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War Department ID cards question

Article about: Did they ever hand-write hair/eye color and date instead of typing it? I found an interesting WWII ID that looks exactly like the one I am attaching but hand-written. Thanks! Kim

  1. #1

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    Did they ever hand-write hair/eye color and date instead of typing it? I found an interesting WWII ID that looks exactly like the one I am attaching but hand-written. War Department ID cards question Thanks!
    Kim

  2. #2

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    Kim,

    It is quite possible that entries were handwritten instead of being typed for a number of reasons..

    The lack of typewriters would be one instance, time would be another factor if trying to expedite processing of large numbers of inductee's/Soldiers in a short amount of time, location may also be another factor, (location being what geographic location in the country the Soldiers were being processed in). For example at a large installation such as Fort Dix New Jersey they may have used typewriters and at smaller induction centers they may have just used pen and ink to speed the process.

    Regulations may not have been as specific when typing identity cards up, I would have to look in WW2 era administrative records and manuals to see what they say..

    We have a few identity cards at the museum I curate so when I return to work I will have a look at some of them..

    Looking forward to seeing the card that you mention with the hand written annotations..


    Best regards

    Smitty

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    Smitthy - thank you soooo much!!!! Everything else looked great on the card except for that. I will not know until Sunday if I will get it - but it is true find. If I do I will certainly post pictures! I love this group - you guys always come through for me!!! Thank you!!

  4. #4

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    I think this is fairly normal for the period.
    If it helps the British equivalent was the AB64 (Army Book 64) aka "Pay Book" properly known as; AB64 Soldiers Record and Pay Book which included; personal and service details, training records and pay records (one could not receive pay without it). Visually it resembled the Wehrmacht Soldbuch.

    The entries inside comprised a mixture of typed detail, made when the book was first issued as well as handwritten detail and facsimilie / ink stamps entered whilst the document was in use.

    All relevant to circumstance and expediency as Smitty says, a product of the time and of course most units in the field would not have typewriters below (mostly) Battalion level.

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

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    Thanks, Mark. And can I assume stamps were also geographical? This may have a stamp - but it is a bad picture. Also - lol it is illegal to own a deceased soldiers ID card? This is also in the lot. War Department ID cards question
    Kim

  6. #6

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    Good morning Kim..

    To answer some of your questions.. There will be geographical stamps such as the installation the Soldier in-processed through or was discharged from and then there will be local stamps for units as low as companies (The clerk and admin folks would maintain these stamps and would update records/pay books etc. with the necessary information.

    Next: It is not illegal to own deceased Soldiers belongings.. IN some cases this is the only way that someone can actually tell this person's story. By obtaining heir records you are keeping their story and for lack of better terms their short lived life alive. We like to honor those who can't tell their own stories and it brings home the reality and harshness of war when we see a photo and a name of a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Coastguardsman, Space Force member who lost their life..

    You look at the picture and you have to think "What dreams and aspirations did this young man or woman have that was so suddenly and in many cases so violently taken away from them"?

    The picture of the document that you posted is quite interesting and if original will have some value. The Pearl Harbor Air Raid telegram that was sent out to the ships and commands is a very sought after document and based on what I am seeing that it was flashed from Kodiak, Alaska, to what I would presume some of the installations and units in the area, and this has some very good potential at being a very desirable piece of early WW2 (at least for the US) history. Actual flash messages from Pearl Harbor during the attack are quite rare and have been reproduced BUT every once in a while they surface and fetch some decent money.. (Similar to the D-Day pre-invasion letters that were distributed to the troops which there were obviously more of those produced and distributed but these too are reproduced and sold as originals)

    I hope you are able to get this grouping so that we can hear more about the person. See if you can click on each of the pictures (even if they are bad) and save them to your desktop. This way you will still be able to have pictures after the images are gone..

    Also, I was doing a little more research last night and one of the Army Manuals of the WW2 era is AR 12-250 Administration and 12-252 Army Clerk..

    These 2 references may have instructions as to what needs to be type on records and under exceptions what can be penned in such as the hair and eye color. I have not really delved too deep into it but since we have been discussing the differences on Identity cards and other documents I though I would bring it up.

    Here is a link to the Library of Congress that has some of the WW2 era Manuals that can give you an idea of just how many references are out there...

    Series 12: Adjutant General's Dept. - United States Army Technical Manuals: A Resource Guide and Inventory - Research Guides at Library of Congress

    So hope that answers some of your questions..

    Best regards, stay safe

    Smitty

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    Also, just to clarify a point made by Smitty, it is not just the originating station or subject that makes a "Flash message" of great interest although that is very much part of it but the classification "Flash" still exists in NATO. Most signal messages are classified as "Routine" "Priority", "Immediate" etc plus a security caveat such as "Restricted" "Staff in Confidence" "Secret" etc but a "Flash" message takes priority over and interrupts the transmission of everything else so as you can imagine they are few and far between so when you add circumstance and context, a little piece of paper becomes very interesting indeed

    Regards

    Mark
    "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

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    There is a copy of the same flash msg at archives.gov - but even if it a copy from then I think it is cool. I can not wait to get it and see if there are perforation marks at the top. I will definitely keep you posted and send pics - because I will get it. Thanks, Mark.

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    Thanks again, Smitty. I will read the link you sent now. I will keep you posted and thanks for taking your time to help me.

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    I could not open that link but googled WWII era AR12-250 and 12-252. Jeez....I will have to research more. The guy also had a lot of German military stuff that I feel kinda guilty bidding on - but some of the medals are worth a lot. The armbands I have a hard time with. I just want the ID!!!

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