Archives Library Information Center (ALIC)

Military Resources: World War II


NARA Resources

Archives Surviving from World War II
An excerpt copied with permission of the author, Gerhard Weinberg, from his book A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II.

"Buddies: Soldiers and Animals in World War II"
Lisa B. Auel wrote this Prologue article.

Continuing the Fight: Harry S. Truman and World War II
This Truman Library website contains a collection of documents, photographs, and eyewitness accounts concerning the latter stages of World War II.

Day of Infamy Speech
Audio of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

"Getting the Message Out: The Poster Boys of World War II"
Prologue article by Robert Ellis about government-produced posters from World War II.

Holocaust Era Assets
Information about the records and research available in the National Archives and Records Administration regarding Holocaust Era Assets.

Information Concerning Philippine Army and Guerrilla Records
This NARA site gives in-depth information on the collection of records of World War II Philippine Army and Guerrilla members, which have recently been transferred to the National Personnel Records Center.

"Irving Berlin: This Is the Army"
This article by Laurence Bergreen is from the Summer 1996 issue of the NARA publication Prologue, and presents an in-depth look at Irving Berlin's production of This is the Army.

Japan Surrenders
On September 2, 1945, Japanese representatives signed the official Instrument of Surrender. Both pages of the short document are available as digital images.

"Jim Crow, Meet Lieutenant Robinson: A 1944 Court-Martial"
John Vernon's Prologue article about the court-martial of Second Lieutenant Jack (Jackie) Roosevelt Robinson

Journey of the Philippine Archives Collection
"The Philippine Archives Collection constitutes an invaluable source of information on the Pacific war during World War II, particularly concerning the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs); military operations in the Philippines, 1941-1942; guerrilla warfare in the Philippines; and conditions in the Philippines under Japanese occupation."

"Let the Records Bark!: Personal Stories of Some Special Marines in World War II"
M. C. Lang's Prologue article about Dog Record Books of each canine who enrolled in the Army and Marine Corps from December 15, 1942, to August 15, 1945.

"The Lions' History: Researching World War II Images of African Americans"
An article from the Summer 1997 issue of NARA's publication, Prologue by Barbara L. Burger.

Memorandum Regarding the Enlistment of Navajo Indians
A Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan that provides background on the Marine Corps' decision to enlist and train the Navajos as messengers during World War II.

"Mission to Štechovice: How Americans Took Nazi Documents from Czechoslovakia — And Created a Diplomatic Crisis"
A Prologue article by T. Dennis Reece about the seizure of Nazi documents by Allied forces.

Mobilizing for War: Poster Art of World War II
A Truman Library online exhibit of a selection of posters illustrating such topics as "wartime security, enlistment, production of food and war materials, salvage and conservation, patriotic inspiration, relief efforts, and funding of the war through the sale of war bonds."

"The Mystery of the Sinking of the Royal T. Frank"
Prologue article by Peter von Buol describing the sinking of a U.S. Army transport ship off the coast of Hawaii by the Japanese in 1942.

"Nazi Looted Art: The Holocaust Records Preservation Project"
A three-part Prologue article by Anne Rothfeld about the Holocaust Records Project (HRP) which was tasked with "identifying, preserving, describing, and microfilming more than twenty million pages of records created by the Allies in occupied Europe regarding Nazi looted art and the restitution of national treasures."

Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG)
"The Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) locates, identifies, inventories, and recommends for declassification, currently classified U.S. records relating to Nazi and Japanese Imperial Government war crimes."

"Operation Blissful: How the Marines Lured the Japanese Away from a Key Target — And How 'the Brute' Got Some Help from JFK"
Prologue article by Greg Bradsher about a diversionary mission in the South Pacific.

"Remembering Pearl Harbor . . . 70 Years Later"
Prologue article by Lopez Matthews, Zachary Dabbs, and Eliza Mbughuni discusses deck logs of ships docked in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

"Return to Sender U.S. Censorship of Enemy Alien Mail in World War II"
Lois Fiset's Prologue article on the U.S. government's mail examination and censorship programs on the correspondence of enemy aliens during World War II.

"Safeguarding Hoover Dam during World War II"
Christine Pfaff's Prologue article on the measures taken during World War II to thwart potential sabotage of the Hoover Dam.

"Sage Prophet or Loose Cannon?: Skilled Intelligence Officer in World War II Foresaw Japan's Plans, but Annoyed Navy Brass"
Prologue article by David A. Pfeiffer about Capt. Ellis M. Zacharias.

"'Semper Fidelis, Code Talkers'"
Adam Jevec's Prologue article on the impenetrable Navajo language code used by U.S. Marine Forces in World War II.

"Sixty Years Later, the Story of PT-109 Still Captivates"
Stephen Plotkin's Prologue article on the sinking of a Patrol Torpedo boat commanded by John F. Kennedy in the South Pacific in August 1943.

"Two Americans and the Angry Russian Bear: Army Air Force Pilots Court-Martialed for Offending the Soviet Union during World War II"
Prologue article by Fred L. Borch.

Veterans Gallery: Faces of the Men and Women Who Served during World War II
This collection of photographs of military servicemen and servicewomen was compiled by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library from submissions by the public.

"Wearing Lipstick to War: An American Woman in World War II England and France"
James H. Madison wrote this Prologue article about Elizabeth A. Richardson, who joined the American Red Cross and died in France in 1945.

World War II Photos
This collection of photographs of military servicemen and servicewomen was compiled by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library from submissions by the public.

