Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1938-1940 (Creation)
Extent
1 scrapbook.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Claudius Earle Belk was born in 1920 in Millville, Arkansas. In 1938 he enlisted in the United States Marines. After basic training, he served aboard the USS Yorktown. During World War II, Belk was a navigator aboard a B-17 bomber of the 546th Bombardment Squadron, 384th Bombardment Group of the US Army Air Force. His place was shot down over France on June 26, 1943, and he was captured by German forces as a prisoner of war. He spent most of his captivity in the Stalag Luft III POW camp in Sagan, Germany. Belk was awarded the Purple Heart for his service in 1946. Belk continued to serve in the armed services following the war. He was married and divorced once, and died in 1999 in Florida.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Scrapbook of Claudius Earle Belk's first few years in military service. Includes a log of major events in his life, as well as world events, from 1938 to 1939; photographs of his family and home; photographs, postcards, and real photographic postcards of locations during his training on Parris Island and deployment on the USS Yorktown; other photographs and postcards collected by Belk, predominantly of military subjects; and two maps of his travels.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. The materials are non-circulating.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Given to Special Collections by Kevin Hawkins, October 2023.
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
DACS.
Sources used
Archivist's note
Finding aid created by Colleen Hoelscher, October 2023.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- United States. Marine Corps. (Subject)