The Francesco D. DiLeva World War II Collection contains textual and visual materials that relate to the World War II service and prisoner-of-war experience of Staff Sergeant Frank D. DiLeva, a tail-gunner aboard the Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Daisy Mae Scraggs." The collection has been divided into two series: World War II service and Post-war materials. Within each series, materials are arranged chronologically.

The first series, World War II service, includes ration books and coupons for the Cinnamon family, including Shirley (Frank's wife), Sadie (Shirley's mother), and other family members; and a photocopy of a letter from DiLeva to his parents while a prisoner-of-war (POW). Two black-and-white prints are also present. One print is an undated portrait of DiLeva in his military uniform. The second image is a July 1945 snapshot of DiLeva in uniform, likely upon his return home. He stands in front of a house and holds a toddler identified as Doris Oakley.

Most notable in this series are materials from a shadowbox display, including photocopies of telegrams notifying the family first of DiLeva's MIA status and then POW status, photocopies of newspaper clippings about his POW status, and "Perrine's new military map illustrating the seat of war." Also present is a modern reprint of a December 1943 group portrait of the crew of the "Daisy Mae Scraggs," including DiLeva. The front of the print includes the airmen's first names, while on the verso of the image, last names and positions, such as "eng[ineer]" or "w.g.[waist-gunner]" further identify the crew. Most names also include a notation of either a plus sign (+) or a circled X, signifying who was on the aircraft when it was shot down and who died.

Although they fall outside of DiLeva's active service years, 2 additional prints from the shadowbox are present in this series. One print depicts "John Thevenin's sister" near the remains of the "Daisy Mae Scraggs" in Chausey, France, circa 1950. The second print is in color and shows DiLeva in Chausey in 1964. Three other people are present with him, likely locals who helped save him when the aircraft was shot down. Also present from the shadowbox display is DiLeva's 1961 Selective Service card.

The second series, Post-war materials includes primarily textual materials that are post-war and often reflect back to DiLeva's active service, such as two military award certificates issued in 1988, a memo confirming entitlement of the Prisoner of War Medal to DiLeva, a clipping about Dileva's service which includes an image of the shadowbox display created by DiLeva's daughter to honor his service, a Veteran's Affairs claim and decision form for Dileva's cause of death being impacted by his POW experience, and a 2003 newsletter distributed to former POWs who were held at Stalag Luft IV. Two audiocassettes labeled as "Dad POW" and "Dad D-Day", made in the 1980s, are likely oral histories recorded by DiLeva recounting his World War II experiences.

Of note in this series is a 2001 email printout from James Ogden, DiLeva's former crewmate and the pilot of the "Daisy Mae Scraggs," to DiLeva's daughter, Nancy. In the letter, Ogden shares his admiration of DiLeva and acknowledges their unique shared experience while he "doubts if anyone will really understand the significance of what the United States did to save the world from a terrible catastrophe, and the sacrifices that most everyone made..."

Also present is île... était une fois Chausey (1900-1999), a book published by Jean-Michael Thevenin in 1999. The book is printed in French and was sent by Thevenin, son of Jean Marie Thevenin, one of the locals who helped rescue the airmen, to DiLeva's daughter, Nancy. Pages 193-195 recount the rescue of DiLeva and other survivors of the "Daisy Mae Scraggs" and how the community cared for them for a time before they were captured by German forces.