Madeleine Coleman papers

Content Description

This material contains references to offensive and harmful language and crimes involving racism. The purpose of this note is to give users the opportunity to decide whether they need or want to view these materials, or at least, to mentally or emotionally prepare themselves to view the materials. This collection contains photographs, diaries, a memory book, a prayer book, witness reports, scrapbook pages, certificates, newsletters, telegrams, a menu, and ephemera compiled by Madeleine Coleman during her service in the U.S. Women's Army Corps during the Second World War. Coleman was among 850 Black women who served overseas in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Coleman was from New York City and enlisted in the Army at twenty-three on January 1, 1943. She entered active service in September 1943. She was trained in Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and moved around the country to Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and Camp Sibert, Alabama, before heading overseas. She would marry a fellow soldier, John Roach, while abroad. Coleman's Separation Qualification Record notes that she "served overseas in England and France with Postal Directory Service, filed cards containing a change of address of Army personnel in E.T.C., redirected mail, and had knowledge of locations of various Army units."  Her wartime diary features entries discussing daily life in the Army, her exhaustion from overworking, anxieties she had about uniform inspections, and her private thoughts on the harsh treatment of Black women in the Corps, most especially during her time in Alabama. A bound album contains twenty photographs of Coleman's family and close friends. Coleman's "Memory Book" discusses the locations her Army service took her and her thoughts on the various places she lived and worked during her service. It includes signatures and messages from fellow soldiers. About thirty-five photos depict Madeleine's service, showing women in uniform, many in Rouen and the French Riviera, and some photos from her time as a hostess for the Harlem Defense Recreation Center. The rest document John Roach's service. Roach was also enlisted in the Army, with the majority of photographs depicting him at military bases in Texas, Italy, and the South Pacific. Of particular note are three leaves of typescript, two of which are signed by WAC members. They contain the witness statements of Privates Roberta McKenzie and Gladys Blackmon and detail the abuse suffered at the hands of the police when they refused to give up their seats at the back of the bus for white people. The incident was referenced in a 1947 United States Senate hearing on the treatment of Black military members. Also included are telegrams related to Madeleine's service, as well as a telegram to her husband about her return from overseas, two complete and four partial issues of the camp newsletter "Special Delivery", created by the women of the 6888th in France are included, two 6888th church services programs, and a 1944 Thanksgiving menu from Camp Sibert. 

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from Langdon Manor, 18 September 2024

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

No