I am seeking information on John Burchell who fought in ww1 with 91st Infantry Division “Wild West”. I am interested in where he fought, his final rank, when he entered and left service.
Regards
I am seeking information on John Burchell who fought in ww1 with 91st Infantry Division “Wild West”. I am interested in where he fought, his final rank, when he entered and left service.
Regards
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We recommend that you request a copy of their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and separated from the service more than 62 years ago are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis. In many cases where Army and Army Air Corps personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service may be issued if enough information can be located. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard OMPFs were largely not affected by the fire, with some exceptions.
You may use eVetRecs to submit your records request online. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. Alternatively, you may complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. If there is any information requested by the forms that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file. If you want the complete record, where it asks which items you are requesting, please specify that you want the entire file. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file if it survived the fire. For more information see Request Military Service Records.
Records of service members who separated from all military obligations (including reserves time) 62 years prior from the current date can also review the records in the Archival Research Room at the National Archives at St. Louis. Please see the linked website for more information. Email stlarr.archives@nara.gov for further assistance prior to making an appointment.
Since some veterans registered with their state or local veterans service agencies after they separated from service, we suggest that you contact the state or county veterans agency where the veteran lived for additional assistance. Please review the NPRC web page Other Methods to Obtain Military Service Records for more information. Please be advised that registering discharge papers with local and state authorities was optional, so we cannot guarantee that these types of organizations will have his records.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series titled Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 in the Records of the Selective Service System (World War I) (Record Group 163) that may include a draft registration card for your relative. For more information about and/or copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at Atlanta (RRFA) via email at atlanta.archives@nara.gov.
You may wish to search Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org for the WWI Draft Registration Cards. There may be a fee for using Fold3. We suggest that you check for access through your local, university, or state libraries as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. You may also view Fold3 for free at one of the National Archives’ facilities. For the nearest National Archives location, please consult our Visit Us webpage.
Please note that not everyone who registered for the draft served. However, if they registered and were conscripted, that should be indicated by the Classification Lists, 1917–1918 in Record Group 163. Each entry shows the registrants' order number, name, race, serial number, classification, physical examination information, date to report for military duty and entrainment to the mobilization camp, and the date he was accepted, rejected, discharged, or reported delinquent. For more information about and/or copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at Atlanta (RRFA) via email at atlanta.archives@nara.gov.
We also located the Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917–September 16, 1940 ? that may include a card for them. For more information about these records and the VA claims files that they index, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Muster Rolls and Rosters, 11/1/1912 - 12/31/1943 and Morning Reports, ca. 1912 - 1946 which may include muster rolls and morning reports for his unit. However, in order to use these effectively, you would need to know his specific regiment. For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.
Digital images of the Muster Rolls are available on FamilySearch with a free account. The Morning Reports have been digitized by Fold3 and may be viewed online at U.S. Morning Reports, 1912-1939. There may be a fee for using Fold3. We suggest that you check for access through your local, university, or state libraries as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. You may also view Fold3 for free at one of the National Archives’ facilities. For the nearest National Archives location, please consult our Visit Us webpage.
The 91st Division Summary of Operations in the World War provides a good history of the division as a whole. If you know which specific units (brigades, regiments, etc.) he was in, you may wish to research the units. For many units, there are a wide variety of histories already published which document where they served. These might be found by searching online, in libraries, and in book retailers.
If you have questions about locating unit records, you may ask here on History Hub or contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RR2R) at archives2reference@nara.gov.
We hope this is helpful with your research!
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We recommend that you request a copy of their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and separated from the service more than 62 years ago are in the custody of the National Archives at St. Louis. In many cases where Army and Army Air Corps personnel records were destroyed in the 1973 fire, proof of service can be provided from other records such as morning reports, payrolls, and military orders, and a certificate of military service may be issued if enough information can be located. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard OMPFs were largely not affected by the fire, with some exceptions.
You may use eVetRecs to submit your records request online. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. Alternatively, you may complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail it to NARA's National Personnel Records Center, (Military Personnel Records), 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. If there is any information requested by the forms that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file. If you want the complete record, where it asks which items you are requesting, please specify that you want the entire file. If there is any information requested by the form that you do not know, you may omit it or provide estimates (such as for dates), but the more information you provide, the easier it will be to locate the correct file if it survived the fire. For more information see Request Military Service Records.
Records of service members who separated from all military obligations (including reserves time) 62 years prior from the current date can also review the records in the Archival Research Room at the National Archives at St. Louis. Please see the linked website for more information. Email stlarr.archives@nara.gov for further assistance prior to making an appointment.
Since some veterans registered with their state or local veterans service agencies after they separated from service, we suggest that you contact the state or county veterans agency where the veteran lived for additional assistance. Please review the NPRC web page Other Methods to Obtain Military Service Records for more information. Please be advised that registering discharge papers with local and state authorities was optional, so we cannot guarantee that these types of organizations will have his records.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series titled Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 in the Records of the Selective Service System (World War I) (Record Group 163) that may include a draft registration card for your relative. For more information about and/or copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at Atlanta (RRFA) via email at atlanta.archives@nara.gov.
You may wish to search Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org for the WWI Draft Registration Cards. There may be a fee for using Fold3. We suggest that you check for access through your local, university, or state libraries as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. You may also view Fold3 for free at one of the National Archives’ facilities. For the nearest National Archives location, please consult our Visit Us webpage.
Please note that not everyone who registered for the draft served. However, if they registered and were conscripted, that should be indicated by the Classification Lists, 1917–1918 in Record Group 163. Each entry shows the registrants' order number, name, race, serial number, classification, physical examination information, date to report for military duty and entrainment to the mobilization camp, and the date he was accepted, rejected, discharged, or reported delinquent. For more information about and/or copies of these records, please contact the National Archives at Atlanta (RRFA) via email at atlanta.archives@nara.gov.
We also located the Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917–September 16, 1940 ? that may include a card for them. For more information about these records and the VA claims files that they index, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Muster Rolls and Rosters, 11/1/1912 - 12/31/1943 and Morning Reports, ca. 1912 - 1946 which may include muster rolls and morning reports for his unit. However, in order to use these effectively, you would need to know his specific regiment. For more information about these records, please contact the National Archives at St. Louis (RRPO) via email at stl.archives@nara.gov.
Digital images of the Muster Rolls are available on FamilySearch with a free account. The Morning Reports have been digitized by Fold3 and may be viewed online at U.S. Morning Reports, 1912-1939. There may be a fee for using Fold3. We suggest that you check for access through your local, university, or state libraries as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons. You may also view Fold3 for free at one of the National Archives’ facilities. For the nearest National Archives location, please consult our Visit Us webpage.
The 91st Division Summary of Operations in the World War provides a good history of the division as a whole. If you know which specific units (brigades, regiments, etc.) he was in, you may wish to research the units. For many units, there are a wide variety of histories already published which document where they served. These might be found by searching online, in libraries, and in book retailers.
If you have questions about locating unit records, you may ask here on History Hub or contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RR2R) at archives2reference@nara.gov.
We hope this is helpful with your research!
