Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mulberry harbor photographs
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mulberry harbor photographs
- Date
- 1944 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.02 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Photography
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- France -- Normandy.
- Normandy
- Mulberry harbors.
- Operation Overlord.
- Harbors.
- Arrangement
- The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0617: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Mulberry harbor photographs, 1944, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mulberry harbors were portable, temporary, harbors that were utilized during the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Designed by the United Kingdom, these harbors were taken in sections across the English Channel and assembled at Omaha Beach and Gold Beach after the Allies successfully held beachheads during D-Day. The Mulberry harbor at Omaha Beach was used by the American invasion forces, however following the storm on June 19 the damage was so severe to the harbor it was determined to be irreparable and decommissioned. The Mulberry harbor at Gold Beach was used by British and Canadian invasion forces, came through the storm intact, and was used past it's decommission six months after D-Day. Overall, in the 10 months following D-Day, the Mulberry harbor at Gold Beach was used to land over 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Source: (2019). Mulberry harbor. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulberry_harbour
- Scope and Content
- The Mulberry harbor photographs (dated 1944; 0.02 cubic feet; 16 photographs) comprise images that depict the construction and use of Mulberry harbors in World War II. The images show men working on building phoenix caissons for the harbor, the unloading of LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) on the beaches, manning of anti-aircraft guns on the piers, and the damage done to the harbors after the storm of June 19, 1944.
- The Mulberry harbor photographs collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
"L.S.T. [Landing Ship, Tank] unloading on pierhead", 1944
Two unidentified men in coats saying "U.S.N.", 1944
Group of unidentified sailors in life jackets on a ship, 1944
Unidentified men working on a pierhead, 1944
Four unidentified men at destroyed harbor in U.S.N. jackets, 1944
"Pierhead hit with German 88 (7 purple hearts)" unidentified men standing in front of beached pierhead, 1944
"108th pierhead with dusk just starting on the bridge. Phoenix's in background", 1944
"Chuck Higgins manning a 20 mm anti aircraft gun on pierhead. Phoenix in background", 1944
"L.S.T. [Landing Ship, Tank] unloading on pierhead", 1944
"108th pierhead after the storm", 1944
Two unidentified men working on "top of phoenix", 1944
"Chow line at Tilbury", 1944
"Limey tug boat in rear, this type of boat was used for towing phoenixs", 1944
Two unidentified men standing in front of rows of tents, "Tilbury Camp - Buzz bomb lane. My tent second one in left row", 1944
Unidentified men building a phoenix caisson, 1944
Construction of a phoenix caisson, 1944
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
