Find your ancestors in Pennsylvania, World War II casualty cards

What can these records tell me?

This collection of casualty cards includes both images of the original cards and transcripts of the pertinent details. The amount of information recorded on any given transcript may vary, but most will include the following fields:

  • First name(s)
  • Last name
  • Rank
  • Year
  • Casualty date
  • Next of kin relationship
  • Next of kin’s first name(s)
  • Next of kin’s last name
  • Residence
  • State of residence
  • State
  • Country

Images of the original cards may be able to provide additional details, such as if the individual was wounded or where the individual served (e.g. West France).

Discover more about these records

The World War II casualty cards were created for local newspapers upon the United States’ engagement in the conflict. The cards would include vital information and, occasionally, a photograph.

The collection does not exclusively pertain to causalities; the cards were created by the Army so that if or when something happened to a local soldier, the newspaper wouldn’t have to scramble for the information. This includes photos and cards detailing news and achievements of Pennsylvanian servicemen. These records are particularly relevant in light of the fire at the National Archives and Records Administration in the 1970s when most of the World War II personnel files were destroyed.