Greene County (Va.) Air Warning System, Ground Observer Corps Post 128-G Records, 1942-1944

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Summary

Creator:
Greene County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Greene County (Va.) Air Warning Service, Ground Observer Corps, Post 128-G Records, 1942-1944, consists of five log books and one poster created by Ground Observer Corps Post 128-G code named Olive 44, and later renamed Nan 071. The log books record the names of observers, date and time frame observers volunteered, number of planes identified, weather conditions, and visibility. Several volumes contained letters from the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of Civil Defense or the Norfolk Air Defense Wing concerning awards and decorations for volunteers and other issues. This correspondence has been placed in folders with the volumes in which they were found. One oversize item, a poster warning against trespassing by order of the U.S. Army, is housed in an oversize box.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Records type: Greene County (Va.) Ground Observer Corps was part of the Air Warning System established by the War Department during World II as a defense against air attack. The 1.5 million civilian observers observation posts performed naked eye and binocular searches to detect German or Japanese aircraft. Observations were telephoned to filter centers, which forwarded authenticated reports to the Aircraft Warning Service, which also received reports from Army radar stations. The program ended in 1944. Many observation posts, including the on in Greene County, were located at American Legion Posts. Each post was to have a chief observer, two assistant chief observers, and as many observers as they needed or could get so the post could be staffed on a continuous 24 hour basis.

Locality History:Greene County was named for Nathanael Greene, commanding general of the Continental army in the South during part of the Revolutionary War. It was formed from Orange County in 1838. The county seat is Stanardsville.

Acquisition information:

One volume (1943) came to the Library of Virginia in transfer of court papers from Greene County in 1980 under accession number 30813.

Four volumes (1942-1944) and the poster came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer from Greene County in 2024 under accession number 54324.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Air Warning Service, Ground Observer Corps, Post 128-G Records,1942-1944

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.68 cubic feet (2 boxes)