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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

Changing of the Guard (image 2)

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

Man Who Had Been Shot at Dachau

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

Dachau Scene Taken by Irv Miller

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

Dachau Box Car

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

Car Load of Bodies at Dachau

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

New German Dachau Mass Grave Found

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

Four years later - Crocks empty now, stone marks dead in fog-bound Dachau

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

Captain Joseph O'Brien Viewing Bodies

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

Dachau Crematory

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

Dead S.S. Guards at Dachau

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

Piles of Clothing at Dachau

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

Dachau citizens help erase camp memories

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

Crematory Oven

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

Dachau Crematory (image 1)

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

Dachau Crematory (image 2)

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

Bodies at Dachau

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

Our Aid Station at Eoling

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

German Prisoners

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

Munich Tombs

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

Prisoners Surrendering

  • 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

Our Aid Station at Freutsmoos

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

Celebrating VE day

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

VE Prayer Service (image 1)

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

VE Prayer Service (image 2)

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

Our Station at Obing, Germany.

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

Making Wool Thread

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

Waples, Pappy and George

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

At Sidewalk Cafe in Aix, France

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

Sol Karnovitz, Pappy and Laskos

  • 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

Wrecked German Equipment

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

Wrecked German Equipment (image 1)

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

Wrecked German Equipment (image 2)

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

Wrecked German Equipment (image 3)

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

Karnovitz Dismounting

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

German Amunition

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

Norman Waples with Laskos

  • 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

Watson and Guistolise

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

Guistolise

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

Jesse Drake

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

Stacy and Guistolise

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

Watson and Drake

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

Laskos and Besosa

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

Nancy, France

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

Waples and Guistolise

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

Guistolise and Laskos

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

Watson and Drake

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

Guistolise and Waples

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