Title: Edward P. Baillie Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1942-1949

Creator:

• Baillie, Edward P.

Call Number: WVM Mss 941

Quantity: 0.8 linear ft. (2 archives boxes and 4 oversized folders) of papers and 0.4 linear ft. (1 archives box) of photographs.

Repository:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Have questions? Contact the Reference Archivist

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)

See the catalog entry for current shelf locations and additions.

Abstract:

The papers and photographs of Edward P. Baillie, an officer in the Coastal Artillery who later served at a stateside prisoner of war camp during World War II. His time at the prisoner of war camp in Ruston, Louisiana is documented by a directory of the camp, roster of the prisoners, and various passes, as well as a sketch and several watercolor paintings by the prisoners. The camp held German and Ukrainian prisoners, largely officers. A large amount of study materials from his time at a radar school at the Presidio show the information being presented to the students. The collection also contains numerous souvenirs collected by Baillie and his wife, Sarah, in the several states and bases at which he served during the war. Sarah stayed with Baillie as he was transferred around the country and often found war work at nearby bases. Largely ephemeral in nature, these souvenirs document the stateside soldier as tourist. Many of the souvenirs are postcards, but they also include menus, flyers, and advertisements for local establishments from places like a bullfight in Juarez, Mexico, the Carlsbad Caverns, Muir Woods, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans, and San Quentin prison. A newspaper from San Francisco welcomed war workers to the city, introducing restaurants and other places of interest in the city. Photographs correspond to the souvenirs in that they document the travels and recreational activities of Edward and Sarah rather than his military service. The photographs of landlords show that Sarah lived off base and needed to find accommodations. Edward is in uniform in most of the photographs and there are shots of other uniformed men at the Army base in San Rafael, California.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00941

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Edward Peter Baillie was born in Madison, Wisconsin on July 13, 1903. He attended local schools and graduated from Madison High School. Baillie joined the R.O.T.C. while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1929, and made a 1st Lieutenant the following year.

In 1932 Baillie began working as a chemist for the city of Madison's water treatment program, remaining in the Army Reserve. He entered active service with the Army in October 1942 and remained stateside throughout the war. Assigned to the Coastal Artillery, he received training at several bases in California, including radar school at the Presidio. In 1944 he was transferred first to Texas, then to Louisiana. His wife, Sarah, traveled with him throughout the war and often found work on nearby bases.

In June 1945 Baillie, with the rank of Captain, was assigned to a prisoner of war camp in Ruston, Louisiana where Ukrainian officers who had joined the Germans to fight against Stalin were being held. The prisoners held Baillie in high regard, giving him Christmas cards, artwork, and gifts. Discharged in early 1946, Baillie returned to Madison and resumed his job with the city. He remained active in the Madison Astronomical Society, which he had helped establish in 1930. His wife Sarah passed away in December 1978. Baillie died in Madison on January 26, 2000.

The papers of Edward P. Baillie are divided into 3 series: Military, Souvenirs, and Photographs.

Military (1943-1949) contains documents relating to Baillie's military service during World War II. His time at a prisoner of war camp in Ruston, Louisiana is documented by a directory of the camp, roster of the prisoners, and various passes. The regard in which the prisoners held Baillie is shown through a sketch, several watercolor paintings, and letters they sent to him after the war ended. A large amount of study materials from his time at a radar school at the Presidio show the information being presented to the students. Most of the handouts relate to the operation of specialized equipment. Passes belonging to both Baillie and his wife, Sarah, grant permission to purchase supplies on the various military bases at which he served. There are also war ration books for both from their time at San Rafael, California.

Souvenirs (1942-1945) consists of memorabilia collected by Edward and Sarah Baillie in the several states and bases at which he served during the war. Largely ephemeral in nature, these souvenirs document the stateside soldier as tourist. They also reinforce the fact that Sarah was able to stay with Edward throughout the war and they were able to take trips together during his leaves. Many of the souvenirs are postcards, but they also include menus, flyers, and advertisements for local establishments. Some of the places the Baillies visited include a bullfight in Juarez, Mexico, the Carlsbad Caverns, Muir Woods, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans, and San Quentin prison. A newspaper from Carlsbad Caverns listed the Baillies as visitors on the back page. A newspaper from San Francisco welcomed war workers to the city, introducing restaurants and other places of interest in the city. The series also contains flight information from a trip home to Madison the Baillies made during one of his furloughs.

Photograph (1942-1945) corresponds to a large degree with the Souvenirs series in that it documents the travels and recreational activities of Edward and Sarah Baillie rather than his military service. Photographs document their visits to the bullfight in Mexico, Lake Tahoe, Muir Woods, and New Orleans. There are photographs of the couple standing by a flooding Red River in Louisiana, visiting a beach club in La Jolla, California, and visiting friends at Fort Mason, California. The photographs of landlords document the fact that Sarah lived off base and needed to find accommodations. Edward is in uniform in most of the photographs and there are shots of other uniformed men at the Army base in San Rafael, California.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Rebecca Baillie, Deerfield, WI, 2002. Accession Number: TR1315B.

