Oral History Interview with James F. Sansom, October 8, 2004

Listen Online transcript

Jump to Track:

  1. Track One 0:46:08
  2. Track Two 0:35:58

Description

Interview with James F. Sansom, an officer in the U. S. Army during World War II. Sansom joined the Army in 1940 and began training on anti-aircraft guns in Florida. He was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1942. He was assigned to the 843rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Air Warning Battalion, which made its way to India via the Panama Canal and Australia. Shortly after reaching Calcutta, the unit moved to Myitkyina, Burma. After the war, Sansom was assigned to Sagumo Prison outside Tokyo where Japanese war criminals were being held while on trial … continued below

Physical Description

1 sound recording : digital

Creation Information

Cox, Floyd & Sansom, James F. October 8, 2004.

Context

This audio recording is part of the collection entitled: National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection and was provided by the National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 140 times. More information about this recording can be viewed below.

Who

People and organizations associated with either the creation of this audio recording or its content.

Interviewer

Interviewee

Publisher

Named Person

Person who is significant in some way to the content of this audio recording. Additional names may appear in Subjects below.

Audiences

Check out our Resources for Educators Site! We've identified this sound as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this recording useful in their work.

Provided By

National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation

Established in 1967, the Museum honors the 8 million Americans who served in WWII in the Pacific Theater by sharing their stories with the world. Located in Fredericksburg in the restored Nimitz "Steamboat" Hotel, the Museum partners with the Texas Historical Commission to preserve the historical resources of the era.

About | Browse this Partner

Contact Us

Corrections Questions

What

Descriptive information to help identify this audio recording. Follow the links below to find similar items on the Portal.

Description

Interview with James F. Sansom, an officer in the U. S. Army during World War II. Sansom joined the Army in 1940 and began training on anti-aircraft guns in Florida. He was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1942. He was assigned to the 843rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery Air Warning Battalion, which made its way to India via the Panama Canal and Australia. Shortly after reaching Calcutta, the unit moved to Myitkyina, Burma. After the war, Sansom was assigned to Sagumo Prison outside Tokyo where Japanese war criminals were being held while on trial for war crimes. He describes some of the routines and residents in the prison. Sansom taught Hideki Tojo how to play card games like gin rummy. Sansom also describes the process of executing convicted prisoners as he carried out some sentences. In all, he executed nine convicted war criminals.

Physical Description

1 sound recording : digital

Language

Item Type

Identifier

Unique identifying numbers for this recording in the Portal or other systems.

Collections

This recording is part of the following collections of related materials.

National Museum of the Pacific War Oral History Collection

This oral history collection depicts an instrumental era in American history. In these transcripts of interviews with World War II veterans are personal experiences with the war, from the Doolittle Raid and D-Day to the Battle for Bataan.

About | Browse this Collection

National Museum of the Pacific War Digital Archive

The Digital Archive presents digitized collections from the Center for Pacific War Studies collections at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Collections and material are continuously being added and represent only a small portion of the archives' physical holdings.

About | Browse this Collection

Texas Oral History Collection

The Texas Oral History Collection is a group of oral history interviews from a variety of people discussing their lives in Texas.

About | Browse this Collection

World War Two Collection

These materials focus on World War II and the immediate postwar period of the late 1940s. In addition to materials created during the time period, materials may include modern studies and commemorative works about the era.

About | Browse this Collection

What responsibilities do I have when using this audio recording?

Digital Files

When

Dates and time periods associated with this audio recording.

Creation Date

  • October 8, 2004

Covered Time Period

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • Feb. 12, 2012, 11:09 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Dec. 8, 2023, 3:47 p.m.

Usage Statistics

When was this recording last used?

Yesterday: 0
Past 30 days: 0
Total Uses: 140
More Statistics

Where

Geographical information about where this audio recording originated or about its content.

Place Name

Publication Place

Map Information

  • map marker Place Name coordinates. (May be approximate.)
  • Repositioning map may be required for optimal printing.

Mapped Locations

Interact With This Audio Recording

Here are some suggestions for what to do next.

Citations, Rights, Re-Use

Links for Robots

Helpful links in machine-readable formats.

Archival Resource Key (ARK)

International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)

Metadata Formats

Images

WebVTT

URLs

Stats

Cox, Floyd & Sansom, James F. Oral History Interview with James F. Sansom, October 8, 2004, audio recording, October 8, 2004; Fredericksburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth204504/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National Museum of the Pacific War/Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

Back to Top of Screen