9 Replies Latest reply on Jul 19, 2018 6:30 AM by Anthony Bard

Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952

Anthony Bard Jul 1, 2018 9:24 AM

I am trying to locate a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”, dated October 28, 1952, from G-2 to FEC, LG. Apparently this was filed under “372 Classified. Line number: 51”. The cross reference sheet listing this file is contained in “311.1 General HeadQuarters. The PW Mail Examining Group was responsible for the inspection and microfilming of all mail received at Panmunjom from UN POWs held in North Korean prison camps.

The mail was sent from Panmunjom to APO 72 Munsan-ni, and forwarded for the Adjutant General by the Military Intelligence Command, G-2, to the Security Division, GHQ, FEC in Japan. After microfilming the mail was returned to the Adjutant General at APO 500 (in Japan) and placed into Army Post Office channels for onward delivery to the addressees in the US.

I cannot find any records of the Security Division (other than in the 311.1 file referenced above), nor can I locate the copies made of POW mail from the microfilms created by the Security Division.

Any assistance would be hugely welcomed.

Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952

Rebecca Collier Jul 3, 2018 11:43 AM (in response to Anthony Bard)

Dear Mr. Bard,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We searched the general correspondence decimal files of the G-2 and Adjutant General Sections of the Far East Command (FEC) in Record Group 554 but were unable to locate the exact file that you seek. We also were unable to locate records pertaining to the Security Division, FEC. Please provide us with additional information and we will gladly continue our search.
Once gleaned for intelligence information, copies made of the POW mailings (V-Mail) would not be considered permanent records. The National Postal Museum in Washington, DC has some examples of WWII V-Mail and may have some from the Korean War. Please contact the museum for more information about their collections.
We hope this is helpful.
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- Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
  
  Anthony Bard Jul 4, 2018 1:40 PM (in response to Rebecca Collier)
  
  Dear Ms Collier
  Thank you so much for your very quick (if somewhat disappointing) reply. I almost expect to get a negative result from the vast majority of my searches on this topic, but I am forever the optimist.
  
  I have just noticed that there is a note of “311.1 Classified” at the bottom of the original page referencing the report. 311.1 is quite a useful RG for postal information although somewhat thin on content. I don’t recall finding any classified files in my searches though. Do they exist? Would RG 407.6.1 Records of the Army-Air Force Postal Service Headquarters possibly hold some answers [is there a finding aid for these records?]?
  
  Regarding microfilm/photostat copies of POW mail, a letter from Colonel Bratton [in 'RG 383.6 No. 3, Class IV Project, Army-FEC-GEN-011-52-OP' http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/8341720 ] the Deputy Assistant Chief of the General Staff, dated August 16, 1952 addressed to the Deputy for Intelligence, Far East Air Force, APO 925, ATTN: Directorate of Intelligence, Requirements, notes that:
  
  "Microfilm copies of such letters are forwarded to Department of the Army for analysis; additional microfilm copies are not retained in FEC.... Comment sheets concerning PW mail have been prepared by the Security Division, G2 Section."
  
  Is there a possibility that these 'comment sheets' might exist?
  
  Regards
  
  Anthony Bard
  
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  - Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
    
    Rebecca Collier Jul 5, 2018 7:08 AM (in response to Anthony Bard)
    
    Dear Mr. Bard,
    
    If you have a copy of the document, please send us a copy so we can serve you better. Thank you!
    
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Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952

Anthony Bard Jul 6, 2018 10:11 AM (in response to Anthony Bard)

Dear Ms Collier,

Attached please find both the original document referred to[PW Examining Group, and the subsequent reference [1952-8-16].

Kind regards

Anthony Bard

Thanks
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- Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
  
  Rebecca Collier Jul 6, 2018 12:26 PM (in response to Anthony Bard)
  
  Unfortunately, I cannot read the document if I try to enlarge it. Please resent it.
  
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  - Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
    
    Anthony Bard Jul 6, 2018 1:41 PM (in response to Rebecca Collier)
    
    Is there any way that I can attach image files to a reply? I pasted them into the last message as I couldn’t work out how else to send them!
    
    regards
    
    Anthony
    
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    - Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
      
      Rebecca Collier Jul 6, 2018 2:23 PM (in response to Anthony Bard)
      
      Please send it to r.historyhub@nara.gov
      
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    - Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952
      
      Rebecca Collier Jul 18, 2018 2:58 PM (in response to Anthony Bard)
      
      Dear Mr. Bard,
      
      Thank you for posting your follow-up request on History Hub!
      
      We searched the Records of the Far East Command, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, and the United Nations Command, 1945-57 (Record Group 554) and located the document referred to by the Cross Reference Sheet in the series titled General Correspondence, 1947 - 1952 of the G-2 Coordination Division (RG 554, A1 16A, Box 68, File # 322). It was a request for G-2 staff members to assist with reviewing the letters for intelligence as part of the “PW Mail Examining Group.” There was no official unit called this. As stated before, once gleaned for intelligence information, copies made of the POW mailings (V-Mail) would not be considered permanent records.
      
      We also located your other document, with the subject Prisoner of War Information dated 16 August 1952, in same series (RG 554, A1 16A, Box 69 File 383). It was misfiled with several other documents when the records were microfilmed/scanned by the Diet Library.
      
      The series listed above are filed according to the War Decimal File System. The Decimal 311.1 was the designation for “Mails”; Decimal 322 for “Geographical Divisions” such as G-2 Coordination Division; and Decimal 383 for “Conduct of war with relation to commercial firms and persons” which included information about POWs or interned persons.
      
      For access to these files, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.
      
      We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!
      
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Re: Searching for a file named “PW Mail Examining Group”for October 28, 1952

Anthony Bard Jul 19, 2018 6:30 AM (in response to Anthony Bard)

Dear Ms Collier

Thank you so much for your efforts in tracking down these documents.

I have already emailed archives2 to organise copies.

Again, many thanks for your assistance.

Regards

Anthony Bard
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