George William Wyatt Papers
This collection is comprised of photocopied, proof versions of George W. Wyatt's Super Breed 1, later published as Super Breed 1: A Journal of the First Marine Engineers, Pioneers, and Seabees, and Super Breed 2. While Super Breed 1 documents several campaigns of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, a significant portion of the book focuses on Wyatt's personal experiences in the Guadalcanal Campaign. The manuscript also includes personal recollections and historical essays by other contributors including Henry I. Shaw, Jr. and Don Zabel.
Super Breed 2 is made up almost entirely of captioned photographs. Many are depictions from the field and include a few graphic scenes of warfare. Also available are personal pictures of George Wyatt and his wife Dorothy.
As both manuscripts are working proofs, there are corrections and hand-written annotations, text is sometimes rendered in different fonts, and there are many inserts - such as photographs, poems, excerpts, and maps - throughout.
Dates
- undated
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.25 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection is comprised of photocopied, proof versions of George W. Wyatt's Super Breed 1, later published as Super Breed 1: A Journal of the First Marine Engineers, Pioneers, and Seabees, and Super Breed 2. While Super Breed 1 documents several campaigns of the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, a significant portion of the book focuses on Wyatt's personal experiences in the Guadalcanal Campaign. Super Breed 2 is made up almost entirely of captioned photographs.
Biographical/Historical Note
George William Wyatt was born on March 31, 1917, and grew up near Yale, OK. He briefly dropped out of high school in 1935 to work for the beer industry in Arkansas but returned to Tulsa in 1936 to complete his education. Immediately after graduation he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sworn in on December 13, 1939.
He was sent to San Diego for boot camp and was initially stationed in Quantico, VA. He was later sent to Cuba where he was transferred the Engineers as an electrician. On February 1, 1941, Wyatt became part of the First Marine Division, created from the 1st Marine Brigade. He then attended Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir in Virginia where he learned to operate heavy machinery. Wyatt was subsequently deployed to the Pacific Theatre and participated in the Guadalcanal campaign. He was wounded by shrapnel on August 28 but returned to service and was involved in several other campaigns during the war.
Wyatt married Dorothy Patricia Dunlap on June 23, 1945, in Quantico, VA. He passed away in 1993.
The 1st Combat Engineer Battalion was activated on February 24, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The battalion was deployed to Wellington, New Zealand and participated in the following World War II campaigns: Guadalcanal, Eastern New Guinea, New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa. During World War II, the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion was awarded several honors including a Presidential Unit Citation with one Silver Star Medal and two Bronze Stars Medals.
Arrangement
This collection is comprised of four folders arranged by manuscript.
Previous Citation
This collection was originally listed as part of MS.1764. It was then listed as CSWS.WWII.3.0007 until receiving its current number.
Acquisition Note
This collection is the property of Special Collections.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository