Books & Paperwork

After D-Day on 6 June 1944 the American government had to deal with a unforeseen amount of dead soldiers they were not prepared for. Hastly, though thorough the Quartermaster Graves Registration Service created new protocols. These new guidelines were published in several books and manuals, some of them shown below. Many detailed images and written text is available for each of the items below.

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  Next-of-kin Burial Information Set

  This completes the set of information sent to the next-of-kin. A letter from the Department of the Army, Office of the Quartermaster General explaining that US Congress authorized the disinternment and final burial of heroic American dead. It took me quite a while to gather the complete set, but here it is. An original letter […]

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  American Cemeteries (1945-1946)

  Two pamphlets were sent by the US War Department to next-of-kins in case of a soldier’ death. This is the second pamphlet named “American Cemeteries”. The other pamphlet is titled ‘Disposition of World War II Armed Forces Dead (1946)’ and can be found here. Purpose of this American Cemeteries pamphlet is to show the next-of-kin […]

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  Disposition of World War II Armed Forces Dead (1946)

  This is one of two pamphlets sent between 1946-1948 to all next-of-kins who had loved ones buried in temporary American military cemeteries overseas. The second pamhplet is named ‘American Cemeteries’ and was published by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). In this first pamplet, the US War Department gave several options for a permanent burial […]

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  Handbook for Emergency Battlefield Burials and Graves Registration by Troops (1943)

  One of the first official publications by the US Government with guidance and information on how to handle the dead. On the front a stamp marking is found to let the reader know there is a new version of this booklet. Also in my collection, please look further in this area of my website. More […]

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  Plan for Repatriation of the Dead of World War II and Establishment of Permanent United States Military Cemeteries at Home and Abroad (1945)

  This original 1945 dated book written by the American Graves Registration Command contains the plan on how to arrange definitive cemeteries, both at home in the United States, as abroad on the battlefields of Europe. It shows the already excisting temporarely burialsites and how the structure of the AGRC is organised. A very rare piece […]

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  World War II Cemetery Information Sheet

  Large (temporary) World War I & II cemeteries document. It is assumed this large document hung in an office of an Graves Registration officer in late WWII, or early post war. It contains all locations, phone numbers and route to drive to get to the particular cemetery. This document is special due to the names […]

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  Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) #26 – Army Burials, Graves Registration and Disposition of Effects (1944)

  After D-Day and the many allied death following that operation, the Graves Registration units needed better procedures. This is the follow-up manual for the 1943 manual as can be seen here below (Handbook for Emergency Battlefield Burials and Graves Registration by Troops). More pictures:

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  C’est La Guerre! (612th Graves Registration Company Unit-History)

  Unit history book published in Germany just after WWII from the 612th Graves Registration Company. Printed information regarding their preperation for overseas movement until the end of World War II. Very informative and has a great number of named personnel and photos inside. More pictures:

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  Pictorial and Historical Record for the United States temporary Military Cemeteries European Theater Area World War II

  Booklet printed by the American Graves Registration Command to commemorate all temporal US war cemeteries. Pictured and all. More pictures:

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  War Cemeteries Map World War II

  Map style booklet prepared by the American Graves Registration Command in 1945 showing all cemeteries in the ETO. More pictures:

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