Pennsylvania World War II Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 1940-1945.

Name index and images of draft registration cards of men born between 1896 and 1929 who registered during World War II with the exception of the fourth registration. This collection is part of National Archives Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975. The event place is the residence of the registrant. The collection is arranged alphabetically by the name of the registrant. Images courtesy of Ancestry.


 * Draft Registration Cards for Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940-3/31/1947. Selective Service System. Pennsylvania State Headquarters. Record Group 147 Records of the Selective Service System. NAID 5324575

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Draft registration records may contain the following information:
 * Name of the registrant
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Residence at the time of registration
 * Employer
 * Name and address of someone who will always know the whereabouts of the registrant.

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * At least one other piece of information

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the waypoints Browse Page.
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Surname Letter
 * 3) Select Name

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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records.
 * Use the occupation to locate business and employment records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Pennsylvania, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog
 * Not every who registered was drafted into the service.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Pennsylvania.
 * Pennsylvania Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection citation:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

. Image citation:

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