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Re: Seeking Women Army Corps records
Sylvia NaylorJul 22, 2020 7:57 AM (in response to Alessandra Ciampi)
Dear Ms. Ciampi,
Thank you for posting your inquiry on History Hub!
We searched the National Archives Catalog for any records on the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) and located several series, file units, and items in various Record Groups including:
- 18 series in the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs (Record Group (RG) 165)
- 1 series titled “Monthly Reports of Women’s Army Corps Units, 4/30/1944 - 11/12/1945” in the Records of General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area and United States Army Forces, Pacific (World War II) (Record Group 496)
- 3 series located in RG 165, RG 338, and the Nellie Eileen Richards Papers Collection (DDE-1170)
- 7 file units in the series titled “Unit Histories, 1943 -1967” in the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338)
- 1 item in the series titled “Moving Images Related to Combat Visual Information, ca.1966 - ca. 2015” in the Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Record Group 330)
- Women’s Army Corps unit records located in the series titled “World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948” in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917 - 1985 (Record Group 407)
Further, there is a list of NARA resources titled “Military Resources: Women in the Military” on the Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) that might be of interest to you.
Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from various NARA units. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
In addition, we suggest reviewing the publication titled “A Woman’s War too: U.S. Women in the Military in World War II” edited by Paula Nassen Poulos, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C., 1996 as well as several blog posts on women in the military during World War II titled “Their War Too: U.S. Women in the Military during World War II. Part I,” “Their War Too: U.S. Women in the Military during World War II. Part II,” “African American Women in the Military during WWII,” and “A Piece of Women’s History in Record Group 498: ‘The WAC’” available on the National Archives website.
Lastly, we searched online and located several articles and other publications that might be of relevance to your research. They include:- Guide to records on Women’s Army Corps available on the website of the George C. Marshall Foundation
- Women in Army History, a resource available on the website of the U.S. Center of Military History including the publication “The Women’s Army Corps” by Mattie E. Treadwell
- Article titled “Creation of the Women’s Army Corps” available on the website of the U.S. Army
- Article “It’s Your War, Too: Women in WWII” available on the website of the National WWII Museum, New Orleans
We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!
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Re: Seeking Women Army Corps records
Betsy Sheppard Oct 27, 2020 1:29 PM (in response to Alessandra Ciampi)Hello,
In the Spring of 2020, beginning in Fall 2019, I completed a ton of research on the WAC in France during WWII. I definitely agree that you should check out NARA at College Park, but I encourage you to look beyond the basic "WAC" results found in the NARA references. Check out the SHAEF binders and the 12th Army Group After Action reports.
Also, I would highly suggest reaching out to the Women's Army Museum in Ft. Lee, VA. They have a small, but phenomenal collection.