Pennsylvania World War II Draft Registration Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Pennsylvania

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 1940-1945.

Name index and images of draft registration cards of men born between 1896 and 1929 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, 1926-1975. The event place is the residence of the registrant. The collection is arranged alphabetically by the name of the registrant. Images courtesy of Ancestry.


 * Draft Registration Cards for Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940-3/31/1947. Selective Service System. Pennsylvania State Headquarters. Record Group 147 Records of the Selective Service System. NAID 5324575

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Draft registration records may contain the following information:
 * Name of the registrant
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Residence at the time of registration
 * Employer
 * Name and address of someone who will always know the whereabouts of the registrant.

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know: As you search, compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.
 * The name of your ancestor
 * At least one other piece of information

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the waypoints Browse Page.
 * 1) Select State
 * 2) Select Surname Letter
 * 3) Select Name

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


 * == What Do I Do Next? ==

Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.


 * Use the occupation to locate business and employment records.
 * Not every who registered was drafted into the service.

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.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Continue to search the index to identify the person who will always know the address of the registrant. In many cases this could be a relative or family member.
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
 * Be aware that, some information may have been entered or recorded incorrectly.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?


 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Your ancestor or relative may have lived in localities of which  you may not be aware. Search draft registrations for other states records of nearby localities.

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:

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