Native American soldiers stationed in the UK during WW2

Question

I am looking for information regarding and Native American soldiers who were stationed in the UK during WW2 with 82nd Airborne possibly 505th regiment, and were in the UK around April 1944. Particularly around the East Midlands area of the United Kingdom

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

CultureHealingCommunities 
 Thank you for posting your question to History Hub! 
 
 The National Archives has created a reference information paper called " Records of Military Agencies Relating to African Americans from the Post-World War I Period to the Korean War ." We were able to locate a number of entries within our holdings that relate to African Americans in Great Britain. Such topics include treatment and morale, correspondence relating to US African American troops being sent to the UK, and interactions between African American troops and locals in Great Britain. The entries within this guide may assist you in locating a series of interest, which are primarily available at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

Both Native American and African American unit records are searchable by the name of the unit. The Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) has custody of the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917- (Record Group 407) and the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338). Military unit files among these records consist mostly of historical reports, after action reports, unit journals, and general orders. Because the files are arranged hierarchically, identification of the specific unit (i.e., division, regiment, and battalion) and date of interest are necessary before a search can be conducted.

Since Native American troops were not put into segregated units like African American troops, it may be difficult to search for and identify Native Americans within a unit. Additional records may be found within administrative and correspondence records created by command staff. Most of these types of records are organized by the War Department Decimal File System . You may be able to locate records concerning Native Americans under the War Department Decimal number 291.2. Decimal file series of interest can be identified with more specific research questions relating to Native American troops in the UK.

We will be happy to make the records and their finding aids available to you or your representative in the Textual Research Room (Room 2000) here at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Please visit our website for information about visiting the National Archives in College Park, MD, including how to schedule a research visit. 
 
 We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at Archives II, please email us at archives2reference@nara.gov so that we can assist you further. We hope this assists you with your research! Sincerely, Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) [RR2RR 23-64894-LN]

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

Ariel 
 
 Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 
 
 We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917 - 1985 (Record Group 407) that includes records of the 82nd AB Division [during WWII. For more information about these non-digitized records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RR2R) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov . 
 
 We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Morning Reports, ca. 1912 - 1946 for Army units during WWII. For more information about these non-digitized records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov . For more information, please see Access to Morning Reports and Unit Rosters | National Archives . 
 
 We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research! 
 
 Sincerely, 
 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
 [23-40695-REC]

Textual Reference Branch, Archives II · Answer

Ariel 
 Thank you for posting your question on History Hub!

Copies of most of the U.S. Army (including Army Air Corps) monthly unit rosters for the periods 1912-43 and 1947-59 are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis . Please bear in mind that rosters for U.S. army units for the period 1944-46 were destroyed by the U.S. Army in accordance with its disposition authorities. 
 
 We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow-up questions for the Archives II textual reference staff, please email us at archives2reference@nara.gov , so that we may assist you further.

We hope this assists you with your research! 
 Sincerely, 
 Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) 
 23-47040 evs

Native American soldiers stationed in the UK during WW2

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