1944 ORIGINAL BATTLE OF THE PACIFIC MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A HARD LIVING, HARD DRINKING, PARTY LOVING STAFF SERGEANT OF THE 868TH BOMBER SQUADRON

On offer is an original manuscript relic of one American soldier's experience serving as a member of the 868th Bomb Squadron ["H" squadron order #7 APO 717A] from January 1st, 1944 writing 133 full pages and then ending on Thanksgiving Day, 1944. Handwritten by S/Sgt John Purvis [b. July 10th, 1921] from Detroit, Michigan who fills the 'My Life In The Service' diary with everything from the mundane like playing craps, negotiating for gin, dealing with native headman for a bow and arrow, movies, drinking parties - including an occasion when the Captain came to his shack for some 'research' and the also writes of raids and bombings from the Japs, planes coming back from missions with no brakes, no landing gear and crashing, troops crossing a coral reef only to end up dead including a friend who was close to leaving for home, some committed suicide by shooting himself in the head and much, much more. He was in Munda at the time of the the Battle of Munda Point. Overall this is a super look at the life of a non-commissioned officer dealing with everything from the enemy, to the natives and to his own officers, both good and bad. Condition: VG. HISTORICAL NOTES: one online source: The Battle of Munda Point was a battle, from 22 July-4 August 1943, between primarily United States Army and Imperial Japanese Army forces during the New Georgia Campaign in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific War. In the battle, U.S. forces captured a Japanese airfield constructed at Munda Point on New Georgia. After losing the battle for the airfield, Japanese forces abandoned New Georgia entirely and redeployed to defend nearby Kolombangara. The U.S. employed the airfield in its campaign as part of Operation Cartwheel to isolate the major Japanese base at Rabaul, New Britain.; Manuscript; 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, SGT JOHN J. PURVIS, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, BATTLE OF MUNDA POINT, NEW GEORGIA, OPERATION CARTWHEEL, 868TH BOMB SQUADRON, UNITED STATES ARMY, IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY, NEW GEORGIA CAMPAIGN, SOLOMON ISLANDS, PACIFIC WAR, PACIFIC THEATRE, NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, DIARY, JOURNAL, LOG, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTO ALBUM, PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, HANDSCHRIFT, HANDGESCHRIEBEN, MANUSKRIPT, DIARIES, JOURNALS, LOGS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier Antike, Brief, Pergament, Dokument, Manuskript, Papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, Papel,