Delaware, World War II Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1940-1945.

Name index and images of draft registration cards of men who registered during World War II with the exception of the fourth registration.This collection is part of National Archives Record Group 147, Records of the Selective Service System, 1940. Images courtesy of Ancestry.com. The event place is the residence of the registrant.

Record Content
 Draft registrations may contain the following information:
 * Name
 * Date of registration
 * Date of birth
 * Physical description
 * Town, county, and state of residence
 * Employment
 * Closest relative
 * Marital status

To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor’s name.
 * Other identifying information such as residence, birthdate or age, names of other family members and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

To search the collection by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Surname Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:
 * Use the person’s age and residence to find family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the marital and birth information to find marriage and birth records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived nearby.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Related Websites

 * Veterans Service Records at National Archives
 * Ancestry ($)
 * Fold3 Military Records ($).

Related Wiki Articles

 * Delaware Military Records
 * Delaware Genealogy
 * United States World War II Draft Records
 * World War II United States Military Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: