]> Finding Aid for the Shirley Ruth Smith Correspondence, 1941-1945 Processed by: Beth Carmichael; machine-readable finding aid created by: Beth Carmichael University Archives & ManuscriptsThe University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC, USA
2007 Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: June 2007. Description is in English. Finding aid was prepared using DACS. Finding Aid for the Shirley Ruth Smith Correspondence, 1941-1945 University Libraries, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro &hdrnguscua; Descriptive Summary The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. University Archives & Manuscripts. Smith, Shirley Ruth Shirley Ruth Smith Correspondence, 1941-1945 WV0318 Material in English. Approximately 60 items For current information on the location of these materials, please consult University Archives & Manuscripts. Shirley R. Smith was a social worker in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. Correspondence between Shirley R. Smith and her family and friends documents her service in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. Letters in 1943 from Smith to her family in Wyoming, Ohio, describe her daily activities in great detail. Subjects in the spring of 1943 include her work with patients, a WAAC beauty shop, and a ceremony for Gray Ladies at her hospital in Indiana. Letters from Washington, D.C., provide detailed information about station and general hospitals and the process by which Smith was assigned to duty by the Red Cross. Other topics in 1943 include facilities and coworkers at Camp Bowie, Tex.; drill; uniforms and accessories; her voyage to England and social activities on the ship; recreation and holiday festivities at the 67th General Hospital; and her pride in being a Red Cross worker and in working with the nurses in the hospital. Letters dating from 1944 and 1945 contain more sparse information about Smith's daily life in England. Also included are letters and V-mail from Smith's family and friends. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

 Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Shirley Ruth Smith Correspondence (WV0318), Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC, USA.

 Acquisitions Information

Purchased in 2005.

 Processing Information

Processed by Beth Carmichael, April 2005

Encoded by Beth Carmichael, June 2007

 Biographical Note

Shirley R. Smith was a social worker in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. She initially served in a station hospital at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, before reporting to Washington, D.C., in August 1943. Smith remained in Washington until the middle of the month, when she traveled to Camp Bowie, Texas, where she joined the 32nd General Hospital. In September 1943, Smith sailed to England, where she apparently remained in Taunton, England, until the end of the war. She served with the 32nd General Hospital until the fall of 1943, when she transferred to the 67th General Hospital.

 Collection Overview

Correspondence between Shirley R. Smith and her family and friends documents her service in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. Letters in 1943 from Smith to her family in Wyoming, Ohio, describe her daily activities in great detail. Subjects in the spring of 1943 include her work with patients, a WAAC beauty shop, and a ceremony for Gray Ladies at her hospital in Indiana. Letters from Washington, D.C., provide detailed information about station and general hospitals and the process by which Smith was assigned to duty by the Red Cross. Other topics in 1943 include facilities and coworkers at Camp Bowie, Tex.; drill; uniforms and accessories; her voyage to England and social activities on the ship; recreation and holiday festivities at the 67th General Hospital; and her pride in being a Red Cross worker and in working with the nurses in the hospital. Letters dating from 1944 and 1945 contain more sparse information about Smith's daily life in England. Also included are letters and V-mail from Smith's family and friends.

Collection Arrangement

Collection is arranged chronologically.

 Detailed Description of the Collection Correspondence, 1941-1945

Correspondence between Shirley R. Smith and her family and friends documents her service in the American Red Cross from 1943 to 1945. Letters in 1943 from Smith to her family in Wyoming, Ohio, describe her daily activities in great detail. Subjects in the spring of 1943 include her work with patients, a WAAC beauty shop, and a ceremony for Gray Ladies at her hospital in Indiana. Letters from Washington, D.C., provide detailed information about station and general hospitals and the process by which Smith was assigned to duty by the Red Cross. Other topics in 1943 include facilities and coworkers at Camp Bowie, Tex.; drill; uniforms and accessories; her voyage to England and social activities on the ship; recreation and holiday festivities at the 67th General Hospital; and her pride in being a Red Cross worker and in working with the nurses in the hospital.

Letters dating from 1944 and 1945 contain more sparse information about Smith's daily life in England. Subjects include news about family and friends; items that she needs or packages that she received; social activities, people coming and going; and how busy she is with work.

Also included are letters and V-mail from Smith's family and friends. Letters from family primarily describe news from home; those from Smith's brother Francis comment on his own wartime experiences. Several 1944 letters from former patients of Smith attest to the good work of the Red Cross and describe their recovery. A September 1944 letter from another Red Cross worker describes her return from China and her transition back to civilian life.

 1 1941 2 1943: April-August 3 1943: September-December 4 1944: January-April 5 1944: May-December 6 1945 Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

American Red Cross. American Red Cross--Uniforms. Camp Atterbury (Ind.) Camp Bowie (Brown County, Tex.) Gray Ladies (Organization) Recreation. Smith, Shirley Ruth. V-mail. World War, 1939-45--England. World War, 1939-45--United States. World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Female. World War, 1939-1945--Women--United States.