In
1940, Americans were recovering from the Great Depression and on the
brink of entering a world
war. The recently released 1940 U.S. Census gives us data snapshots of
people and families poised between two of the most devastating
world-wide events of the 20th century.
After you locate someone in the 1940 Census (on Ancestry.com), use that information to find records
on Fold3, especially within the
World War II Collection. Then build their personal histories with images and other details you've discovered.
Examples of what you might find include:
-
"Old Man's Draft" Registration Cards.
Any
man between the ages of 43 and 62 in 1940 would be required to register
in 1942. It's called the "Old Man's" draft because it was a
registration of an older generation with skills that would be useful on
the home front, not in military action. (Hint: You can
also use the addresses on these cards to help you search for people on
the census before the index has been created.)
-
Missing Air Crew Reports
recount riveting
tales of planes shot down with and without survivors. Some of these
reports include names and addresses of family members back home, as in
this example for the
men in this crash report.
-
War Diaries are official Navy accounts of command
units' strategies and actions in battles on land, sea, and air, as well as between engagements.
-
European Theater Army Records.
Shortly after
the 1940 census, millions of Americans were serving in Great Britain
and Europe. These records include virtually all administrative and
strategic documents relating to U.S. operations in the European Theater
during World War II.
There
are also many compelling records and images within WWII Photos, the
Interactive USS Arizona
Memorial, WWII Hero Pages, and Holocaust Records. Pair the people you
find in the 1940 Census to their service in World War II through
documents, pages, and photos in Fold3's
World War II Collection.
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