Title: Harvey Klafke Papers and Photographs
Inclusive Dates: 1943-2002

Creator:

• Klafke, Harvey

Call Number: WVM Mss 947

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

Papers and photographs of Harvey Klafke, who served in the United States Army as part of the American Graves Registration Command (A.G.R.C.) immediately following World War II. Materials relating to graves registration include printed instructions, with a diagram, for transporting remains; blank interment report forms; typed statements taken from German civilians describing their memories of American pilots and soldiers who were captured or killed near their villages; and a list of remains that were identified during “processing,” often by identification tags, personal effects, or physical descriptions. Military papers, including orders, provide some logistical details about his service in Europe. The “I am a doughboy” booklet, in which Klafke wrote numerous notes, describes the Infantry Replacement Training Center that trained soldiers toward the end of the war. Among the souvenirs he collected is a “hugs and kisses” ration book and numerous postcards from Europe. There are also several items belonging to Klafke's brother, Alvin, who served in the Navy during World War II. Photographs include pictures of row upon row of grave markers at American Cemeteries at Brookwood and Cambridge, England; St. Avold (Lorraine), France; and Hamm, Luxembourg. Pictures taken at the Orkney Islands in Scotland show the retrieval and transportation of several flag-draped coffins containing the remains of American soldiers. Other photos show the cathedral in Strasbourg, France, a group of German prisoners of war who worked for the A.G.R.C. in that city, and two group shots of the headquarters, 3rd Field Command of the A.G.R.C. while stationed at Strasbourg. A photo from Cambridge, England shows Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bernard Montgomery in academic dress to receive honorary degrees while another picture shows the grave marker of George S. Patton. There are several photographs from Klafke's basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida and some pictures of Klafke's relatives who served in the military during World War II, including his brother Alvin, cousin Richard, and uncle Raymond.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00947

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Harvey Klafke was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 26, 1927. He attended local schools and was inducted into the Army in August 1945, less than a month after his eighteenth birthday. He received his basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida and went overseas in February 1946 as part of the American Graves Registration Command. He worked in Europe to identify, recover, and properly bury the remains of American servicemen killed during World War II. He spent most of his time in France, though he also worked in the United Kingdom.

Klafke remained in Europe until December 1946, returning to the United States and being discharged on January 23, 1947.

The papers of the Harvey Klafke are divided into two series, Papers and Photographs.

Papers (1944-2002) contains scattered materials documenting Klafke's service in the United States Army as part of the American Graves Registration Command (A.G.R.C.) immediately following World War II. Included are printed instructions, with a diagram, for transporting remains that describe chemicals used to prevent odor; wrapping the remains in a mattress cover; and putting them in a lined reburial box. Blank interment report forms show the type of information gathered by members of the A.G.R.C. about the remains, the location, bodies buried around the remains, and any other evidence that could be used to identify the remains. Several typed statements taken from German civilians describe their memories of American pilots and soldiers who were captured or killed near their villages. Also included is a list of remains that were identified during “processing,” often by identification tags, personal effects, or physical descriptions. Military papers, including orders, provide some logistical details about his service in Europe. The “I am a doughboy” booklet, in which Klafke wrote numerous notes, describes the Infantry Replacement Training Center that trained soldiers toward the end of the war. Klafke received instruction at Camp Blanding, Florida before going overseas. Three postcards and a telegram to his parents inform them of his arrival at various places in Europe but do not describe his activities at all. Among the souvenirs he collected is a “hugs and kisses” ration book and numerous postcards from Europe. There are also several items belonging to Klafke's brother, Alvin, who served in the Navy during World War II.

