Robert Walter Jennings Papers

1942-1960, undated
Manuscript Collection #996
Creator(s)
Jennings, Robert Walter
Physical description
1.5 Cubic Feet, 3 boxes
Preferred Citation
Robert Walter Jennings Papers (#996), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
Access to audiovisual and digital media is restricted. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Papers (1942-1962) of U.S. Navy enlisted man, who retired as Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (E-7) pertaining to his service aboard the USS INTREPID, USS BONHOMME RICHARD, USS BOXER, USS TICONDEROGA, USS PINE ISLAND, USS FORRESTAL, and various shore installations, including 3 8 mm film strips (ca. 550 feet) of flight operations aboard the USS BOXER, 1952, clippings, printed materials, manuscript materials, and photographic prints.


Biographical/historical information

Robert Walter Jennings enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942 in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended boot training at The Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where he also learned boatswaining. Jennings also attended training schools in Pensacola, Florida and Morwan, Oklahoma from 1943-1945. Jennings served on the USS INTREPID from February 1945 to early 1947 (through the Battle of Okinawa), then on the USS BONHOMME RICHARD (CV-31) in 1951. During his Navy career Jennings visited Japan and Korea. Robert Jennings received a Good Conduct medal in October 1947 and a Victory Medal in December 1947, after signing on for two additional years.


Scope and arrangement

The majority of this collection is photographs, concerning various Aircraft Carriers during and after World War II, many of which are during the Korean War. The photographs deal with the crew, aircraft, and workings of the ship. Also included are photographs of Jennings with equipment and aircraft, crew members, and in his formal uniform. While on the USS FORRESTAL, Jennings was involved with the Tidewater Association for Retarded Children, and five photographs depict Jennings with the Association. The aircraft carriers pictured in the collection of photographs are the USS FRANKLIN, USS FORRESTAL, USS INTREPID, USS BOXER, USS NEW JERSEY, USS SICILY, USS TICONDEROGA, USS PINE ISLAND and the USS HORNET. Also included is a photograph of Jennings from 1958 that has been autographed to his wife. Photographs date from 1945-1960, with some being undated.

Printed materials are also included in the papers. The newspaper clippings are undated, and concern the USS BOXER, USS INTREPID, and the USS FORRESTAL. The BOXER and INTREPID articles relate to damage that was done to the ships. There is also a folder of USS INTREPID memorabilia, including ship newsletters and a Thanksgiving Day ship menu, all from 1945. Other memorabilia is from the United States Naval Air Technical Training Center in Jacksonville, Florida, and includes 12 pictures from the training center, dating from 1942. Also included is Jennings' is the photocopied Navy Service Record Pamphlet, which is handwritten by Jennings, and lists important dates and events during his Navy career; and his American Legion Membership Certificate.

Moving images include three 8mm reels from the Funeral Service and Flight Operations of the USS BOXER. There is also a VHS videocassette tape with unknown content, but also involves the BOXER. These date from 1952.

There are also two scrapbooks. These scrapbooks document U. S. Navy enlisted men during their cruises aboard the aircraft carriers the USS BONHOMME RICHARD (CV-31) from July - September 1951. The other scrapbook documents the USS BOXER (CV-21) from March - October 1952, where Jennings served with Repair 8, a Flight Deck Crash Crew. The scrapbooks include photographic prints, clippings, correspondence, ephemera and memorabilia related to crewmen at work and leisure at Honolulu, Hawaii, Hungam, Korea and the Japanese locations of Yokosuka, Ofuna, Nagasaki, Sasebo, Yokohama, Kamakura and Mabora Beach. Also included are military aerial photographs of Korea taken during flight operations and Jennings' return to the United States.


Administrative information
Custodial History

March 1, 2004, 49 items, 0.25 cubic feet; Papers (1942-1962) of U.S. Navy enlisted man, who retired as Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (E-7) pertaining to his service aboard the USS INTREPID, USS BONHOMME RICHARD, USS BOXER, USS TICONDEROGA, USS PINE ISLAND, USS FORRESTAL, and various shore installations, including 3 8 mm film strips (ca. 550 feet) of flight operations aboard the USS BOXER, 1952, clippings, printed materials, manuscript materials, and photographic prints. Donor: Elaine Blanche Del-Pan Jennings

