World War II Archive Re: Concentration Camp Survivors & Return Soldiers' Morale

 Highlights include:

1) Typed Letter Signed, “Simon H. Rifkind,” as Adviser to the Theater Commander on Jewish Affiars, 1p, 8” x 10.5”. Headquarters, U.S. Forces, European Theatre, Office of the Military Government (U.S. Zone), March 8, 1946. To Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes, Commanding General, Seventh U.S. Army. In full, “Now that my assignment has come to an end, I take the liberty of thanking you and your officers for the cooperation extended to me and the kindness and consideration always shown me. I should like you to know that I have appreciated it highly.” In 1945 and 1946, as an adviser on Jewish affairs for the Army in Europe, Simon H. Rifkind (1901-1995) championed uprooted Holocaust survivors who were then in Germany and Austria and made appeals for more aid to them. That experience led President Harry S. Truman to award him the Medal of Freedom in 1945 and helped lead him to champion the creation of the State of Israel. A prominent New York lawyer whose later clients included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, later served as a Federal Court Judge and Chairman of the Board of the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

2) General Geoffrey Keyes typed copy of his “Address to UNRRA Displaced Persons’ Training School”, 5pp, 8” x 10.5”, October 30, 1946. In part, “The Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, President Harry Truman, with the full approval of the American People, set the policy that the United States Zone would be a haven for the oppressed peoples of all nations...You will learn of the problems and the many almost insurmountable difficulties encountered in caring for the hundreds of thousands of persons of many races and nationalities, speaking many tongues. All however, were victims of the most inhumane campaign the history of the world has ever recorded...The United States Zone has been made a haven where they could find at least a temporary home and make a start back to a normal peaceful life - - a life free from the gripping fear of the concentration camp and organized brutality...” Founded in 1943, the purpose of UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) was to "plan, co-ordinate, administer or arrange for the administration of measures for the relief of victims of war in any area under the control of any of the United Nations through the provision of food, fuel, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities, medical and other essential services.”

3) Printed “Proclamation To Polish Displaced Persons in the Third US Army Area from General Keyes”, 1p, 8” x 10.5”. Not signed. Urging “non-Jewish Poles in the US Zone of Germany to reexamine the desirability of repatriation in your home land...Spend this Christmas in Poland!!!” Reports from Warsaw indicated that many Polish Jews intended to join repatriation transports and return to Poland, either to resettle there permanently, or to wait for an opportunity to immigrate legally to Palestine.

4) Dwight D. Eisenhower. File Copy of a letter from Gen. Eisenhower to Gen. Keyes, 1p, 8” x 10.5”, Headquarters, U.S. Forces, European Theater, Office of the Commanding General, September 12, 1945. Concerning a survey among “troops in all theaters", in part, “It showed that 43% of the men interviewed reported that their officers had nothing to say concerning the reasons for delay in separating; that 74% of the men reported that reason advanced for this delay was lack of transportation facilities; that 15% reported the nonavailability of replacements as the reason. It is a tribute to the intelligence of the American soldier that despite the large percentage who reported that their officers failed to proffer any reason, they understood the problem involved and accepted the situation at its face value. I realize that many significant events have occurred since this survey was conducted. However, it is evident that prior to the capitulation of Japan...our officers failed to keep the men informed of the reasons for delays in returning them home. It is imperative that appropriate instructions be issued to all echelons to the effect that both officers and enlisted men will be fully informed of the reasons for any delay in connection with their return home and that no frivolous answer be given to any inquiry on this subject. I believe that if such an indoctrination program is rigidly adhered to and our soldiers fully informed of just what is happening, a high state of morale in the men and officers will be maintained..."

5) Typed Letter Signed, "Walter P. Burn", 2pp, 7.25" x 10.5", Middlebury, VT, February 23, 1946, to Gen. Keyes. In part, "I heartily concur with your sentiments regarding the fine personnel of II Corps. It will always be a source of pride to me that I was permitted to serve with that headquarters..." Burn then goes on to request a copy of Keyes's autograph.

6) A copy of a 1p typed letter and its 1p translation to English written by Gabriel Hocquard to the General, Metz, December 31, 1946. In part, "One of my friends...was among the distressed prisonners of the Camp Mathausen and it was your gallent soldiers who liberated him. He has even been rescued from certain death thanks to the intervention of your doctors...he would like to know to shich american unit he owes his liberation..."

Also included are Gen. Keyes’s unsigned typed “Notes on Talk to Third Army Officers – April,1946”; “Notes of Address to 250 Officers, EM. Civilians of USFA, Yank Theater, Vienna, 21 March 1947”; “Notes of Talk to Graduating Class” (Regular Army Officers); and an address to “Third Army War Department Civilian Employees”, 14pp in all.

Ex-Estate of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes.

Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes (1888-1967) was a highly decorated senior United States Army officer who served with distinction in Sicily and Italy during World War II. In 1940, during World War II, Keyes was chief of staff of the 2nd Armored Division, which was then commanded by Major General George S. Patton who, like Keyes, was a fellow cavalryman who had served with distinction in World War I and had taken a significant interest in armored warfare. Patton was to think highly of Keyes, later stating that he "had the best tactical mind of any officer I know." After the war Keyes commanded the Seventh Army from 1945 to 1946. In December 1945 he was by Patton's side when the latter died. This was followed by command of the United States Third Army, Patton's former command, from 1946 to 1947. In 1947, Keyes was appointed United States High Commissioner on the Allied Council for Austria. He served as Director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group (WSEG) from 1951 to 1954. Keyes retired from the army in 1954, after 41 years of service.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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