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Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the William M. McFadyen Papers #04956, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Provenance

Received from Carol Melton of Burlington, N.C., in October 1998 (Acc. 98229).

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Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Bombardiers--United States.
• Family--North Carolina--Social life and customs--20th century.
• Journalists--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• McFadyen, William M., 1915-1946.
• Soldiers--United States--Correspondence--History--World War, 1939-1945.
• United States. Army Air Forces.
• United States. Army--Military life--History--World War, 1939-1945.
• United States. Army. Air Corps.
• World War, 1939-1945--Missing in action.

William M. McFadyen, Jr., was born on 15 April 1915 in Raeford, N.C. He attended Raeford High School, graduating in 1934. He attended Louisburg College from 1934 to 1936, before spending the next two years at the University of North Carolina School of Journalism. After his graduation in 1938, McFadyen worked briefly as news editor for the Lumberton Voice, before accepting a similar position at the Albermarle News and Press. In 1940, he volunteered for the United States Army Air Corps (renamed the Army Air Forces in 1942) and was assigned to pilot training. After being transferred to bombardier training at his own request, he was assigned to the 34th Bomb Squad of the 17th Bomb Group, spending much of his time in training and clerical work at Pendleton Field, Pendleton, Ore. In July 1942, he was posted to Borona Airdrome, New Guinea, and later to Durand, New Guinea, as a member of the 405th Bomb Squad of the 38th Bomb Group. He was reported missing in action after his plane was apparently shot down on 27 November 1942. He was officially declared dead on 26 Febraury 1946.

The papers of William M. McFadyen, Jr., of Raeford, N.C., consist primarily of correspondence between him and his parents in the early years of World War II. The letters describe his various postings and rates of pay during his period of training in the United States Army Air Corps (renamed the Army Air Forces in 1942) in 1940 and 1941, as well as brief descriptions of military life after he was posted to the South Pacific as a bombardier. Also included are a number of condolence letters sent to McFadyen's parents after he was reported missing in action on 27 November 1942. In addition, the collection contains a number of news clippings related to McFadyen's disappearance and presumed death, and official correspondence and service records sent to McFadyen's parents by the United States government. There is a smattering of miscellaneous correspondence among various other members of the McFadyen family, primarily William's sisters, Christiana McFadyen and Lena Blue McFadyen, as well as a photograph of their father, William M. McFadyen, Sr.

Items separated include one photograph (PF-4956/1).