Guide to World War II Records at DPA

Date Posted: Tuesday, August 11th, 2015

The seventieth anniversary of the Japanese surrender in World War II seems an appropriate time to make our followers aware that a Guide to World War II Records at the Delaware Public Archives has recently been created. The finding aid is available online and in paper format in the Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room.

The finding aid includes a diverse selection of records from a variety of collections, including State Council of Defense, Department of State, General Reference Collection, Small Manuscript Collection, State Reports, Department of Transportation, and the numerous military collections. Formats include paper reports and files, as well as prints, photographs, newspapers, and audio-visual records. The records help illustrate the experiences of Delawareans on the homefront and across the various campaigns during the war.

Each entry in the World War II finding aid includes the record group and series numbers, collection title, and a summary of the collection’s contents as they relate to World War II. Also included are individual box barcodes for ease of retrieval, notes on arrangement, the size of the collection, and whether there are any restrictions on accessing the records. Researchers interested in accessing any of the records should contact research room staff at the Delaware Public Archives.

The Guide to World War II Records is the latest in a series of military finding aids created by reference staff at DPA. Already in existence are the Guide to Revolutionary War Records, Guide to Civil War Records, and Guide to World War I Records, not to mention the Delaware Military Archives, which cover the periods between King George’s War (c 1744) through the War of 1812, to approximately 1827.

Related Topics:  World War II