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Hargis Westerfield Research Collection : 41st Infantry Division, 1941-1994

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Westerfield, Hargis, 1909-1998
Title
Hargis Westerfield Research Collection : 41st Infantry Division
Dates
1941-1994 (inclusive)
Quantity
10 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 364
Summary
This collection consists of materials collected by Hargis Westerfield in his capacity as historian for the U.S. Army 41st Infantry Division. The 41st Infantry was an activated National Guard Division serving in the South Pacific during World War II. Westerfield served in the 163rd Infantry Regiment of the 41st Division and acted as historian for the Division. The collection consists of subject files (1942-1945; 1971-1987) arranged by campaign and military unit, containing copies of official documents, diaries, writings and letters, lists of casualties, maps, and reports concerning the experiences serving in the South Pacific during World War II.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Hargis Westerfield was born in Richmond, Kentucky, on November 1, 1909. He received military training at Army Finance School at Ft. Harrison, Indiana. During World War II he served as a private first class in the Pacific Theater of operations, and earned, among other awards, a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Westerfield received a Ph.D. from Indiana State University, and served as a professor of English at the University of Nebraska. He was Division historian for the U.S. Army 41st Infantry Division from 1949 until his death in 1998, collecting diaries and reminiscences describing Division members' experiences in the Pacific Theater during World War II. These materials, in conjunction with his own research, form the basis for articles published in the Jungleer, a magazine produced by the 41st Infantry Division Association.

The 41st Infantry Division was composed of Army National Guard units from Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. These units were activated for service during World War II. During the war, recruits from around the nation were assigned to the various regiments of the 41st Infantry Division. The primary elements of the Division were its three infantry regiments: 162nd (Oregon), 163rd (Montana), and 186th (Idaho and Washington). The 41st also contained several smaller combat and support units including several Field Artillery Battalions, the 116th Engineer Battalion, the 116th Medical Battalion and the 163rd Combat Team.

The Division participated in many major battles and campaigns. Included among its major engagements were the battles of Salamaua and Sanananda during the New Guinea campaign; invasions of Wakde, Hollandia, Biak, Aitape and Jolo islands; conquest of Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindinao Island, in the South Philippine Archipelago; and occupation of Japan.

The entire 41st Division was deactivated on December 31, 1945.

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Content Description

The collection consists of subject files (1942-1945; 1971-1987) arranged by campaign and military unit, containing copies of official documents; diaries, letters, and reminiscences; lists of casualties and awards; and maps; all concerning the experiences of the Division serving in the South Pacific during World War II. There is a subgroup for each military campaign, including Australia, Papua, Sanananda, Salamaua, Aitape, Hollandia, Wakde-Toem, Biak, Palawan, Zamboanga, Bongao, Davao, Jolo, Sulu, the occupation of Japan, and multi-campaign unit histories. Within each subgroup there are files for each military unit involved. Among the more important units are the 41st Infantry Division, the 162nd, 163rd, and 186th infantry regiments, and several other units including the 116th Engineers and the 116th Medical Battalions. The unit files include copies of declassified military documents; diaries, letters and reminiscences from veterans; lists of casualties and awards; and Hargis Westerfield's notes and writings. There are also files on Japanese regiments and Philippine insurgent groups. There is also a card index for recipients of medals. [OVERSIZE MATERIALS: Map case.]

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

By military campaign, then by unit

Location of Collection

MC 364

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Processing Note

This collection was formerly MC 244, but due to the donation of a much larger accession, the collection had to be moved to a new location. The processor made the difficult decision to organize the files by campaign, rather than by unit. There are major advantages and disadvantages to each approach. The chief deciding factor was the better understanding of the war in the Pacific resulting from organizing the collection by campaign. The multi-campaign subgroup at the end of the collection includes valuable unit histories, which follow the activities of specific units throughout the war, plus writings and diaries of individuals covering more than one campaign.

Westerfield organized file folders in preparation for writing articles in the Jungleer, magazine. Letters and writings from specific individuals are often fragmented by what topic they were writing about. Many writings are unidentified or poorly identified. Many handwritten signatures were difficult to read, so spellings may be wrong.

Related Materials

Microfilm 507: U. S. Adjutant General's Office, purchased by Hargis Westerfield and donated with the collection, contains 37 reels of "Morning Reports" July-Aug.1943, April-July and Sept.-Oct. 1944, and Mar.-June 1945, listing location of each military unit and the soldiers on active duty in that unit. There is also 1 reel of "Annexes to Operations Reports, 186th, Biak"

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

Initial finding aid prepared by John Terreo, 1993; major addition prepared by Ellie Arguimbau, 2010.
2010

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