Researching a Tank Destroyer member’s military experience can be a rewarding adventure. Numerous visitors to the site have commented in the Guestbook, excited at finding a relatives name in documents or maybe a photo showing them during the war, how much they appreciate the work we are doing. We post the information and photos that individuals are willing to send in along with documentation the website team members have gathered themselves. Obviously this information only goes so far. 

If you are interested in furthering your knowledge of a relative’s activities or a particular TD unit, this is the point where you must begin your own quest for information. First, ask relatives for information, many times just a question about the relative will jog memories or the remembrance of a family album, letters or scrapbook. The next step will be to pursue public sources. While some information can be obtained free of charge, much of the more detailed documentation will require payment. Be prepared for setbacks, they happen to us all.

The following are resource locations and some of the ways to use them:

If you have a name only, first contact the local county courthouse where the veteran lived.  When the men returned from the war, some of the Discharge paperwork may have been copied and put on file there.

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Next, you can visit this site:   World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938 to 1946
You can obtain the service members Army serial number and date/place of enlistment. This data is invaluable as you continue researching.

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To obtain personnel records of a relative, visit this site:   Military Personnel Records
Look thru the information here t o get an overview of how the website works and what is available. This same facility also stores “Morning Reports” which were completed each day at the company level and include casualties, transfers in/out, evacuations to hospitals, promotions and a brief record of events.

Use this link to find the correct forms to submit your request:    Military Service Record
(Please note that form DD 214, Report of Separation is for veterans and next of kin requests.  Form SF-180 is all other requests.)

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If you are interested in detailed information on a particular TD Battalion, Group or Brigade, your first step will be to request an “Index to the Records” of the given unit. This can be done online by visiting this site:     Research and Records at the NARA
1.)  Locate the section marked “I have a question about research and records at NARA”.
2.)  In the Question Topic box, select “Records created by the United States military” in the question box below, enter the following: I would like to request an Index to the Records of the (enter number of battalion you’re interested in) Tank Destroyer Battalion during World War 2.
3.)  Proceed to the “Contact Information” section and following completion, click “Review Your Entries” and if correct, submit your request.

You should receive a copy of the index, thru the mail, in two to six weeks.
                        Example of an index similar to what you will receive
4.)  If you wish to order copies of available records, use the same link above and, using the same two boxes, ask for a quote to copy whatever records you want, i.e.,
                           TDBN-607-0.1   18892   Hist-   15 Jul 41-Dec 44
Write each line individually and exactly as indicated on the records index.  Again, you will receive a reply thru the mail indicating the number of pages contained within the file and the cost. Information on how to proceed with the process will be included. If you don’t get a reply within a few weeks, resubmit your request. Copy costs are currently $.75 per page, collecting all of a units records can cost several hundred dollars. This is not an exact science, especially long distance. Persevere and you’ll get what you’re looking for.

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A source for TD battalion unit histories: United States Army Military History Institute
1.)  Enter “Tank Destroyer” in the search box on the first line, check the “AHCO
Research Catalog” line in the Select Databases to Search section and click the “GO” button.
2.)  When the results appear, you must click “View”. scroll through them to see what units are available. They do not have histories for all TD units.
3.)  Once you have identified that they have a history you are interested in, you can order a copy of that history from them.

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A site with links to a large variety of research sources: Military Indexes
Unfortunately many of these sources they have listed require payment or a subscription.

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An incredible book called Finding Your Father’s War by Jonathan Gawne provides as the cover says, “A Practical Guide to Researching and Understanding Service in the World War II US Army”.  Jonathan is a friend to this site and has provided both information and encouragement over the years. I can't say enough about him and his wonderful book.  The book can still be purchased through Amazon for a very reasonable amount. 

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 An alternate method for obtaining information is to hire a private research firm or individual. The costs may initially seem high but since they deal with the archival system regularly, they know what to look for and how to get it into a usable format in a timely manner. Some archival record files contain “carbon copies” which can be somewhat difficult to read. The same file, or another, for the requested unit can contain “originals” which are normally higher quality. Having a hands-on person reviewing the documents can eliminate the cost and frustration of receiving poor quality copies.  We have used researchers on occasions ourselves and the National Archive site provides names of researchers.  Although I cannot guarantee your experience with a researcher, I can tell you that we have worked with the people identified below and they provided good results.

Any of the information identified above can be obtained by use of a Researcher. 

1.)  Brian Siddall - Specializing in Morning Reports
      Phone:  (607) 275-8080
      Mail:  Airborne In Normandy Research
               P.O. Box 3897
               Ithaca, NY 14852
      Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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You can also visit any if the Archive facilities mentioned above.  If you have the time to search for yourself, I would wholeheartedly suggest you take the time to go in person.  If nothing else, it will give you a better understanding of the process and better educate you for future online purchases.  We have provided links to information you will need to plan your trip.

1.)  National Personnel Records Center - St Louis, MO. (Personnel Records,  Morning Reports, Unit Rosters)

2.)  National Archives Facility - College Park, MD. (Unit Records, Photos)

3.)  U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center - Carlisle, PA.  (Military Library with Unit Histories, Personal Papers of many Soldiers and Photos)