United States, Records of World War II Prisoners of War - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains a name index of American soldiers who were prisoners of war during World War II acquired from the National Archives, "Access to Archival Databases" (AAD). The records are from the Office of the Provost Marshal General, Record Group 389.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Key genealogical facts found in this collection may include:


 * Date of report
 * Full name of soldier
 * Grade
 * State of residence
 * Parent unit number
 * Type of organization
 * Latest report day
 * Status
 * Name of camp
 * Name of transport ship

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know:
 * The full name of the soldier
 * The age of the soldier
 * The birth date of the soldier
 * The death date of the soldier

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?
Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned

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

 * Death dates may lead to death certificates, mortuary, or burial records
 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date
 * Prisoners who enlisted in the United States military may have service records or pensions from the United States
 * Compile a list of other prisoners with the same surname. If the surname is uncommon, they may be relatives
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

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
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.


 * Collection Citation: "United States, World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1945." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing NARA NAID 1263907. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

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