Ruth E. Curtis Collection

Collection

Identifier: WV 0300

Staff Only

Ruth E. Curtis Letters, Digital Materials

Scope and Contents

Seven letters from Ruth Curtis to her family in Springfield, Massachusetts, that trace her travels to India in late 1945 and early 1946 and her service with the Red Cross in the China-India-Burma theater during World War II. Curtis provides excellent descriptions of her surroundings and social life on the ships as well as at both hospitals in India. Specific subjects include the separation of women and men on the USS General Muir; the large hospital complex near Ledo; her observations on the native Indian people that she encountered; her Red Cross uniform; the administration of Red Cross workers in India; Indian tea gardens; and her travels along the Ledo Road and Pangsau Pass on the India-Burma border. Of particular note is Curtis's excursion to an elephant camp and her description of elephants moving logs onto flat cars. Also included is one photograph of Curtis.

Dates

1945 - 1946

Creator

Curtis, Ruth E. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

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

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical Note

Ruth Curtis served with the American Red Cross in the China-India-Burma theater during World War II. She sailed on the USS General Muir to Calcutta in October 1945. She worked out of the 20th General Hospital near Ledo, Assam, India, and out of the 234th General Hospital in Chabua, Assam, India, as assistant field director for the next several months. She left Calcutta on the USS General Patrick in late December, and by March 1946 had arrived in the United Kingdom. Curtis visited London, Southampton, and Edinburgh before embarking on her return to the United States.

Extent

.08 Linear Feet (8 items (1 folder))

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

Additional Description

Abstract

Ruth Curtis served with the American Red Cross in the China-India-Burma theater during World War II.

Seven letters from Ruth Curtis to her family in Springfield, Massachusetts, trace her travels to India in late 1945 and early 1946.

Arrangement Note

Collection is arranged chronologically.

Method of Acquisition

Purchased in 2003.

Offensive Language Statement

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