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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: Clarence Williams Photo Album, Institute for Holocaust Education, Omaha, Nebraska

A Typical German Street

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

Train from Marseilles, France

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

Tower of London

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

Tents

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

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

  • Date: October 21, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: telegram
  • Source: Clarence Williams Collection, Institute for Holocaust Education

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

  • Date: October 18, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: telegram
  • Source: Clarence Williams Collection, Institute for Holocaust Education

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

  • Date: January 29, 1945
  • Creator(s): Williams, Clarence
  • Format: letter
  • Source: Clarence Williams Collection, Institute for Holocaust Education

Taxi Service

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

Summer View of Our Home

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

Subway Ticket

  • Date: August 1945
  • Format: object

Subway Ticket

  • Format: object

Stacy and Guistolise

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

Some of Our "Ack-Ack" Guns

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

Soldiers at checkpoint?

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

Sol Karnovitz, Pappy and Laskos

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

Sol Karnovitz

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

The Sky Ride at Innsbruck, Austria

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

The Sky Ride at Innsbruck, Austria

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

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

Sketch of Salzburg

  • Creator(s): Stadler-Druck, F.

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: Clarence Williams Photo Album, Institute for Holocaust Education, Omaha, Nebraska

Schwaz, Austria

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

Scene from Top of Island

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

Sawing Wood

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

Salzburg, Austria

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

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: Clarence Williams Photo Album, Institute for Holocaust Education, Omaha, Nebraska

Reichsbanknote

  • Format: object

Red Cross Room Ticket

  • Format: object

Red Cross Club

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

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
  • Source: Clarence Williams Collection, Institute for Holocaust Education

Prisoners Surrendering

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

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

Postcard from Hallein

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