hello. new to the forum. trying to find info about pvt. william a. russell, 505 pir, 3 btn, company h, 82nd airborne. he was kia 6 october, 1944 in holland. wondering what operation this was a part of(the end of market garden??). what was their mission this day? can anyone give me any info or point me to specific websites that might help me. thankt, tim
You might start by finding the archives where the All American Division’s daily logs are kept. There’s a good chance they survived…
You may have already visited these sites, but just in case:
82nd Airborne WW2:
http://www.ww2-airborne.us/division/82_overview.html (Has a Company Picture)
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_arnhem.html
National WW2 Memorial
Standard Form SF 180 :
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html
If I come across anything more specific I’ll post it here.
I missed this link from the National WW2 Museum.
(Text from the site below)
How to Locate Someone Who Fought in World War II
Individuals Who Never Made It Home
Request the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). The IDPF will almost always establish his unit and give information on his burial. In many cases, it will also give valuable information about where and when he died, possibly including reports of the action in which he died. For men whose remains were never recovered or identified, extremely valuable records of the testimonies of his buddies are usually included, giving extraordinary information about the action, what happened to him, and when they last saw him. NOTE: You must send a letter before any information can be sent out to you. The letter should include your signed statement of willingness to pay the Freedom of Information Act fees for the work involved. If you are requesting your relative’s IDPF, they may not charge you.
Department of the Army
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
ATTN: AHRC-FOIA
1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Dept. 107
Fort Knox, Kentucky 40122-5504
502-613-4400
usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.foia@mail.mil
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/honor/research-a-veteran.html