Ogden C. Gordon World War II papers

Series Descriptions:

The Ogden C. Gorman World War II Papers consist of four major series: Biography; Correspondence; Military Service Records and Materials; and Ephemera and Printed Materials. The papers in this collection range from 1937-1993.

Series I: Biography 1937-1993 (Box 1, Folders 1-5)

This series includes a 12 page biography of Ogden Gorman written by his son Peter Gorman; Certificates of Appreciation and the Distinguished Flying Cross Award, educational records from St. Andrew’s High School and a newspaper obituary after Ogden Gorman died of cancer in 1992. There is also a letter written to Ogden Gorman about a fellow soldier (Field Lieutenant C.P. Herrick) and letters of sympathy written to Betsy, Ogden Gorman’s second wife and to his son Peter Gorman. There are also news clippings and photocopied pictures of Ogden Gorman while in the service.

Series II: Correspondence 1940-1988 (Boxes 1-3)

This series includes correspondence involving Ogden Gorman.

Subseries 1: Ogden Gorman and his parents 1941-1944 (Box 1-2, Folders 6-18)

This subseries includes correspondence between Ogden Gorman and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Gorman. Most of this correspondence deals with Ogden’s life in the military and life at home in both Stevenson and Baltimore, Maryland without Ogden and the others off at war. The bulk of the correspondence is from Mrs. Douglas Gorman to Ogden Gorman. Also included are prints of digital images of letters from Petey Gorman to Mrs. Douglas Gorman that had originally been sent to Ogden, but were not included in the donation to the MdHS, except in digital formats. The prints have been re-filed in their original location of with correspondence from Mrs. Douglas Gorman to Ogden Gorman.

Subseries 2: Ogden Gorman and his brothers 1941-1945 (Box 3, Folders 19-20)

This subseries includes correspondence between Ogden Gorman and his brothers Edmund (Teddy), Arthur (Petey), and Kenneth (Aubrey) Gorman during World War II. Edmund was an administrator for the Army Air Transport Command stationed in London and attained the rank of major. Arthur was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Aubrey was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps in May 1944. They discuss topics such as their military lives and the family at home. The only brother’s letters that are not included in the collection are Douglas Gorman, who was an assistant military attaché to the American Embassy in Santiago, Chile.

Subseries 3: Mrs. Douglas Gorman, friends, family to Ogden on the death of Petey Gorman 1944 (Box 3, Folder 22)

This subseries includes correspondence that Ogden Gorman received from his friends, family and Mrs. Douglas Gorman on Petey Gorman’s being killed in New Guinea.

Subseries 4: Ogden Gorman and his friends, 1941‑1949 (Box 3, Folders 23-27) This subseries includes correspondence that Ogden Gorman received from his friends. This correspondence deals with Ogden Gorman’s service in World War II, his friends’ lives during the war, and some invitations to visit.

Subseries 5: Mrs. Douglas Gorman to Edmund (Teddy) Gorman, 1944 (Box 3, Folder 28)

This subseries deals with outgoing correspondence from Mrs. Douglas Gorman to her son Teddy Gorman during World War II. Mrs. Douglas Gorman asks Teddy about the war and gives information about herself and the rest of the family. Copies of these letters were sent to Ogden.

Subseries 6: Anita Gorman to Mr. Douglas Gorman, 1942 (Box 3, Folder 29)

This subseries includes letters from Anita Gorman to her father in-law Mr. Douglas Gorman. She is the wife of Ogden’s brother Douglas, whose letters are not included in the collection. She wrote these while Douglas was stationed in Santiago, Chile.

Subseries 7: Military Correspondence 1941-1949 (Box 3-4, Folders 30-34)

This subseries primarily deals with correspondence that Ogden Gorman received from other members of Squadron 427, whom Ogden served with in the RCAF, as well as fellow servicemen who were not in Squadron 427. The letters primarily ask Ogden how he is doing since he left the RCAF and transferred to the United States Army-Air Force in 1945. It also includes his enlistment letter into the RCAF in 1941 with a recommendation by a family friend who is a lawyer, and a letter from Flight Lieutenant Babbit to Mr. Douglas Gorman commending Ogden on his service. There is some 1988 Squadron 427 reunion correspondence in this series.

Subseries 8: School Correspondence 1940-1943, (Box 4, Folder 35)

This subseries includes letters written by Rev. Walden Pell of St. Andrew’s High School to Ogden Gorman from 1940-1943. These letters mainly commend Ogden on his military service and wish him luck. In one particular letter Rev. Pell feels that it is unfortunate that Ogden Gorman enlisted and has to fight in a war, but that he probably would have done the same thing in his position. The tone of the letters is very friendly and after Ogden Gorman was commissioned as an officer, Rev. Pell, along with others at St. Andrew’s, signed Ogden Gorman’s high school diploma. Ogden had a couple of conditions before he formally graduated, but it seems for the commission Rev Pell decided to give him the diploma anyway.

Series III: Military Service Records and Materials 1940-1945 (Box 4, Folders 31-43)

This series includes Ogden Gorman’s Operations Record Book of secret bombing missions over Germany and German occupied northeastern France; his mess bills for necessities and leisure; his leave slip requests, which were all denied; his handwritten flight engineer notes; his student pilot log book, his pilot flying log book; his transfer papers from the RCAF to the United States Army Air Force as a captain; and some RCAF papers. There were also some bank statements which included checks written out by Ogden Gorman and some of his deposit slips.

Series IV: Ephemera and Printed Materials 1940-1988 (Box 5, Folders 44-51)

This series includes propaganda that was dropped over Germany and England; theater and movie flyers from Baltimore, Washington D.C. and London; RCAF military materials; TEE EEM training manuals with advice and stories; newspaper clippings from the Baltimore Sun and Stars Stripes; Great Britain souvenir blank post cards and small pamphlets; bombing maps; and reunion pamphlets from the Commonwealth Wartime Aircraft Reunion that was held in 1988.