7/8" x 14". The two largest paintings and the drawing are on artist board, the rest on paper. Generally very good plus or better; painting of men in jungle with small chip and a couple of small creases. This is a collection of six stunning scenes with little provenance. We acquired them from a picker in Michigan who purchased them from a dealer at a flea market. Three of the watercolors show Marines fighting on beaches in the South Pacific, one shows a group waist-deep in water slogging through the jungle and one is a peaceful beach scene showing men landing on shore in a raft. The pencil drawing is very different: it's a graphic cartoon of a marine, one hand with a knife, the other shooting a machine gun, surrounded by Japanese soldiers getting slaughtered while a plane overhead is on its way to crashing. It's the only one captioned on its verso, "Marine Regular 'Master Sgt. McGoik.'"… Read More

[Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1945. Poster. Near fine: folded as issued, 1/8" tear in upper and lower left margins and one pinpoint separation at intersection. An World War II government poster which uncommonly features an African American. It encourages the purchase of war bonds, with an image of Booker T. Washington, along with his quote, "Without vision there is no hope. Protect your country...and your future." OCLC locates four holdings over two entries, internet searches reveal another two. This item is offered by Langdon Manor Books, LLC, antiquarian booksellers. Please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information and/or photos and we will respond promptly. We package our items carefully, ship daily, and have a no hassle returns policy--your satisfaction is guaranteed. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksllers (ILAB) and the Independent Online Booksellers Association… Read More

[London, England]: United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration European Regional Office, 1944. Very good +. 6 3/8" x 4". Stapled thin card wrappers. Pp. iv, 85. Very good plus: minimal wear, lightly toned, prior owner penciled name to front wrap. This is a handbook created by the Displaced Persons Division No. 3 of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) for its staff who were assisting refugees residing and/or working in Germany during World War II. It lays out, with impeccable detail, the myriad challenges faced by foreign laborers at the time. The UNRRA was established in November 1943 to aid victims of war. While the United States was the leading source of funding, support came from 44 nations in total. UNRRA is largely seen as a success, having distributed billions of dollars worth of necessities like food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Its founding agreement related that, "immediately upon the liberation of any area by the armed forces of the… Read More

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1976. 8 ½" x 5¼". Stapled self wrappers. pp. [8]. Near fine with light edge wear and a hint of toning at extremities. This is a program for an event honoring Grant Gordon, an African American educator with a significant military record. Gordon grew up in Beloit, Illinois and graduated from Milwaukee State Teachers College in 1940. In addition to being the first-ever African American school principal in Milwaukee, he was a 1st Lieutenant platoon leader of the 320th Barrage Balloon Bn. (VLA)(Colored). Not only was the 320th the first barrage balloon unit it France, it was the only African American unit to come ashore on D-Day. Battery A of the unit was assigned to the 1st Division at Omaha, while Battery C was assigned to the 4th Division on Utah-making them one of very few units assigned to both beaches. According to Grant's Separation Qualification Record he was "responsible for morale, discipline, training, administration, and tactical employment of the 66 enlisted personnel… Read More

Chicago, Ill: A.L.R.K. Federacijos Chicago Apskrities Spaudos Sekcijos, 1944. Stated First Edition. Very good. 8½" x 5¼". Stapled thin card wrappers. Pp. 51. Very good: wrappers toned at extremities and lightly soiled with a bit of corner wear; light dust-soiling throughout. This is a strong and poetic appeal on behalf of Lithuania's fight for independence, relating current and former atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi and Soviet occupations of the nation. It was written by a noted Lithuanian American priest and author in Chicago and the text is entirely in Lithuanian. Lithuania is a small European nation that was dominated by Russia's invasions throughout the 18th century and by a subsequent century of wars between Germany and Russia on its soil. Due to its long history of being governed by outside forces, it was a victory when it declared independence at the end of World War I. But from 1940 throughout World War II, Lithuania was occupied three more times - by the Soviet Union (1940-1941), by… Read More

Altburgund, Germany: American officers temporarily detained in Offizierslager 64 (Schubin), Germany, 1944. Good. 12" x 8 ½". Newsprint. Pp. 4. Good: toned; horizontal separations at center with early tape repair; light edge chips. This is a rare example of a monthly American prisoner of war camp newspaper from the Oflag 64 prison. According to Oflag64.us, a site run by surviving POWs of the camp and their families, "Oflag 64 was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for American officers located at Szubin, Poland, which at that time was occupied by Nazi Germany. It was probably the only German POW camp set up exclusively for U.S. Army officers, although other camps holding several nationalities were usually divided into separate national compounds. The camp was built around a Polish boys' school by adding barracks. Initially it was Stalag XXI-B for Polish soldiers until December 1940. Then it became Oflag XXI-B for French and British officers, subsequently for Soviet officers until June… Read More

[Revere, Massachusetts]: [Temple B'nai Israel], 1943. Good. 14" x 8½". Corner stapled, eight mimeographed leaves, printed rectos only. Pp. 8. Good: folded twice, bottom edge heavily worn with dogears and affecting a few characters of text. This is a mimeographed newsletter created by a Jewish congregation in Massachusetts that was intended to share news with members serving in World War II. It was produced by Temple B'nai Israel, a synagogue established in 1906 in Revere, Massachusetts. We are not sure how many issues were created as the copy here mentions a hope to publish once a month and that its goal was to "bring some pleasure and a touch of home to all you 'Men of Destiny.'" This issue included a message from Rabbi Morris B. Funk urging soldiers not to lose their faith or discount the value of Judaism during the war. There's also an article by a female member of the congregation, Belle Pearlman, who lamented the loss of the men of her town but also expressed admiration for the women in the… Read More

Fort Des Moines, Iowa and Pasadena California: 1943-1945. 24 autograph letters (approximately 65 pages on sheets measuring around 7½" x 5¼") , one typescript letter, eight greeting cards and two dinner menus. Two steel spiral stenographer's note books measuring 9" x 6" with 123 pages of handwritten notes. Uniforms include two shirts, one jacket, two skirts and a hat. Letter, notebooks and menus very good or better; uniforms in excellent condition with minimal wear. This is a group of items documenting the military career of Dorothy Schutt who served in the WAC from 1943 until at least 1945. She trained at Fort Des Moines and was with the 78th WAC Hospital Company at Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, California as of 1945. In addition to her uniforms, the collection includes printed menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at Fort Des Moines in 1943, as well as over 30 items of correspondence. She received a number of greeting cards while at Fort Des Moines in December 1943 and several… Read More