US World War II draft records

WW2 Casualty Telegram

U.S. World War II draft records document the registration of millions of American men for the draft during the Second World War. During this conflict, the United States registered approximately 50 million men for the military draft.¹ The resulting records provide details on registrants’ age, ethnicity, family, fitness for service, and employment skills.

Historical background on WWII draft records

The US Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act in 1940. It was the country’s first peacetime draft and required men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register at their local draft board. The draft was extended after the United States joined World War II in 1941.

During the registration process, a registrar would ask the man questions and record the answers on cards.

These are the WWII draft registration dates and the ages of registrants for each one:

• 16 Oct 1940: Men ages 21–36.
• 1 July 1941: Men who had turned 21 since the first registration.
• 16 Feb 1942: Men ages 20–45 who hadn’t already registered.
• 27 April 1942: Men ages 45–64 (this Fourth Registration or “Old Man's Draft” was meant to gather information on the nation’s manpower).
• 30 June 1942: Men ages 18–20.
• 10–31 Dec 1942: Men age 18 who weren’t already registered.
• 16 Nov–31 Dec 1943: Men ages 18–44 who lived abroad.

Note that men who had already enlisted in the military would not have registered for the draft.

The Old Man’s draft records for these states have been destroyed:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina

Information contained in WWII draft records

The information on the draft cards may include:

• Serial number (assigned by the Selective Service System)
• Name
• Place of residence
• Mailing address
• Age
• Birth date
• Birthplace
• Occupation
• Phone number
• Name and address of a person who will always know the registrant’s address
• Employer’s name and address
• Race
• Physical description (height, weight, hair and eye color, complexion, identifying marks)
• Signature of registrant
• Date and place of registration
• Registrar’s signature

Draft cards have information on both sides, so make sure you look at the front and back of your relative’s card.

How to find WWII draft records

Old love letters World War II

Look for a WWII draft registration record for each male relative who fell into the age group listed for one of the registration dates. You can use the man’s birth date to determine his age on each registration date. This age calculator can help:

• Search online: Search some WWII draft records for Louisiana (first and second registrations), Arkansas (second registration), Kansas, and Georgia in the MyHeritage Draft, Enlistment, & Service collection. https://www.myheritage.com/research/category-3010/draft-enlistment-service The 1942 Old Man’s Draft registration is available at FamilySearch.
• Search on microfilm: National Archives and Records Administration Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, 1940-, is available on microfilm at many genealogy libraries. You will need to know which registration to check, as well as the state and county or city of registration. Keep in mind that your relative’s closest draft board office may have been in a different state or county from the place where he lived.
• Order copies from the National Archives at St. Louis: The St. Louis, Missouri, location of the National Archives holds military records from WWII and later. The archives’ online Selective Service Records finding aid has ordering instructions and a link to a request form. A service fee will apply: https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/selective-service#wwii

Not everyone who registered for the draft went on to serve in the military. If your relative did serve, or if you’re not sure, you’ll want to search for military service records. https://myheritage.openfox.io/How_to_research_US_military_ancestors

Explore more about WWII draft records

• How to research military records.
• Military Records: Search by Name on MyHeritage on MyHeritage KB.
• How to Find Records with the New MyHeritage Search Engine on MyHeritage KB.

References

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