Delaware, World War I Servicemen Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains the World War I servicemen records for years 1917-1919 captured at the Delaware Public Archives. Digital images of the originals are held by the Delaware Public Archives in Dover, Delaware.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records may contain:
 * The name of the soldier
 * The soldier's birth date and place of birth
 * Name of mother and father and their address
 * Race
 * Perhaps the next of kin
 * Place and date of enlistment
 * Assigned company and regiment
 * Date and reason discharged
 * Date and place of marriage and brides name

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know the name of the soldier, and when and where he enlisted.

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.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the names, age and residence to find census records including the 1910 and 1920 census. The 1930 also identifies World War I veterans.
 * Look for discharge records. Many veterans registered their discharges at the local county courthouse.
 * Look for membership applications at the local American Legion Post.
 * Look for a published military unit history.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

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

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the records of nearby localities

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Delaware.
 * Delaware Guided Research
 * Delaware Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Delaware Research, 1880-Present
 * Beginning Research in United States Military Records
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States World War I Research

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Delaware, World War 1 servicemen records, 1917-1919
 * Delaware, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918
 * Delaware, World War I American Expeditionary Forces, deaths, 1917-1919

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards
 * United States, World War I American Expeditionary Forces Deaths, 1917-1919
 * United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940
 * United States Index to Naturalizations of World War I Soldiers, 1918
 * United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, 1916-1939

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Willis Rowland Skillman. The A.E.F : who they were, what they did, how they did it. Philadelphia : G.W. Jacobs, ©1920
 * Army War College (U.S.). Historical Section. Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War : American expeditionary forces. Divisions Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931
 * Hermine Scholz ; with accompanying chapter by Richard J. Sommers,  World War I manuscripts : the World War I survey Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania : U.S. Army Military History Institute, 1986

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.