Guide to the George F. Rickey papers
1943-1945
Collection number: HMC-0505.
Creator: Rickey, George F.
Title: George F. Rickey papers.
Dates: 1943-1945.
Volume of collection: 0.2 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Papers and photographs of a navigator with the 77th Bombardier Squadron of the 11th Air Force stationed at Adak.
Biographical note:
George F. Rickey was born in Geneva, New York, in 1922. He served in the United States Army Air Force from 1943 to 1946. In 1945, Rickey was a bombadier navigator for the 77th Bombardier Squadron of the Eleventh Air Force, stationed at Adak Army Air Field in the Aleutians. Rickey’s wartime service included training at the following schools and/or locations: Greenville, South Carolina; Air Force Advanced Flying School, Roswell, New Mexico; Army Air Forces Navigation School, San Marcos Army Air Field, San Marcos, Texas; Air Corps Technical School, Kessler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi; 27th College Training Detachment (Air Crew), University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio; Navigator Preflight School, U.S. Army Air Corps, Ellington Field, Texas; and Santa Ana Army Air Base, Santa Ana, California. In 1947, Rickey received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, and married Shirley M. Laudenslayer. The couple had six children. George F. Rickey died in Geneva, New York, in 1985.
Collection description:
The collection consists of World War II era papers and photographs of bomber navigator George F. Rickey. The collection contains xerographic copies of wartime letters and diary entries, and photographs from Rickey’s service on Adak. The letters include one from the commander of the Santa Ana Air Base to Rickey’s father, concerning his selection for training as a navigator (Sep. 1943), and nine from Rickey to his father (Dec. 1944-Oct. 1945). The daily diary entries cover the period from January 1 to October 5, 1945. The photographs consist of 135 black and white copy prints from original negatives, and 22 black and white copy negatives. The photographs are from Rickey’s service with the 77th Bombardier Squadron, stationed at Adak Army Air Field, and are primarily of fellow airmen, aircraft (B-25 Mitchell Bomber, PBY, Ventura Bomber, P-38 Fighter, and C-47 Transport), and airfields.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged into the following series:
Series 1: Letters and diary; 1943-1945
Series 2: Photographs; 1945
Digitized copies: Five photographs have been digitized and are available on Alaska’s Digital Archives. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not hold copyright to the materials.
Preferred citation: George F. Rickey papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was presented to the archives by James Rickey in 2001. A deed of gift was signed in 2001. Additions to the collection were made in 2002.
Processing information: This is a copied collection. The original negatives were loaned to the Archives by the creator’s family and were returned once the prints were made. This collection was originally arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2002. The guide to this collection was revised and updated to current standards by Veronica Denison in 2013.
Location of originals: This is a primarily copied collection. The originals and copies of various items may be located in other repositories, personal collections, or with the donor’s family.
Container list:
Series 1: Letters and diary; 1943-1945. 0.05 cubic feet.
This series contains letters and one diary. The diary was kept by George F. Rickey. These are photocopies of the originals.
| Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1 | Letter from Colonel W.A. Robertson, Commander, Headquarters, Santa Ana Army Air Base, Santa Ana, California, to father of George F. Rickey | 1943 September 7 |
| 2 | Letters from George F. Rickey to his father | 1944-1945 |
| 3 | George F. Rickey Diary | 1945 January-October |
Series 2: Photographs; 1945. 0.15 cubic feet.
This series contains photographs of Rickey’s service with the 77th Bombardier Squadron, stationed at Adak Army Air Field. The prints in this series are from the original negatives. The photograph numbers are also from the original negatives and were numbered and described by George F. Rickey and his family members.
