William H. Turcotte Diary (Z/1606)
Collection Details:
Collection Name and Number: William H. Turcotte Diary (Z/1606).
Creator/Collector: William H. Turcotte.
Date(s): 1943-1945; 1966.
Size: 0.50 cubic feet.
Language(s): English.
Processed by: MDAH staff 1971; Finding aid by Archie Skiffer and Laura Heller, 2019.
Provenance: Gift of William H. Turcotte of Jackson, MS, on September 9, 1971; Z/U/1971.021.
Repository: Archives & Records Services Division, Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
Rights and Access:
Access restrictions: Original diary is restricted due to long-term exhibition in the Museum of Mississippi History; Reference copy in box 2, or Microfiche copy, or Electronic Resource Link must be used.
Publication rights: Copyright assigned to the MDAH. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to Reference Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the MDAH as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of the copyright in items created by the donor. Although the copyright was transferred by the donor, the respective creator may still hold copyright in some items in the collection. For further information, contact Reference Services.
Copyright notice: This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Preferred citation: William H. Turcotte Diary (Z/1606), Mississippi Department of Archives & History.
Biography:
William Henry Turcotte was born in Magee, Simpson County, Mississippi, on January 24, 1917, to Henry Eugene Turcotte (b. 1878) and Caroline "Carrie" Wynn (b. ca. 1883). William H. Turcotte was the fifth of Henry and Carrie’s six children including: Robert E, Maria, Virgie, Sarah R., and Ruby Turcotte. Turcotte enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard in 1934. He was assigned to Company C, 155th Infantry Regiment, 31st Division. Turcotte attended Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, where he graduated in 1939. After graduation, Turcotte was employed as a museum taxidermist with the Mississippi Wildlife Museum. William Turcotte married Annie Cook Tribble (b. February 6, 1918 – d. August 18, 1979) on February 17, 1940. The couple had four children including: William Scott, John Winfield, James Freeman, and Terry Marieanne Turcotte. Throughout 1940, Turcotte assisted Fannye A. Cook and R.M. Freeman on statewide surveys relating to both beavers and wild turkeys. However, Turcotte’s career as a wildlife conservator was interrupted once the United States joined World War II after declaring war against the Axis Powers when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941.
During World War II, Turcotte applied and was accepted into the United States Army Air Corps. Turcotte’s physical and mental aptitude scores resulted in him being classified as an aerial navigator. The three phases of his training lasted from May, 1942 to July, 1943. After the completion of his training, Turcotte was assigned to the 322nd Squadron, 91st Bomb Groups. Turcotte and his crew participated in more than ten bombing raids. On October 9, 1943, while serving as a decoy on a bombing mission deep into German held territory targeting port facilities at Gdynia, Poland and aircraft assembly plants at Anklam and Marienburg, their B-17 was shot down. Turcotte and his comrades were eventually captured and moved to Stalag Luft III at Sagan, East Germany. Turcotte was held as a prisoner of war until officially liberated on April 29, 1945.
After World War II, Turcotte returned to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, where he served as a field biologist and administrator until retiring in 1979 after forty years of service. After Annie Turcotte’s death in 1979, William Turcotte married Dorothy Lucille Diffenderfer Brown (b. January 31, 1920 – d. January 5, 2006) in April, 1980. In 1999, Turcotte co-authored Birds of Mississippi. This publication provides a detailed account of over 380 bird species and offers a comprehensive overview of the history of ornithology in Mississippi, wildlife management, and its major proponents such as Fannye Cook. Birds of Mississippi also documents Mississippi’s diverse habitats and the best locations for observing birds.
William Turcotte died on November 5, 2000 and was buried at Clinton Cemetery.
Scope and Content Note:
This diary was kept by William H. Turcotte while he was in the Stalag - Luft III, a German prisoner-of-war camp from October 1943 until April 1945.
The front and back cover are wrapped with the wool fabric of Turcotte’s uniform which he embroidered with a bald eagle in flight and labeled with the name of the camp, "Stalag Luft 3." The back cover is also embroidered with a round shape showing a duck in an aviation jacket and headgear behind a barred window waving. The circle is embroidered with the words "Stalag Luft 3 - P.O.W. - 3121 - I Wanted Wings." The thread used to embroider the covers was obtained from his army sewing kit and by removing the patches from his uniform.
