United States, Recruits for the Polish Army in France - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
These are indexes and images of volunteer applications (enlistments) to join the Polish army in France. Many recruits for the Polish Army fighting in France were enlisted during the years 1917- 1919 in several of the United States with large Polish populations. It appears that most of the recruits were not United States citizens though they lived in the United States.Records are from some of the following states Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Also records are from Ontario,Canada. The collection consist of two forms. Form A Intention to volunteer and Form B: Medical Examination Summary.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Polish. For help reading them see:
 * Polish Genealogical Word List
 * Reading Polish handwritten records
 * Script tutorial for Polish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Form A: Application of Volunteer


 * File Number
 * Date
 * Center or Recruiting Station No.
 * Location
 * Name of Volunteer
 * Address
 * Civil Status (Marital Status)


 * Children
 * Family Means of Support
 * Citizenship Status
 * Age
 * Weight
 * Height
 * Vision


 * Hearing
 * Ready for Departure Date
 * Signature

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Place of residence

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the enlistment record to learn the place of origin and find vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and probate records
 * Use the record to see if other family members who may have immigrated
 * Search census records for the family in 1910 and 1920

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name

Research Helps

 * Poland Beginning Research
 * Poland Record Finder
 * Poland Research Tips and Strategies

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * United States (with some from Ontario, Canada) recruits for the Polish Army in France, 1917-1919

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.