Military Records

[Lookin2]

Hello

Can anyone tell me where I can get Military Records on-line.  I am looking for WWII records.  Would they go by State or are they like SS and you have to have a number?  Thank you Lookin2

[nickgc]

No, they are not available online to any great extent.  Look at the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) website for what is available and how to go about obtaining.

Nick

[shellyesq]

There are some links to what is available online here:  http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/index.html

[johnnyboy]

Many military records, especially Army and Air Force records, were destroyed by a fire in 1973. The records were kept in St. Loius.

From the National Personnel Records Center website: The fire destroyed "80% of the Army records (1912-1959) and 75% of the Air Force records (1947-1963). However, in some cases alternate sources were used to reconstruct some basic service information. There may be restrictions on who can order these records."

The NARA website mentioned by Nick has more information.

John 

[Lookin2]

Johhnyboy

Thank you.  I have been to NARA and gone through pages and pages of info.  Do you, by any chance, know if the names of ships and personnel on them are listed anywhere?   I have asked this question to NARA and nothing to date. Lookin2

[johnnyboy]

I have no idea where Naval records are. Have you tried searching the name of the ship. Many of them now have websites, even those that were decommissioned and scrapped.

John 

[johnnyboy]

Just found this online: From the DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY - NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq19-1.htm

"The National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100 has custody of the official individual personnel records of Navy commissioned officers separated after 1902 and Navy enlisted personnel separated after 1885. These records include the full name of the serviceman, next of kin, date of enlistment, date retired, units with which he served, and any medals and awards to which the veteran was entitled, as well as other details. Information from these records is available to the veteran, or if deceased, to the next of kin. Contrary to rumors, the 1973 fire did not destroy Navy or Marine Corps records."

Here's NARA's fact page on Navy records:
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/locations/index.html#navy

John 

[Lookin2]

Johnnyboy.

I am afraid I did not make my previous reply clear.  I am hoping to find the names of the ships that carried troops to the war zones say, New York to Southampton.  The US Navy may know that so I will take a look.

  Thank you. Lookin2

[johnnyboy]

Hi Looking2: I saw a website sometime ago that said that U.S. troopship records from World War II were deliberately not kept.

If I remember the name of the website, I'll post it.


John