Photographs (1943-1947) consist largely of shots taken during Klafke's service in Europe. There are dozens of identified photographs of Klafke, in Army uniform, at cemeteries and cities in Great Britain, France, and Germany. Of particular interest are the pictures of the American Cemeteries at Brookwood and Cambridge, England; St. Avold (Lorraine), France; and Hamm, Luxembourg. Most of these photos show row upon row of whitewashed grave markers representing the thousands of Americans killed in the European theater, and some of the shots taken at St. Avold (Lorraine) show timeworn markers just prior to repainting. Pictures taken during a trip to the Orkney Islands in Scotland show the retrieval and transportation of several flag-draped coffins containing the remains of American soldiers. Other photos show the cathedral in Strasbourg, France, a group of German prisoners of war who worked for the A.G.R.C. in that city, and two group shots of the headquarters, 3rd Field Command of the A.G.R.C. while stationed at Strasbourg. A photo from Cambridge, England shows Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bernard Montgomery in academic dress to receive honorary degrees while another picture shows the grave marker of George S. Patton. There are several photographs from Klafke's basic training at Camp Blanding, Florida. This series also contains some pictures of Klafke's relatives who served in the military during World War II, including his brother Alvin, cousin Richard, and uncle Raymond.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Harvey Klafke, Onalaska, WI, 2001. Accession Number: TR1307.

Processing Information

Processed by Russell Horton in 2006.

	Series: Papers
Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical information, undated
Box   1 Folder   2	Correspondence to parents, 1946
Box   1 Folder   3	Klafke, Alvin (brother), 1944-1945
Box   1 Folder   4	Military papers, 1946-1947
	Graves Registration forms
Box   1 Folder   5	Identified bodies list, 1946
Box   1 Folder   6	Instructions for moving remains, 1946
Box   1 Folder   7	Interment report forms, 1946
Box   1 Folder   8	Statements to help identify remains, 1946
Box   1 Folder   9	“I am a doughboy” orientation booklet, 1945
Box   1 Folder   10	Maps, 1945-1946
Box   1 Folder   11	Orders, 1946
Box   1 Folder   12	Scorebook for rifle target practice, circa 1945
Box   1 Folder   13	Newspaper clippings, 1946, 2002
Box   1 Folder   14	Souvenirs, 1945-1946
Ov   22 Folder   1	Driving directions, England, 1946
Box   1 Folder   15	“Hugs and kisses” ration book, circa 1945
Box   1 Folder   16-23	Postcards, 1945-1946
	Series: Photographs	⇧
Box   2 Folder   1-19	Harvey Klafke [82] , 1945-1946
Box   2 Folder   20	Allied leaders [3] , undated
Box   2 Folder   21	Europe [4] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   22-23	Belgium (Antwerp) [11] , 1947
	England
Box   2 Folder   24	Brookwood American Cemetery [6] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   25	Cambridge [4] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   26-30	American Cemetery [25] , 1946
PhOv   14 Folder   5	Cemetery [1] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   31	London [5] , 1946
	France
Box   2 Folder   32	Aix-en-Provence [1] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   33	Maginot line emplacment [1] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   34	Orley Field [4] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   35	Paris [4] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   36	St. Avold [4] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   37-43	Lorraine American Cemetery [36] , 1946
Box   2 Folder   44	Soldiers [2] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   1-3	Strasbourg [19] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   4-7	Cathedral [17] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   8	German POW workers [1] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   9	HQ, 3rd Field Command, A.G.R.C. [2] 1946
Box   3 Folder   10	Railroads [4] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   11-12	Soldiers [8] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   13	Germany (Baden Baden) [6] , 1946
	Ireland
Box   3 Folder   14	Aran Island [4] , 1947
Box   3 Folder   15	Belfast [2] , undated
Box   3 Folder   16	Luxembourg (Hamm American Military Cemetery) [2] , 1946
	Scotland
Box   3 Folder   17	Edinburgh [5] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   18-20	Orkney Islands [17] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   21	Transportation of disinterred bodies [4] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   22	Skara Brae [5] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   23-24	Thurso [14] , 1946
Box   3 Folder   25	Family and friends [2] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   26	Alvin Klafke (brother) [2] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   27	Raymond Klafke (uncle) [1] , 1943
Box   3 Folder   28	Richard Numan (cousin) [2] , 1943
	Subseries: United States	⇧
Box   3 Folder   29-31	Camp Blanding (Florida) [12] , 1945
Box   3 Folder   32	Lewiston Victory ship [1] , 1945