WW1 & WW2
The First and Second World Wars represent the two most devastating conflicts in human history, profoundly impacting nearly every nation and generating massive historical and personal documentation. For researchers, particularly genealogists, records from these eras are invaluable for tracing military service, casualties, prisoner-of-war status, and the fates of civilians involved in resistance movements or caught in the crossfire. The links below provide access to key national archives, international humanitarian databases, and specialized resources crucial for reconstructing individual histories within the context of these two global upheavals.
Highland Territorials Trench- LaGorgue France- photo H. D, Girwood 1915 | Picryl description: Public domain image free to use, no copyright restrictions
The resources dedicated to World War II are particularly rich due to the scope of the Nazi regime's crimes and the subsequent efforts to document victims, resistance, and military losses. While World War I resources tend to focus on military casualties and prisoners of war, World War II resources expand to include vast archives on victims of persecution (Holocaust), records of resistance movements across Europe, and detailed post-war documentation efforts to account for the missing. Utilizing both military and civilian records is essential for comprehensive research into this period.
WW1 Resources ⚔️
- Austrian WW1 Casualty Lists
- Deutsche Flieger 1.WK - German Fliers WW1
- Red Cross - Prisoners of the First World War
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
- France: Mémoire des Hommes (WW1 Military Records)
WW2 Resources 🛡️
- Armed Jewish Resistance: Partisans
- Arolsen Archives (Online Search)
- Deutsche Dienststelle - German Wehrmacht KIA Notification
- Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (German War Graves Commission)
- Dokumentationsarchiv des Österreichischen Widerstandes - Archive of Austrian Opposition
- Dutch Resistance members
- French Resistance: La Resistance
- German List of resistance fighters against National Socialism (Liste von Widerstandskämpfern gegen den Nationalsozialismus)
- Krasnoyarsk Memorial Society (Soviet political repression)
- Suchdienst des Österreichischen Roten Kreuzes - Austrian Red Cross
- The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe
- YIVO: Armed Resistance
- U.S. National Archives: WWII Records
- UK National Archives: Second World War Records
Credits
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.