This collection consists of maps, photographs, press clippings, newspapers, correspondence, and realia that were collected by John A. Hansen before and during his service in the European Theater of WWII.

Series 1: Personal, contains service manuals, military training manuals, service memorabilia, photographs, postcards, and various art prints (some military and some non-military). Within the personal papers (Sub-series A) are held Hansen's notebooks from unspecified years while in command of his unit, as well as training manuals related to anti-aircraft weaponry and aircraft recognition. Hansen's photographs of the war, his collection of German and American postcards, and art prints (Sub-series B) are also not annotated.

Series 2: Publications, consists of press clippings, military publications, and national/international publications. The press clippings (Sub-series A) are grouped by subject (e.g. The Arts). The military publications (Sub-series B) include newsletters, newspapers, and military journals that Hansen accumulated both before and during his deployment. The non-military publications (Sub-series C) include full issues of the New York Times, the New York Times Book Review, and the New York Times Magazines, as well as a few newspapers near Hansen's hometown of Frederick, MD. The latter part of Sub-series C includes several German magazines and two French newspapers. Note: No annotations have been identified that can serve to illuminate Hansen's rationale for collecting these press clippings and publications.

Series 3: Maps, contains some maps of the United States, but mostly it contains maps of various regions of Germany and France.

Series 4: Realia, consists of a collection of compasses, French and German currency, postage stamps, a service knife from the first World War, and Hansen's camera and tripod.