World War II Remembered: Leaders, Battles & Heroes
"This multi-year exhibit commemorates the 70th anniversaries of WWII and will change often as we progress through the timeline of the war." From the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home.

"The 'Z Plan' Story: Japan's 1944 Naval Battle Strategy Drifts into U.S. Hands"
Greg Bradsher's Prologue article about "how the Z Plan drifted into American hands in one of World War II's greatest intelligence victories, leading to a crushing defeat for Japan in the Southwest Pacific in 1944."

 

Other Resources

After the Day of Infamy: "Man-on-the-Street" Interviews Following the Attack on Pearl Harbor
"Approximately twelve hours of opinions recorded in the days and months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor from more than two hundred individuals in cities and towns across the United States."

Combat Chronicles of U.S. Army Divisions in World War II
"The following combat chronicles, current as of October 1948, are reproduced from The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950, pp. 510-592."

FBIS Against the Axis, 1941-1945: Open-Source Intelligence From the Airwaves
Stephen Mercado's article provides extensive information on the establishment and operation of the Foreign Broadcast Monitoring Service, an agency devoted to monitoring and analyzing foreign radio broadcasts for intelligence purposes, during World War II.

A Guide to World War II Materials
"Links to World War II related resources throughout the Library of Congress Web site."

Hawaii War Records Depository Photos
"The HWRD includes 880 photographs taken by the U.S. Army Signal Corps and the U.S. Navy during World War II. These photographs, taken between 1941 and 1946, document the impact of World War II in Hawaii."

Historic Government Publications from World War II
This digital collection from Southern Methodist University Central University Libraries' Government Information Department "contains 343 Informational pamphlets, government reports, instructions, regulations, declarations, speeches, and propaganda materials distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) during the Second World War."

Hyperwar: U.S. Navy in World War II
Provides lists of ships, Naval Intelligence Combat Narratives, U.S. Naval Operations, Naval Stations and Facilities, U.S. Coast Guard members, and U.S. Navy Histories from World War II.

July, 1942: United We Stand
This is a companion web site for a Smithsonian Institution temporary exhibit that ran through October 2002. The exhibit highlights nearly 300 magazine covers featuring American flags, the slogan "United We Stand", and appeals to buy war bonds.

Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II
U.S. Army Center Center of Military History site that provides the names of Medal of Honor recipients and the actions that are commemorated.

Naval Aviation Chronology in World War II
Information compiled by the Naval History & Heritage Command.

Nuremberg Trials Project: A Digital Document Collection
Maintained by the Harvard Law School Library, this site provides access to trial documents and transcripts from the Medical Case held in 1946-1947 against 23 defendants accused of crimes against humanity in the form of harmful or fatal medical experiments and procedures. The site also provides a list of additional resources related to the Nuremberg Trials.

The OSS and Italian Partisans in World War II
Peter Tompkins, CIA, is the author of this article on the intelligence and operational support for the Anti-Nazi Resistance.

The Perilous Fight: America's World War II in Color
This PBS site is a companion to its program of the same name. It includes color photographs and videos that were shot to document the war.

Ration Coupons on the Home Front, 1942-1945
"Shows how the U.S. government controlled and conserved vehicles, typewriters, sugar, shoes, fuel, and food."

Stalag Luft I Online
The family of Dick Williams Jr., a prisoner of war during World War II, began this site as a tribute to his service. It now includes stories, photos, and letters that document the experiences of the POWs held at Stalag Luft I.

Student Voices from World War II and the McCarthy Era
A compilation of narratives from Brooklyn College students during World War II and the McCarthy era. Includes the oral histories of both participants in the school's Farm Labor Project and employees of the student newspaper.

Untold Stories of D-Day
This National Geographic site is an online gallery of stories and photographs telling the D-Day story.

The U. S. Coast Guard in World War II
The U. S. Coast Guard maintains this site, which includes Official Histories, Oral Histories of Coast Guard Veterans, and more.

U.S.-Russia Joint Commission Documents Database
The documents found in the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission Database consist mainly of translations of Russian-language documents retrieved from various archives in the Russian Federation pertaining to American personnel missing from World War II to the present.

Victory at Sea
From The Atlantic Monthly, this article describes the sea battles of World War II.

War Letters
This PBS website provides context to their film War Letters, based on Andrew Carroll's book of personal correspondence from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War. Features letters, biographies, timelines, cartoons, and local resources.

World War II
Fordham University provides links to documents relating to World War II, including sections on the Lead Up to War, War In Europe, War In Asia, and After the War.

World War II: Documents
The Avalon Project's collection of World War II documents are available on this site, including British War Blue Book, Japanese Surrender Documents, Tripartite Pact and Associated Documents, and much more.

World War II Gallery
This site from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force includes descriptions and images of World War II era aircraft, engines, weapons, and more.

World War II History
From the Internet Public Library, this site includes print and Internet resources for high school and college students beginning research on World War II.

World War II Military Situation Maps
This Library of Congress collection "contains maps showing troop positions beginning on June 6, 1944 to July 26, 1945. Starting with the D-Day Invasion, the maps give daily details on the military campaigns in Western Europe, showing the progress of the Allied Forces as they push towards Germany."

World War II Poster Collection
The Government Publications Department at Northwestern University Library has a comprehensive collection of over 300 posters issued by U.S. Federal agencies from the start of the war through 1945.

World War II: The Photos We Remember
A collection of photographs published in Life Magazine during World War II.

World War II Time Line
Provides a timeline of the major events of World War II.

 

Top