Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing James William Simpson Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Location of Service: Sicily, Italy; Normandy, France; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); North Africa; Iwo Jima
- Highest Rank: Seaman Second Class
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/3239
As a 72nd birthday present to his father, Stuart Simpson assembled Witness to War, a scrapbook of Bill's exploits during World War II as a seaman aboard the U.S.S. Thurston, a troop transport. The ship saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific, most meaningfully in the English Channel on June 6, 1944, as it carried troops and vehicles for the Normandy Invasion. Among the items in the Simpson scrapbook are detailed pages of instructions for the Thurston's activities for D-Day, letters Bill wrote home to his family, and an account of a rare moment when the crew of the Thurston actually fired on another vessel - nearly two months after V-J Day.
About this Item
Title
- James William Simpson Collection
Names
- Simpson, James William
- Simpson, Stuart
State of Birth
- KY
Home State
- KY
Headings
- - Simpson, James William
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Form
- Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts)
Extent
- 1 item
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- Veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Location of Service: Sicily, Italy; Normandy, France; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); North Africa; Iwo Jima
- Highest Rank: Seaman Second Class
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Military Status: Veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran was a signalman.
Materials
- Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [1 item] -- Mixed (handwritten and typewritten documents) (collected 08/2001)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/3239
Cite as
- James William Simpson Collection (AFC/2001/001/3239), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image