States compile service records of their soldiers, some better than others I downloaded a service record that no longer is free. Glad that I have it!  Seriously, the state service questionnaires have a comprehensive record of the soldier's service.  Unfortunately, the service questionnaires were not fastidiously completed throughout the United States and some questionnaires were very brief. But I am happy that I looked and saved that 3-page report. 

Here are a few to peruse so that you can see what kind of information is included.  Now that the Utah questionnaire requires a fee for access...would I pay the fee for the information?  In a heartbeat. 

• Louisiana, World War I Service Records, 1917–1920
• Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917–1919
• North Carolina, World War I Service Cards, 1917–1919
• Texas World War I Records,1917–1920
• California, San Francisco, World War I Enemy Alien Registration Affidavits, 1918

British World War I ancestors?  Search these FamilySearch free records:
These include:

• United Kingdom World War I Service Records 1914–1920. These are the service files of soldiers who were discharged from the British army between 1914 and 1920. For more information, read the FamilySearch article “United Kingdom, World War I Service Records.” 
• United Kingdom World War I Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps Records 1917–1920. This interesting record batch covers 7,000 women.

Here's some other sources to try.  An * will mark those that have free access at Family History Centers many of which may be surprisingly close to your location for a stop by.

• Soldiers of the Great War by William Mitchell Haulsee, Frank George Howe, Alfred Cyril Doyle. This three-volume work found online lists of soldiers that died in the war as well as some basic information about them. Some entries also have photographs.
•  Prisoners of the First World War 1914–1918 from the International Committee of the Red Cross has information on 5 million prisoners of war. 
• For a habit-forming and comprehensive overview of the war and its history as well as an in-depth look at the records it created, don’t miss the National Archive’s page: World War I Centennial: Commemorating the Great War. 
• Be sure to check *Fold3’s World War I collection. In addition to having some of the same records mentioned above, they also have unique collections. Fees apply.
• You can see what World War I records *Ancestry has available here. Some of the most important collections include World War I service records, 1914–1920; World War I pension records, 1914–1920 (This actually contains more service records than pension records since service records used to determine pensions.); and World War I medal rolls index cards, 1914–1920 (with lots of information on British soldiers). Fees apply.
• Those who had ancestors who fought with the United Kingdom won’t want to miss *Findmypast’s World War I collection. Fees apply.

I hope that this four-week World War I ancestor blog has been helpful.  I would love to hear about your experiences.  Comment below or fill out the little survey if you wish, or send a comment directly to me via the Comments Page.

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Not long ago I was indexing World War II draft registrations for FamilySearch. The records have a wealth of information, and the good news is that the draft registrations from World War I have a wealth of information as well. It is the number one official source for those serving in wars, imho.

The first draft was June 1917. That one was my uncle's. The second was June 1918.  The third was September 1918.  Over 24 million Americans registered for the draft. Considering the size of the United States at the time that was a healthy percentage of citizen records. The cards are preserved and searchable for FREE.

Included in the record are the date of birth, often a correctly spelled full name as the person was right in front of the registrar, place of residence, occupation, a relative's name (usually a parent or a spouse), a brief physical description, and, my favorite, their signature.  Be still my heart!  I don't know if any of you react as I do when I see ancestors' signature or writing. But I practically mist up. Okay, I DO mist up, realizing that they grasped that document, rested their hand on the paper, and wrote their name.  It is magical.

Hopefully you found an ancestor or two after last week, ready to search in these detailed historical documents. HERE is the link to the free database on FamilySearch.

Leave a comment if you find an ancestor!  

​Below is my uncle's draft registration form. (The image reflects the way it was scanner by extractors).

With 4.7 million Americans serving in the military and many others in supportive roles, there is a great chance that most Americans, with family history spanning to that time in the United States, has an ancestor who was somehow involved. Many of you answered the survey question indicating that you had a World War I ancestor while other readers have yet to discover an ancestor involved in World War I.  This 4-part series could help you find possible ancestors of the time. Let me suggest two ways to discover if you do have a grandfather or great-grandfather or great grandmother or auxiliary relative involved in The Great War.

1.  Check the 1930 United States census.  A question in that census asked if anyone in the household was “a veteran of the US military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition." The war or expedition was also specified. The 1930 census can be accessed for free through a cooperative between FamilySearch and Ancestry HERE.

2.  Another way to identify ancestors involved in The Great War is to simply look at dates.  The first and second drafts called males born between 1886 and 1897, and those drafts occurred in June 1917. The draft of September 1918 spread to a much greater age range.

After your initial fact finding is finished, you may want to try searching in some of the resources I will share beginning next week.