Many of our family members fought in World War I and II, stateside and in Europe. The research of both wars is similar, with records created in World War I which continued or were modified in World War II. Learn about resources to help you write the stories of your World War I relative.
You can also use my books, Stories from the WWII Battlefield series to learn how to research World War I service. The process is the same as World War II. View WWIRecord Examples.
Resources for Those Who Died or are MIA
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
NARA’s databases:
- Burial Cards for WWI deceased personnel.
- Initial Burial Plats for World War I American Soldiers, 1920 – 1920
General Resources
NARA WWI Commemoration Resource Website
NARA American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 – 1918
Doughboy MIA A project dedicated to locating the Missing from World War I
NARA’s digitized film from WWI.
Books
Stories of the Lost written by Jennifer Holik Available in Paperback or Kindle.
World War I Genealogy Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors Includes a Guide to Canadian Military Research. Written by Debra Dudek. Book available in Paperback and Kindle versions. Also check for additional information on her website.
Genealogy Resources
European Collections
- First World War Digital Poetry Collection
- The Great War 1914-1918 UK WWI Resources
- UK National Archives WWI Collection
Gold Star Mothers Program NARA Prologue Article
International Encyclopedia of the First World War
League of WWI Aviation Historians
National Archives WWI Resources
National World War I Museum and Memorial
Stars and Stripes WWI Newspaper Archive through Library of Congress
The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission
VA Index Card Handout Code Meanings
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Disclaimer – the book links are affiliate links.