Frederick W. Teubner Letters, 1917-1919: Finding Aid

Biography of Frederick W. Teubner

Frederick W. Teubner was born in New York around 1900 to parents who emigrated from Germany. Teubner joined the U.S. Navy in 1917 and trained at the Naval Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island. In June 1917, he reported aboard U.S.S. Florida (Battleship : BB-30), which was attached to the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet. Following his naval service, Teubner moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Description of Contents

The Frederick W. Teubner Letters, comprising twenty-four letters, span from 1917 to 1919. The letters, written by Teubner to his friends, Mrs. George Erich and Misses Elizabeth and Linda Erich of Brooklyn, New York, span his service as a U.S. Navy seaman aboard U.S.S. Florida during and shortly after World War I.

Teubner's letters open with a description of his life and experiences at the Naval Training Center in Newport, Rhode Island (June 9, 1917). Following his attachment to U.S.S. Florida, part of the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet, Teubner's letters largely avoid details of his naval experiences, due to military censorship. As a result, Teubner's letters instead focus on life on the home front and the experiences of his friends in Brooklyn. Following the lifting of censorship, Teubner does recap some of the events on board Florida, including the surrender of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow (December 4, 1918). Other items of note include a censor format printed postcard (June 24, 1917), a chain letter prayer for the military (October 28, 1917), and brief remarks on the women's war effort in England (May 11, 1918). Following the end of hostilities, U.S.S. Florida was deployed to Cuban waters, where Teubner notes the ship's drills, new recruits, and feud with the crew of U.S.S. Michigan. Teubner's letters conclude with the Florida in Boston.

Arrangement

The Frederick W. Teubner Letters are organized into the following files, with the letters themselves arranged chronologically thereunder:

• File 1: Letters, 1917-1919
• File 2: Envelopes, 1917-1919

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Frederick W. Teubner Letters are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum Rare Books and Collections in October 1993. Accession No. 93-61.

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

There are no other known collections of papers of Frederick Teubner. Additional material pertaining to the service of U.S.S. Florida during World War I is available in the Richard Leo Diary, 1917-1918, MS 361, Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Frederick W. Teubner, MS 299

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mary R. Catalfamo in 1994. Finding aid written by Mary R. Catalfamo in 1994 and revised by David D'Onofrio in May 2014.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Florida (Battleship : BB-30)
• Scapa Flow Scuttling, Scotland, 1919
• Teubner, Frederick W.
• United States. Navy -- Sea life
• World War, 1914-1918 -- Naval Operations, American

Genre Terms

• Correspondence
• Manuscripts