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

Record Description
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.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org. It may include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
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

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the full name of the individual and some other idenfitying information such as age, birth or death date.

If you are having difficulty finding your ancestor, look for variations in the spelling of the name. If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names. You may also want to search the records of other prisons.

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. This information will often lead you to other records.

For example:


 * 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.

You may also find these search tips helpful:


 * 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.

Related Websites

 * World War II Prisoners of War Data File

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States World War II Prisoner of War Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
Example for an Indexed Collection:

“Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, 1890; citing Delaware, State Marriage Records, no. 859, Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.

Example for a Browsed Collection:

“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata.