World War II Experiences
Collection
Identifier: Mss-0382
The memoir describes McWhite’s studies at Clemson College until he was called to active duty in 1944. He then relates his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, his officer training at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, and his Signal Corps training at Camp Crowder, Missouri, Fort Monmouth’s Officers Field Radio School, and the Signal Cops Fixed Station Radio School at Hicksville, Long Island, New York. McWhite then describes joining the 805th Signal Service Company in December 1944. The 805th operated a top-secret encoded radio-telephone system called SIGSALY which linked the War Department with Theater headquarters in both Europe and the Pacific. After providing basic information on the system, he then recounts his service at the Pentagon and in Frankfurt, West Germany where he served in the 805th detachment at the European Theater Headquarters from August 1945 until May 1946. The memoir also contains scanned copies of photographs taken by him at Clemson; during his service in Frankfurt; and from a trip to Davos, Switzerland while overseas.
This memoir can be used for research concerning cadet life at Clemson College just prior and during World War II; military and signals training; and SIGSALY, an encoded radio telephone system used during the war.
This collection is open to the public without restriction.
Benson Carwile McWhite was born on June 2, 1924 in Abbeville County to John Reed and Mary Harley Carwile McWhite. He entered Clemson College in 1940 and was called to active duty for World War II in early June 1944 on completion of his junior year. McWhite was a member of the newly formed Clemson Army Signal Corps ROTC and, after being called to active duty, he was assigned to and served with the 805th Signal Service Company. The 805th operated an ultra-secret encoded radio-telephone system (SIGSALY) that linked the War Department in Washington, DC with both the European and Pacific Theater Headquarters. In 1945 he was reassigned from the Pentagon to a detachment of the 805th at the European Theatre Headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. McWhite eventually became the commanding officer of the detachment and served in Frankfurt until returning home in June 1946.
McWhite graduated from Clemson with an Electrical Engineering degree in 1947. After graduation he accepted a position in the textile industry where he worked for over forty years with Amerotron Corporation, Burlington Industries and Milliken and Company in various management positions. For the last fifteen years of his textile career, he served as an international trade negotiator, working with representatives of the U.S. Trade Representative, Commerce Department, Labor Department, State Department and Treasury.
He married Martha Ashley in 1972 and they had eight children. McWhite died on January 31, 2015 in Simpsonville, SC.
.05 Cubic Feet
English
World War II Experiences is a memoir by Benson C. McWhite, a member of the Clemson Class of 1944 and of the 805th Signal Service Company which can be used to research cadet life at Clemson College just prior and during World War II; military and signals training; and SIGSALY, an encoded radio telephone system used during the war.
Donated by James O. Sweeny in 2012. Accession 12-003.
The collection was processed and a finding aid created by James Cross in 2022-2023.
Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository