United States World War II Prisoners of War of the Japanese - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index of military personnel and civilians who were prisoners of the Japanese during World War II acquired from the National Archives "Access to Archival Databases" (AAD). The index includes name, rank, service number, branch of service, source of information, unit information as available from parent unit to subordinate unit and notes. This collection covers the years 1941 to 1945.

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

Prisoners of War
 * Name
 * Service number
 * Rank
 * Unit
 * Arm of Service
 * Subordinate Unit, Assigned Unit and Parent Unit
 * POW camps notes
 * Event type

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information:

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it will be helpful to know:
 * The name of soldier
 * The service number of the soldier
 * The service unit 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.

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

 * Use the name, rank and service number to obtain a copy of their complete military file
 * Search for your ancestor in other records, such as census, vital, and probate records
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life

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 with the same family number

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Finding a World War II (1939-1945) Veteran's Records
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing 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.