37 Savoie Street
Fall River, Mass.

July 19, 1943

Dear Friends:

You were so kind to us in our hour of trial that we wish to express our deep appreciation for your sympathy and prayers. We received so many letters, cards, etc. that it is impossible for us to write to each personally as we would like to. However, we hope that you will take this mimeographed copy as a sincere expression of our heartfelt thanks.

We are thankful to our Heavenly Father that Wesley is safe and by this time should be all right again physically.

The story of his experience is too long to repeat in its entirety, but suffice to say, that on the lst. of June he was taken prisoner by 7 Germans in a place which was considered cleared of the enemy. While a prisoner he developed an infected foot, which probably accounted for his release. (It was the intention of his captors, at the beginning to take him to Italy and later to Germany).

On the 21st. they left him alone on an island and on the 26th. he was rescued by a British Lieutenant and two sailors and placed in a United States Navy Hospital somewhere in North Africa.

The last we heard from him he was doing well and expected to be out of the hospital within a couple of weeks.

Again thanking you for your kindness, we are

Yours most sincerely,
E & C Crawley [signature]
E & C Crawley [typed] [Transcription ends]

Co O, 15th SSR.
Fort Monmouth, N.J.
May 23, 1942

Bryant Service
Bryant College
Providence, R.I.

Friends:

Received the box of candy today. Thanks loads! I really enjoyed eating it as I thought of Mr. Lee having to chip in for it too. It kind of makes up for the Haddon Halls we fellows had to buy him.

At present I am in Officer Training School and although I haven’t instructors like Mr. Lee, Mr. Gulski, and Mr. Vinal I like the course very much. It reminds me of Bryant too as I am kept very busy with homework.

Again thanks very much!

Keep ‘Em Flying,
Wes Crawley [Transcription ends]

Co. O - 15th SSR.
Fort Monmouth, N.J.
June 14th 1942

Dear friends,

Again thanks ever so much for the candy. It makes being in the army a lot easier when we know that folks at home are thinking of us and doing all they can to help us out.

Sincerely,
Wes Crawley [Transcription ends]

Co. A - Prov SAWBn
c/o 3rd Air Defense Wing
APO #525 c/o P.M.
New York, N.Y.
August 13, 1943

Greetings from Sunny Sicily,

I was pleased to receive your letter of July 20. I haven’t learned the contents of that clipping reporting me “safe” as yet so don’t know how much of my adventure you know about. To make a long story short I was held prisoner on an island by 7 Germans for 3 weeks. They treated me very good and shared their meager food supply with me. They left me on the island when they left and I was picked up later by a British motor launch. During my captivity I got a very badly infected right foot which kept me in the hospital for 2½ weeks. I’m back with my unit now and my foot is coming along fine. I have my medical orderly dress it daily and it should be back to normal in a few weeks.

Before leaving Africa I stopped in at a finance office and met Tony Talarico. His brother Gene and I were classmates at Bryant and he and my brother Walt were too. Gene received his commission in the Signal Corps. And last Tony heard from him he was at a post of embarkation. So you see it’s a small world after all.

I was surprised to learn that Betty Neilan brought in the clipping. Guess I’m getting old! It just seems a few months ago when she and another “kid” used to watch us play softball.

Glad to hear that Miss “one, two, three, space” Krupa is now Mrs. Costa and a proud mama. I often thought that she and Mrs. Messer would make good drill sergeants in the Waacs. I know Mrs. Messer has the patience of Job as she tried to teach me typing. To teach a bunch of girls to drill will require about the same amount I figure.

Thanks just the same but there isn’t anything I need as Uncle Sam provides us with about everything.

Well, so long and keep grinning. Wes Crawley [Transcription ends]

Lt. W. C. Crawley
Co. A 2691, SAWBn
APO #525
December 17, 1943

Bryant Service Club
Bryant College
Providence
R.I.

Italy

Dear Friends,

Thanks a lot for the candy you sent me for Christmas. The motto we have is “Don’t save anything for tomorrow that you can eat today,” so your candy was good. It is nice to know that you back home really are behind us. Nothing is more discouraging than to hear and read of strikes, etc. back home. But thank God that the number who hinder production, etc. are very few compared to those who are behind us 100%. We need all the guns, tanks, radio parts, motors, etc. you can send us. The more we get, the fewer the lives that we will lose. We also need good business men and women back home and that’s what your job at Bryant is. Do the very best you can as fast as you can. We beat the Italians because we are smarter than they are. Fascism suppressed education--we encourage it. We are beating the Germans and Japs because we are better educated than they. Schools and colleges in the States are doing their share for victory and the preservation of the peace to follow depends more on them than anything else.

Thanks again
Wes Crawley
Class of ‘36 [Transcription ends]