The colored pencil drawings bring a sense of humor to the prison-of-war camp situation while they depict “kriegie” (prisoner-of-war) living conditions, food, activities, poetry, and colloquialisms unique to the group. There are lists of books read, British expressions, recipes, and Thanksgiving and Christmas menus. Some entries describe the invasion of Germany and the eventual liberation of the prisoners in April 1945. Additionally, there are paintings depicting the campgrounds, providing a detailed layout from an aerial view. There is also a series of portraits of other prisoners accompanied by their signatures and personal information; many of these soldiers had colorful nicknames.
Also included in the diary are memorabilia pasted onto the pages such as can labels, a cigarette wrapper, and mailing labels, in addition to the news clippings containing war news predominantly in German. Loose within the diary were some photographs of Turcotte, a woman, and two owls; and several letters from 1943 and 1966.
Series Identification:
Series 1: Diary, circa 1943-1945.
This diary contains drawings, lists, news clippings, labels, and other memorabilia describing and relating to Turcotte’s living conditions in the German prisoner-of-war camp, the Stalag - Luft III, from October 1943 until April 1945.
Series 2: Loose Materials, 1943-1944; 1966; n.d.
These items accompanied the diary upon donation. They include metal can labels, a personal data sheet, photographs, correspondence, and news clippings.
Subseries 2.1: Labels. n.d.
This subseries consists of one paper and two metal labels found loose within the Turcotte diary. One has “Kup Kafay Instant Coffee” printed on the metal; another has "KLIM Powdered Whole Milk" printed on it; and one paper label has "De Reszke Virginias" printed on it.
Box 1, Folder 1
Subseries 2.2: Personal Data Sheet. 1943.
This subseries consists of William H. Turcotte's personal data sheet, in German language, from Stalag Luft 3. It contains his military details, physical description, fingerprint, arrival dates in the camp, and his wife Annie Turcotte’s address.
Box 1, Folder 2
Subseries 2.3: Photographs. 1943; n.d.
This subseries consists of four photographs, including one of William H. Turcotte with his prisoner-of-war identification number 3121 on the back. Two photographs show a woman posing on a bench and on the ground; neither identify the woman by name however the back includes in writing "Lt. William H. Turcotte, American POW #3121, Stalag Luft 3, Germany" and stamped "GEPRUET 30." The fourth photograph is of two owls with no information on the back.
Box 1, Folder 3
Subseries 2.4: Correspondence and Poetry. 1943; 1966; n.d.
This subseries consists of four letters written between 1943 and 1966, and one poem by Sam Dorrance. The first letter is dated December 27, 1943, from Lieutenant J.R. Brown asking "Bill" Turcotte for the names and addresses of their crew members. A second letter is dated December 16 and 25, but does not indicate the year, however it is likely circa 1943-1945 due to its content: Si writes to Turcotte and shares the names of other crews in the "kriegie camp" and details about soldiers during the war. The two letters from 1966 are between Turcotte and Donald J. Spittler, wherein Turcotte shares information about a stump-puller he used while in the German prisoner-of-war camp which Spittler described in his article in The Conservationist; Spittler responds to share how he first learned about this stump-puller contraption and includes information about his own wartime military experiences. The wartime poem by Sam Dorrance is an undated typescript.
Box 1, Folder 4
Subseries 2.5: News Clippings. 1944; n.d.
This subseries consists of four news clippings in German and English language. The first is a partial news clipping in English showing a hedgehog formation of military aircraft. One news clipping is a photograph of planes in flight. A large clipping from the German newspaper Volkischer Beobachter (National Observer), January 3, 1944, includes the translated headline "Leaders' slogan for the year 1944: Be worthy of battle and sacrifice of victory!" Lastly, there is a partial news clipping featuring on one side a map of Lake Superior accompanying the translated headline "Forbidden Land" and on the other side an article with the headline "The New Form of Recruiting" and two photographs of soldiers.
Box 1, Folder 5