Processing Information

Processed by Russell Horton in 2006.

	Series: Military
Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical information, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	Certificate, 1945
Box   1 Folder   3	Correspondence, 1944-1945
Box   1 Folder   4	From Baillie, 1949
Box   1 Folder   5	From German prisoners, 1945-1946
Box   1 Folder   6	From B.J. Stinnett (fellow soldier), 1945
Box   1 Folder   7	Identification card, 1944
Box   1 Folder   8	Menus, 1944-1945
Box   1 Folder   9	Personal Military records, 1945-1946
Box   1 Folder   10-11	Passes, 1943-1945
	Subseries: Prisoner of war camp (Ruston, Louisiana)	⇧
Box   1 Folder   12	Atrocities booklet, undated
Ov   18 Folder   8	Directory, 1945
Box   1 Folder   13	Passes, 1945
Box   1 Folder   14	Roster of prisoners, 1945
Box   1 Folder   15	Sketch (by prisoner), 1945
Ov   19 Folder   8	Watercolors (by prisoners) [3] , circa 1945
	Subseries: Radar School (Presidio)	⇧
Box   1 Folder   16	Introductory materials, 1943
	Study materials
Box   1 Folder   17	Antenna, 1943
Box   1 Folder   18	Cables and interconnections, 1943
Box   1 Folder   19	Familiarization, 1943
Box   1 Folder   20	Keyer, 1943
Box   1 Folder   21	Modulators, 1943
Box   1 Folder   22	Oscilloscope, 1943
Box   1 Folder   23	Radio receiver, 1943
Box   1 Folder   24	Range converter, 1943
Box   1 Folder   25	Range unit, 1943
Box   1 Folder   26	Rectifier, 1943
Box   1 Folder   27	System installation, 1943
Box   1 Folder   28	System trouble analysis, 1943
Box   1 Folder   29	Transmitter, 1943
Box   1 Folder   30	War ration books, circa 1943
	Series: Souvenirs	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1	Alexandria, Louisiana, 1944
Box   2 Folder   2	Postcards, 1944
Box   2 Folder   3	Bullfight (Juarez, Mexico), 1944
Box   2 Folder   4	California, circa 1943-1944
Box   2 Folder   5	Postcards, circa 1942
Box   2 Folder   6	Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, 1944
Ov   21 Folder   1	Newspaper, 1944
Box   2 Folder   7	Flight information (furlough), 1945
Box   2 Folder   8	Lake Tahoe, California, Postcards, circa 1943
Box   2 Folder   9	Los Angeles, California (Chinatown), circa 1942
Box   2 Folder   10	Muir Woods, California, circa 1943
Box   2 Folder   11	New Orleans, circa 1945
Box   2 Folder   12	Postcards, circa 1945
Box   2 Folder   13	Play programs, circa 1943-1944
Box   2 Folder   14	Ruston, Louisiana, 1945
Box   2 Folder   15	San Francisco, California, Postcards, circa 1942
Ov   21 Folder   9	War worker newspaper [2] , circa 1943
Box   2 Folder   16	San Quentin prison, California, circa 1943
Box   2 Folder   17	San Rafael, California, circa 1944
	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   3 Folder   1-3	Edward P. and Sarah J. Baillie [9] , 1942-1944
Box   3 Folder   4	Bullfight (Juarez, Mexico) [4] 1944
Box   3 Folder   5	California Coastal Artillery [4] , circa 1942
Box   3 Folder   6	Camp Callan, California [7] circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   7	Carlsbad Caverns [1] , circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   8	Esler Field, Louisiana [2] 1944
Box   3 Folder   9	Fort Bliss, Texas [7] 1944
Box   3 Folder   10	Herbert Hunter (landlord) [3] , 1944
Box   3 Folder   11-13	Fort Mason, California, Friends [14] circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   14	La Jolla, California, Beach Club [2] 1943
Box   3 Folder   15-16	Lake Tahoe, California [10] circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   17	Landon, Chuck and Joie [4] circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   18	Los Angeles, Landlords [4] 1943
Box   3 Folder   19	Madison, Wisconsin, House [2] 1942, 1946
Box   3 Folder   20-24	Muir Woods, California [22] circa 1943
Box   3 Folder   25	New Orleans [6] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   26	Red River flood, Louisiana [4] 1944
Box   3 Folder   27	Ruston, Louisiana [4] 1945
Box   3 Folder   28	San Rafael [6] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   29-30	Army personnel [8] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   31	Edwards, Persis (friend) [2] 1943
Box   3 Folder   32	Rented house [6] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   33	Landlord [5] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   34	Unidentified soldier [2] , circa 1942