MS119
BISSETTE WORLD WAR II COLLECTION

This group of World War II documents consists of five U.S. military duplicates: a U.S. military inspection report of Buchenwald Concentration Camp, liberated on 11 April 1945 by members of the Third Army under General George S. Patton; Special Communique No. 8 of the Supreme Headquarters, A.E.F. - an official notice of German Surrender 8 May 1945; a commendation letter from Dwight David Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, A.E.F. to Colonel Martin A. Bateman, Commander, 302nd Transport Wing, Army Air Corps, and to the men under his command; two messages on the verso of D.D.E.'s letter: the first from Col. Bateman to his crews, and the second from Lt. Col. K.A. Reecher, Commander, 27th Air Transport Group, 302nd Transport Wing to the squadrons in his group, relaying Eisenhower's commendation of their repatriation flights.

Samuel D. Bissette, who was assigned, during World War II, to S-2, Headquarters, 20th Air Transport Group stationed near Versailles, France, gave these documents as a gift to William Madison Randall Library, on 10 January 1995. Mr. Bissette gained possession of these documents from the plane crews (and others) of the 20th who were responsible for flying Buchenwald survivors to France. Eisenhower's commendation of the 302nd was for their repatriation of Buchenwald survivors. 

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Inventory
Manuscript/Box/File

All items below are U.S. Military duplicates.

119/1/1
1945 April 16 Inspection report, by U.S. military personnel, of Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 4p. 
1945 May 08 Special Communique No. 8, Supreme Headquarters, A.E.F. - Notice of German Surrender, 1p.  
1945 June 15 Letter of Commendation from Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of A.E.F. to Col. Martin A. Bateman, CO of 302nd Transport Wing, 1p. 
1945 June 21 Notice of Commendation on the verso of the Eisenhower letter, from Col. Bateman to 302nd Transport Wing 
1945 June 21 Notice of Commendation on the verso of the Eisenhower letter, from Lt. Col. K.A. Reecher, CO of 27th Air Transport Group, 302 Transport Wing, to the Squadrons under his command.

119/1/2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Second copies of papers listed above.

119/1/3
Eight 2 3/4" X 4" original photographs of Buchenwald Concentration Camp, taken in the wake of its liberation by U.S. military personnel (April 1945). Samuel D. Bissette donated these photographs to William Madison Randall Library on December 29, 1995. The photographs were taken for personal use by an unidentified photographer.

119/1/4                                              
Pamphlet from "The Universe According to Earth" by Samuel D. Bissette, a group of 60 paintings, drawings, and sculpture presenting a late-20th-century panorama of the universe as interpreted by planet Earth.  Information on Mr. Bissette's donation of Peoples Savings & Loan memorabilia to the New Hanover County Public Library.

119/1/5
Samuel D. Bissette Profile, January 1, 1980

 

COPYRIGHT:  Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States  copyright law.