Robert E. Work collection

Robert E. Work (1916-2012) was born Heidolf Vierk on August 18, 1916 in Celle, Germany. He immigrated to the United States with his parents and sister in 1923 and settled in California. In 1941 he enlisted with the United States Army Air Corps. He rose to the rank of captain and was a Chief Interrogator for German prisoners-of-war, including Hanna Reitsch, Hitler's personal pilot. He continued to serve with the United Sates Air Force for the duration of his career, and retired as a colonel. Robert was married to Rosalyn Mitchell Work and had two sons, Mitchell Robert and Joel Christopher. The collection contains 2 letters by Joseph and Magda Goebbels written from the Führerbunker in Berlin, dated April 28, 1945, addressed to Harald Quandt, son of Magda Goebbels (held in a Allied POW camp); and an interrogation report of Hanna Reitsch, Hitler's personal pilot, written by Robert E. Work, Captain, Air Corps Chief Interrogator, dated November 1, 1945. The interrogation report gives background on how Hanna Reitsch received the letters, German transcriptions, English translations, and Reitsch's evaluations of their content. Also included is a copy photograph portrait of Robert E. Work.