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Arthur J. Mainzer diary

Document | Accession Number: 2010.231.1

The collection consists of a diary issued to American soldiers during World War II that was used by Arthur J. Mainzer of the United States Army Air Force. The diary includes enlistment information, family history, autographs from friends, promotion information, photographs, and diary entries of his activities from 1942 October-1944 February as well as a train ticket and two unmarked postcards from an enclosure in the back of the diary.

Date
inclusive:  1942-1944
Language
English
Genre/Form
Diaries.
Extent
1 oversize box
Credit Line
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Arthur J. Mainzer

About This Document

Document Creator
Arthur J. Mainzer
Biography
Arthur J. Mainzer was born in 1923 in Illinois to William and Rose Mainzer and had three siblings, Bill, Willie and Merle. Arthur enlisted in the Air Force in 1942 and became a cameraman in the 4th Combat Camera Unit of the 9th Air Force. The Combat Camera Unit was tasked with creating Air Force training films at Hal Roach Studios. After completing training at the Air Force Photo Technical School in Denver, Colorado and the First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California, he was deployed to Europe in 1944. Arthur was filming bomb damage by the Allied Air Forces with Captain Ellis Carter when they received information about the liberation of Buchenwald. They drove to Buchenwald on April 13, 1945 and filmed conditions of the camp. The footage was sent to headquarters in London.
System of Arrangement
The Arthur J. Mainzer diary is arranged as a single series.

Keywords and Subjects

Administrative History

Legal Status
Permanent Collection
Provenance
Arthur J. Mainzer donated the Arthur J. Mainzer diary to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010.
Funding Note
The accessibility of this collection was made possible by the generous donors to our crowdfunded Save Their Stories campaign.

Rights and Restrictions

Conditions on Access
There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
Conditions on Use
Material(s) in this collection may be protected by copyright and/or related rights. You do not require further permission from the Museum to use this material. The user is solely responsible for making a determination as to if and how the material may be used.

 
Record last modified: 2021-11-10 13:02:37
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn41929

Also in Arthur J. Mainzer collection

War diary of U.S. Air Force combat cameraman Arthur Manizer (about 40 pages) and one 16mm original kodachrome film documenting Arthur Manzer's wedding to Germaine Giradot on June 30, 1945 in a suburb of Paris, France (Montreuil Sous Bois).

1945 wedding of combat cameraman

1945 wedding of combat cameraman

Film

June 1945 wedding ceremony of Sergeant Arthur Mainzer, a combat cameraman who filmed the liberation of Buchenwald for the U.S. Army Air Forces, to Germaine Girardot, a French woman. The film was taken by other combat cameramen and photographers with the Ninth Air Force as a gift to Arthur. Various CUs of a crowd outside the church in a suburb of Paris preparing for the wedding, including military cameramen in uniform and the wedding party. Germaine, the bride, and her father begin the procession into the church. INT, church and wedding ceremony with priest (dark). Audience seated in pews. 01:08:26 EXT, church with townspeople and guests greeting the newlyweds. U.S. military exiting the church. Various CUs of the bride and groom posing for photographs. Tying flowers to the wedding car. Candid views of cameramen filming the wedding guests and activity outside the church. Wedding party departs in a U.S. military vehicle. French civilians wave goodbye. Candid CUs of military men, smoking and joking around. French spectators in apartment windows. Arthur and Germaine, the newlyweds, wave from a window above a cafe and kiss. More shots of U.S. combat camermen. The members of the 4th Combat Camera, 9th Air Force Unit and photographers from Photo Finishing, 9th Air Force who attended the wedding and are pictured in the film are: Sgt. John Killorin, Pvt. Verl E. Luzena, 1st Lt. Robert J. Fleck (best man), Cpl. John Killorin, Pvt. Paige J. Nelson, Pvt. Mario Mongini, Cpl. Pasquale Mirabella, Sgt. William E. Kelley, Pvt. Harold Citron, Pfc. Sherman Snider, Cpl. Lamoine Wark, Sgt. Louis F. Schadlich, Sgt. Ralph Lopatin, Pfc. Henry S. Rapaez, Nick Toth, and Sgt. Elmer H. Merkel. See Film and Video departmental files or attached document for more specifics.

View All 2 Items in the Collection