| Folder/Item | Description |
| 4/2 | Left to right: Bob Robbins and unknown |
| 4/3 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/4 | Paul Werner |
| 4/5 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/8 | Frank Kosiba |
| 4/9 | Bob Talley |
| 4/10 | Left to right: Frank Kosiba and unknown |
| 4/11 | Sam Johnson |
| 4/12 | Cecil Reavis |
| 4/13 | Phil Earnheart |
| 4/14 | Bailey Howard |
| 4/15 | Left to right: Elgin Ledet and Charles Nicholls |
| 4/17 | Ken Wood |
| 4/18 | Bob Robbins |
| 4/19 | John Danyo |
| 4/20 | Left to right: Robert Glueck and Weldon Preddy |
| 4/21 | Left to right: unknown and Paul Dundon |
| 4/22 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls, unknown, Weldon Preddy, and George Scherl |
| 4/26 | Left to right: Weldon Preddy, Elgin Ledet, and George Scherl |
| 4/28 | Catcher and batter at baseball game |
| 4/29 | Soldiers digging hole |
| 4/30 | Left to right: Bill Begar, Weldon Preddy, and Charles Nicholls |
| 4/31 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls and Weldon Preddy |
| 4/32 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls and Bailey Howard |
| 4/33 | Play at first base at baseball game |
| 4/34 | Weldon Preddy in cockpit of plane |
| 4/37 | Cecil Reavis |
| 4/43 | Top to bottom: Weldon Preddy and Charles Nichols (double exposure) |
| 4/47 | Bomber engine and bomber alongside during flight |
| 4/48 | John Tidball |
| 4/50 | George Scherl |
| 4/51 | Elgin Ledet |
| 4/55 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/57 | Left to right: John Tidwell and unknown |
| 4/59 | Left to right: unknown, Bailey Howard, unknown, unknown, Frank Kosiba, Charles Robinson, Tom Mullane, and Paul Dundon |
| 4/60 | Left to right: unknown, Bob Robbins, unknown, unknown, Elgin Ledet, Charles Nicholls, Weldon Preddy, unknown, unknown, John Tidball, and unknown, Just after war ended |
| 4/68 | Left to right: unknown, Charles Nicholls, Elgin Ledet, Weldon Preddy, and Paul Dundon |
| 4/70 | George Scherl |
| 4/73 | George Scherl |
| 4/74 | Tom Mullane |
| 4/77 | Two soldiers and landing boat |
| 4/79 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls, Elgin Ledet, and Weldon Preddy |
| 4/80 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls, Elgin Ledet, and Weldon Preddy |
| 4/81 | Left to right: Willard Castledine and Dale Luttman |
| 4/82 | John Danyo |
| 4/83 | Baseball scene |
| 4/84 | Millar and puppy |
| 4/85 | Charles Nichols |
| 4/86 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls, Cecil Reavis, and Huen |
| 4/89 | White cross and grave: “13 Japanese” |
| 4/92 | John Tidball |
| 4/95 | John Tidball |
| 4/96 | Left to right: George Scherl and George F. Rickey |
| 4/101 | White cross on grave: “13 Japanese” |
| 4/108 | George Scherl |
| 4/109 | Left to right: Cecil Reavis and Weldon Preddy |
| 4/110 | Millar with puppy |
| 4/111 | Soldier in and next to stream |
| 4/113 | Bomber taking off |
| 4/114 | Baseball game scene |
| 4/115 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/116 | George Scherl in gun turret |
| 4/117 | George F. Rickey in gun turret |
| 4/118 | Bomber in flight over ocean |
| 4/119 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/120 | Glider and shelters |
| 4/121 | Small bomber from the rear |
| 4/122 | Cargo plane landing |
| 4/123 | Aircraft hangar and mountains |
| 4/124 | Bridge and aircraft hangar |
| 4/131 | Phil Earnhart? |
| 4/132 | Unidentified soldier |
| 4/133 | Left to right: unknown and Captain Hoffarth |
| 4/134 | Two unidentified soldiers |
| 4/135 | Left to right: Charles Nicholls and Weldon Preddy Standing next to front of bomber |
| 4/136 | Elgin Ledet |
| 4/137 | Three unidentified soldiers |
| 4/138 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/139 | Unidentified soldier |
| 4/141 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/142 | Warrant Officer J. G. “Dick” Cooke |
| 4/143 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/144 | Charles Nicholls on tractor seat |
| 4/145 | Frank Kosiba |
| 4/146 | Soldier holding onto propeller on bomber |
| 4/147 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/148 | Unidentified soldier |
| 4/152 | Bomber taking off from runway |
| 4/155 | Left to right: Bailey Howard, Elgin Ledet, unknown standing, unknown, Weldon Preddy, Sam Johnson, and unknown |
| 4/158 | Cargo plane taking off |
| 4/159 | John Tidball, second from left |
| 4/161 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/162 | Bomber on ground |
| 4/163 | Bomber on runway |
| 4/167 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/168 | Weldon Preddy |
| 4/169 | Ken Wood |
| 4/170 | Ken Wood |
| 4/171 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/172 | Left to right: Weldon Preddy, Joe Fontaine, and Ken Wood |
| 4/173 | Weldon Preddy and puppy |
| 4/174 | Navy Bomber: Ventura |
| 4/175 | Weldon Preddy in cockpit of bomber |
| 4/176 | Weldon Preddy |
| 4/178 | Charles Nicholls |
| 4/179 | Weldon Preddy on bunk |
| 4/180 | Bomber at airfield |
| 4/181 | Bomber being serviced |
| 4/182 | Soldier in gun turret |
| 4/183 | Gliders on ground and in air |
| 4/184 | Bomber on matting |
| 4/185 | PBY on runway |
| 4/186 | Bomber parked on matting |
| 4/187 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/188 | Soldiers at baseball game |
| 4/189 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/190 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/191 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/193 | Bomber taking off or landing |
| 4/194 | Soldier in bomber cockpit |
| 4/195 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/196 | Airfield building |
| 4/198 | Baseball game |
| 4/199 | Stove, bunk, and desk inside building |
| 4/200 | Soldier inside gun turret |
| 4/205 | Aerial view of coastline and mountains from bomber |
| 4/206 | Bomber landing at airfield |
| 4/207 | Bombers in flight |
| 4/209 | Coffee station |
| 4/212 | View from airfield |
| 4/213 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/216 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/217 | Bomber in flight |
| 4/218 | George Rickey at side gun turret |
| 5 | Copy negatives |