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Up for sale is an extraordinary, museum-grade World War II personal historical scrapbook tracking the complete wartime trajectory of Staff Sergeant Russell \"Pappy\" Foster. This extensive archive features 314 original, sharp snapshot photographs spanning multiple distinct global theaters, balanced by an unbelievable lineup of blue-chip historical paperwork, physical unit insignia, and raw frontline folk art.Unlike fragmented lots, this scrapbook remains entirely intact as a single-owner narrative, offering an unparalleled soldier\'s-eye view from pre-Pearl Harbor domestic conscription down to the front lines of occupied Germany.
1941: Peacetime Conscription & Domestic ManeuversTracks Foster’s initial peacetime induction from Chicago Board No. 133, early deployment training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi (including a rare holiday program with a \"1041\" misprint), and his participation in the intensive 1941 Tennessee Maneuvers with the 5th Infantry Division.
1942–1943: Sub-Arctic Deployment in IcelandDocuments his arrival with the initial Indigo Force waves via an official 1942 Civil Affairs induction sheet. Features exceptional original snapshot photography of coastal fjords, daily town life, base logistics, active winter ski maneuvers, and a pristine \"Frozen Bastards of Iceland (F.B.I.)\" certificate.
1944: Pre-Invasion Staging & The European Mainland AdvanceChronicles his transit to Great Britain with original London pocket guides and a pristine, field-issued original SHAEF D-Day Order of the Day leaflet featuring Gen. Eisenhower’s facsimile signature. Follows the drive through Cherbourg and Paris, highlighting unique candid snapshots of an active Red Cross Clubmobile and Hollywood icon Edward G. Robinson smoking cigars with the troops on his August 1944 USO tour.
1944–1945: Frontline Germany & Headquarters Liaison OperationsCaptures rare, close-up snapshot of Maj. Gen. Terry Allen or Omar Bradley (see picture 6)You tell me but that looks like Omar Bradley!!Pic 7 is a side by side comparison of Omar picture and the one on the right from the scrapbook.
Concludes with a combat commendation sheet hand-signed by Gen. Terry Allen, custom 1944 \"Pappy\" Russell trench art, a triumphant V-E Day card, and a meticulous handwritten pocket itinerary tracking his journey back to Virginia in July 1945
Insignia Highlights: Safely mounted on these pages are his original classic cut-edge 104th Infantry Timberwolf patch and a highly coveted, custom padded/bullion-style European theater-made VII Corps patch, anchoring the entire physical collection to the exact units under discussion.Campaign ribbons.Also included is immediate post war after action reports of the outcome of the guys in the unit or from his hometown.
Very cool!!
The scrapbook is big 15x12 and 1.5 inches thick
Has a lot of postcards, pieces like the theatre ticket stubs, the London pocket street guides, the V-E Day victory card, the \"Here We Go Again\" newsletters that I just don’t have room to picture.
The condition:
The scrapbook has spine tape and one loose page and a few loose photos. It is a comprehensive museum grade scrapbook
