World War II

Millions of men living in America completed draft registration cards between 1940 and 1943 as part of the WWII draft, a number of which are now available online for easy research.

The Alien Registration Act of 1940 (also known as the Smith Act) required the fingerprinting and registration of any alien age 14 and older living within or entering the United States. These records were completed from August 1, 1940 to March 31, 1944 and document over 5 million non-citizen residents of the United States during this period.

From deportation records to lists of the martyred to survivor testimonies, the Holocaust has generated a vast amount of documents and records - many of which can be researched online!

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the entrance of the United States into World War II, the U.S. government "forcibly relocated" thousands of Japanese Americans into a number of "internment" or "relocation" camps. A number of records of interest to family historians were generated during this sad period of forced internment.

A two-part history of Pearl Harbor, HI - from its ancient days to the Japanese attack which prompted America's entry into WWII. Includes some great historical photos. From Hawaii for Visitors Guide, John Fisher.

Brief bios of high scoring American fighter pilots of World War Two, such as Robert S. Johnson, Gabby Gabreski, Pappy Boyington, Joe Foss, David McCampbell, Dick Bong, Tommy Blackburn, Edward 'Butch' O'Hare, Ira Kepford and George Preddy.

Browse biographies of famous Canadian aces and heroes from WWI, WWII and the Korean War.

A register kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission which provides personal, service, and burial location details for the 1.7 million members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First or Second World Wars.

An online, searchable database of Canadian sailors who died in the First or Second World Wars. You can search by name, vessel, or both.

True stories of civilian life in Bristol, England during the Second World War. Also includes links and image/sound galleries.

A page dedicated to helping you find and tell your father's World War II story.

A German military history research site covering the period 1919-1945, with a focus on battles and operational histories.

for Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire
The Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour was compiled by the Imperial War Graves Commission. It lists civilians killed, directly or indirectly, by enemy action in the United Kingdom during the 1939 to 1945 war.

A brief overview from the Army Area Handbook, United States Dept. of the Army.

A chronicle of the war and lives of the French during the Occupation. Also in English.

The Living Heirs Project helps heirs of Holocaust victims recover family assets unjustly confiscated by the Third Reich.

View digital copies of World War II casualties lists (dead and missing) for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, organized by state. It is not possible to search for individual names in these documents. You will need to view individual pages and scan for the names.

Begun in 1939, this program from the American Red Cross accepts tracing requests concerning European civilians separated from their family due to the events of World War II and its aftermath, 1933-1957.

This site contains a registry of information about the graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served valiantly and gave their lives for their country. The site also contains digital images of photographs and personal memorabilia about individual Canadians.

Read the personal biography and story of a Black Watch soldier, plus view original photographs and documents on this Web site dedicated to the veterans of the Allied special force "Chindits" fighting behind the Japanese lines in Burma in 1944.

The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains this very useful database of the 172,218 names of those buried in American military cemeteries overseas, those Missing in Action and those buried or lost at sea.  It does not contain the names of the 233,181 Americans returned to the United States for burial.

Complete WW II in Europe timeline with photos, text and over 100 links.

Names, rank, organization, birth place, service information and full-text citation.

Names, rank, organization, birth place, service information and full-text citation.

Names, rank, organization, birth place, service information and full-text citation.

Names, rank, organization, birth place, service information and full-text citation.

A paid subscription to Ancestry.com is required to view their collection of WWII military databases, including World War II Draft Registration cards, WWII U.S. Navy Muster Rolls, 1938–1949, WWII Prisoners of the Japanese, 1941-1945, U.S. Navy Cruise Books, and U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records.

A ThinkQuest award-winning site devoted to World WarII. Timelines, simulations, resources and more.

A free forum for exchanging World War II links, surnames and other information with other genealogy researchers.