Skip to main content

Clarence Williams

Staff Sergeant Clarence Williams was a combat medic assigned to the US 122nd Medical Battalion, 42nd Division (the Rainbow Division) during World War II. Williams deployed to France in January 1945 and was present at the liberation of Dachau concentration camp in April of that year. Williams photographed both the liberation of Dachau and other experiences he had during the war in Europe. Growing up in Crescent and Council Bluffs, Iowa, he eventually settled in Lincoln, Nebraska after the war. Clarence’s collection of photographs and letters between he and his wife, Gretchen, detailing his World War II experiences were made available to the Institute for Holocaust by Clarences son, Dr. Tom Williams. There are instances where Clarence does not use proper English conventions in his descriptions. We have transcribed his writing as it appears in the original text. Hear Clarence's stories directly from his family members.


604 items

Unloading Beer

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

A Typical German Street

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Train from Marseilles, France

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Tower of London

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Tents

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Telegram from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, October 21, 1945

  • Date: October 21, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: telegram

Telegram from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, October 18, 1945

  • Date: October 18, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: telegram

Telegram from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, January 29, 1945

  • Date: January 29, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: letter

Taxi Service

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Summer View of Our Home

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Subway Ticket

  • Date: August 1945
  • Format: object

Subway Ticket

  • Format: object

Stacy and Guistolise

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Some of Our "Ack-Ack" Guns

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Soldiers at checkpoint?

  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph

Sol Karnovitz, Pappy and Laskos

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Sol Karnovitz

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

The Sky Ride at Innsbruck, Austria

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

The Sky Ride at Innsbruck, Austria

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.
  • Format: object

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.
  • Format: object

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.
  • Format: object

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.
  • Format: object

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.
  • Format: object

Show Program

  • Date: July 27, 1945
  • Format: object

Show Program

  • Date: July 27, 1945
  • Format: object

Seine River

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Schwaz, Austria

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Scene from Top of Island

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Sawing Wood

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Salzburg, Austria

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

SAC Museum Exhibit

  • Creator(s): SAC Museum
  • Format: object

Rockettes Theatre Ticket

  • Date: September 21, 1945
  • Format: object

Road Map

  • Format: object

Remnant of the French 1st Army

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Reichsbanknote

  • Format: object

Red Cross Room Ticket

  • Format: object

Red Cross Club

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Ration Card

  • Date: August 28, 1945
  • Format: object

Rainbow Reveille, August 3, 1945

  • Date: August 3, 1945
  • Format: document

Rainbow Division Map

  • Date: 1945
  • Format: object
  • Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum collection, gift of the Gregg and Michelle Philipson Collection and Archive; Accession Number: 2017.611.2

Rainbow Division Again Fights, 'Trains' by Plugginng 7th Army Gap

  • Format: newspaper

Prisoners Surrendering

  • Date: 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: photograph
  • Source: Institute for Holocaust Education

Postcard from Worms, Germany

  • Date: April 11, 1945
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Wasserburg am Inn

  • Date: May 14, 1945
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Tergernsee

  • Date: June 1945
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Innsbruck

  • Date: June 17, 1945
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Hallein

  • Date: September 1945
  • Creator(s): Echte Fotografie
  • Format: postcard

Postcard from Hallein

  • Date: September 1945
  • Creator(s): Echte Fotografie
  • Format: postcard
⟰