April 30, 2004, (addition 1) 79 items, 0.25 cubic feet; Papers (1942, 1951-1953, 1958) of U.S. Navy enlisted man, who retired as Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (E-7) pertaining to his service aboard the USS BONHOMME RICHARD, USS BOXER, and the USS FORRESTAL, and the U. S. Navy Naval Air Technical Training Center, Jacksonville, FL, including photographic prints of aerial reconnaissance photographs, crewmen, and flight operations aboard the USS BOXER off Korea, 1951-1952, photographic prints, negatives, and printed material. Donor: Lamont C. Jennings

November 9, 2005, (addition 2) 0.50 cubic feet; Scrapbooks (1951-1952) of U. S. Navy enlisted man during the cruises of the aircraft carriers the USS BONHOMME RICHARD (CV-31), July - September 1951, and USS BOXER (CV-21), March - October 1952, where he served with Repair 8, a Flight Deck Crash Crew, including photographic prints, clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and memorabilia illustrating crewmen at work and leisure, at Yokosuka, Ofuna, Nagasaki, Sasebo, Yokohama, Kamakura, Mabora Beach, Tokyo, Japan; Hungam, Korea; also including military aerial photographs of Korea and flight operations off Korea and his return to the United States. 270 black & white photographic prints; 1 shoulder patch. Donor: Lamont C. Jennings

Source of acquisition

Gift of Elaine Blanche Del-Pan Jennings

Gift of Lamont C. Jennings

Processing information

Processed by Lisa Conner, March 31, 2005

Processed by Dale Sauter, May 1, 2008

Encoded by Mark Custer, May 19, 2008

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.


Key terms
Personal Names
Jennings, Robert Walter
Corporate Names
United States. Navy--Aviation
United States. Navy--Boatswain's mates
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Japan
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Korea
Topical
Aircraft carriers--United States

Container list
Box 1 Folder b Newspaper clippings (undated) concerning the USS BOXER, USS INTREPID, and USS FORRESTAL. 5 items. 5 p
Box 1 Folder d Souvenir pamphlet (1942) entitled "Keep 'Em Flying," from the United States Naval Air Technical Training Center in Jacksonville, Florida. 1 item. 12 p
Box 1 Folder e VHS Videocassette (1952) USS BOXER Flight Operations off Korea. 1 item. 1 p
Box 1 Folder f Film (undated) of Funeral Service on USS BOXER. 8mm Reel. 1 item. 1 p
Box 1 Folder g Film (1952) of Flight Operations USS BOXER. 8mm. 1 item. 1 p
Box 1 Folder h Film (1952) entitled "Sciences of Japan" 8mm. 1 item. 1 p
Box 2 Folder a Photographs (1945-1960, undated) of Robert Walter Jennings in the Navy, USS FRANKLIN, USS FORRESTAL, USS INTREPID, crew members, and the Tidewater Association for Retarded Children. P996/1-27 27 items. 27 p. Photographs, miscellaneous (undated) of aerial views taken from plane, and an unknown building. P996/78, 109-110. 3 items. 3 p
Box 2 Folder b Negatives and prints (missing) (undated) of various aircraft carriers, planes, and crew. P996/13-57 will be returned after all negatives are printed. [see restriction] 60 items. 60 p
Box 2 Folder c Photographs (1951) of and on the USS BOXER, including the flight deck and fan tail. P996/58, 61, 63. 3 items. 3 p
Box 2 Folder d Photographs (1951, undated) of various Aircraft Carriers and their equipment, including the USS NEW JERSEY, USS SICILY, and unknown ships. Included are photographs of crew members working. Some of these pictures were taken in Korean waters and Japan. These may or may not include more photographs of the BOXER and her crew. P996/62, 66-67, 69-72, 75-76, 79, 81, 83-84, 93, 95, 97, 102-106. 21 items. 21 p
Box 2 Folder e Photographs (1951) of aircraft on the flight deck of various Aircraft Carriers and in flight, some of which were taken in Korea. P996/65, 68, 74, 77, 85-92, 94, 96, 100-101. 16 items. 16 p
Box 2 Folder f Photographs (1951, undated) of Jennings on the USS BOXER, USS HORNET, standing in front of jets, with crew members, in Japan, and in his formal uniform. P996/59-60, 64, 73, 80, 82, 98-99, 107-108. 10 items. 10 p
Box 3 Folder a Scrapbooks (1951-1952) of U. S. Navy enlisted man during the cruises of the aircraft carriers the USS BONHOMME RICHARD (CV-31), July , September 1951
Box 3 Folder b Scrapbooks (1951-1952) of U. S. Navy enlisted man during the cruises of the aircraft carriers the USS BOXER (CV-21), March , October 1952