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B-17 Flying Fortress Crew - 486th Bomb Group, 832nd Bomb Squadron, Sudbury England, (Smoky Stover) Aircraft #43-37916, 22 combat missions [detail]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps; Air Force
  • Unit of Service: 832nd Bomb Squadron, 486th Bomb Group, 5th Air Force
  • Location of Service: Sudbury, England; Germany; Japan; Canada; Korea
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/2220

View full service history

"...we were on our 22nd bomb mission ... only needed 25 to go home..."

Corbin Willis delivers a stunning story dotted with heartbreaking humor. He survives interrogation, scabies, a crippling weight loss, and a 100-mile march through the snow from one POW camp to another in Germany. Upon return home, he finds out that most people think he has died. His mother tells him that his wife has remarried and is starting a new family.

Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection
Interview / Recording

More Resources

View 5 images in sequence.
[ Photo Album ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Corbin B. Willis' WWII POW ID Papers ]
View 23 images in sequence.
[ Memoirs: "For Information - to my Grandchildren & Family" ]
View 11 images in sequence.
[ Memoirs: "My Korean War Experience - 'Mosquito Wars'" ]
View 2 images in sequence.
[ Letter from Carrie [02/19/91] ]
View Enlarged Image
[ Identification Card for Corbin Willis, Korean War ]

About this Item

Title

  • Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection

Names

  • Willis Jr., Corbin B.
  • Willis, Corbin

State of Birth

  • CO

Home State

  • OR

Headings

  • -  Willis Jr., Corbin B.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army Air Forces/Corps.
  • -  Prisoner of War -- United States
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Air Force.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • Veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army Air Forces/Corps
    • Unit of Service: 832nd Bomb Squadron, 486th Bomb Group, 5th Air Force
    • Location of Service: Sudbury, England; Germany; Japan; Canada
    • Highest Rank: Major
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1961
    • Prisoner of War: Yes
    • Military Status: Veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran flew 22 combat missions during World War II.

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Air Force
    • Location of Service: Korea
    • Highest Rank: Major
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1961
    • Entrance into Service: Commissioned
    • Military Status: Veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran flew 57 combat missions in Korea.

Materials

  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [2 items] -- (collected 1944 - 1951)
  • Photograph: Mixed (Multiple types of photographs) [7 items] -- Photograph (collected 1943)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 05/25/2006)
  • Audio: DAT [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 09/09/2003)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/2220

Cite as

  • Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection (AFC/2001/001/2220), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • audio
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/xxxx), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Willis Jr., Corbin B, and Corbin Willis. Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02220/.

APA citation style:

Willis Jr, C. B. & Willis, C. (1941) Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02220/.

MLA citation style:

Willis Jr., Corbin B, and Corbin Willis. Corbin B. Willis, Jr. Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.02220/>.