Roland J. Regan collection
Dates
- Creation: 1939 - 2012
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1943 - 1945
Scope and Contents
Collection primarily documents Roland J. Regan's experiences during World War II largely through photographs and military memorabilia.
The photographs from 1943 show Regan in combat engineer training in Wales and England, including portraits at the Lakenheath/Mildenhall Royal Air Force base. The photographs from 1944 document Regan and his fellow combat engineers at the 348th Engineer Combat Battalion headquarters in southern England, unloading supplies... on Utah Beach during the week after D-Day, and in Paris in the fall of 1944. The photographs from 1945 show the close of the war in Germany, including Regan and fellow combat engineers building pontoon bridges across the Rhine, Elbe, and Sauer rivers, posing with German artillery, and meeting the Russian army, as well as the aftermath of the liberation of concentration camps. Many of Regan's photographs were published in the book From Boston to Berlin (2001) written by his son Roland J. Regan, Jr. and Christopher Mauriello.
The artifacts include both U.S. and German military memorabilia. The U.S. military memorabilia consists of Regan's dog tags, military emblems, pins, plaques, and ribbon bars. The German artifacts include belt buckles, a knife, a medal, and pins.
The printed materials and ephemera consist of German and Irish postcards, German money, a handwritten song and prayer of the 348th Engineer Combat Battalion, newspaper clippings, and travel brochures. Also included is a history of the 150th Engineer Combat Battalion produced by battalion staff immediately after the war.
Creator
Restrictions on access
Collection is open for research. The Photographic Report of the Iwo Jima Operation in Box 1 is closed pending conservation review.
Audiovisual and digital content is not available for playback due to format impermanence and has not been reformatted. Please let Burns Library Public Services know of your specific interest; if possible, reformatting will be scheduled.
Restrictions on use
These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Biographical note: Roland J. Regan
Roland J. Regan was born in Lynn, Massachusetts on December 8, 1922. In January 1943, he entered the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 348th Engineer Combat Battalion (the 348th later combined with the 150th Engineer Combat Battalion). He was an amateur photographer and by the end of the war he had accumulated approximately 350 pictures. From 1944-1945, his battalion engaged in the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, the River War campaigns,... and several concentration camp liberations. After the war, Regan was a firefighter in Lynn, Massachusetts for 34 years before retiring as a Lieutenant. He died on November 15, 1989.
Source:
Mauriello, Christopher E. and Roland J. Regan, Jr. From Boston to Berlin: A Journey through World War II in Images and Words. Purdue University Press, 2001.
Extent
4.75 Linear Feet (6 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection documents Roland J. Regan's service in the 348th Engineer Combat Battalion in the U.S. Army during World War II. It consists primarily of photographs taken by Regan in England, France, and Germany from 1943-1945. It also includes U.S. Army memorabilia, German military artifacts, Irish printed material and ephemera, and materials related to firefighting.
Arrangement
The Roland J. Regan collection is arranged into three series: I. Artifacts; II. Photographs; and III. Printed material and ephemera.
Provenance
Gift of Roland J. Regan, son of Roland J. Regan, 2000, 2012, 2014, 2024.
Separated Materials
Published works associated with this collection have been transferred within the Burns Library and can be found in the Boston College Library catalog.
Source
- Regan, Roland J. (Person)
- Title
- Roland J. Regan Collection
- Subtitle
- 1939-2012 (bulk 1943-1945)
- Author
- Rachel Ernst
- Date
- 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2025 February: Incorporated new accrual, including artifacts, digital content, photographs, and printed material.
Repository Details
Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861
burns@bc.libanswers.com