Dear Mr. Lowell,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series Personnel Files of the Office of Strategic Services, 1942-ca. 1962 in the Records of the Office of Strategic Services (Record Group 226). We used the “Search within this Series” feature to search for anyone with the family name Lowell, but we were unable to locate any records for this name. We also searched the name index finding aid to the series, but again, we were unable to locate a file for anyone with the last name Lowell. We also searched the broader Personal Name Index to the OSS records, and we located two entries for the family name Lowell there, including “Lowell, Col” and “Lowell, Paul R.” These files are located in boxes 132 and 392 of the series Central Files, 1941-1946 in Record Group 226, respectively. The records have not been digitized. For access to and information about the files, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) at archives2reference@nara.gov.
Next, we located the series The Fifteenth Army Group History, 12/16/1944-5/2/1945 in the Records of Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, United States Army (World War II) (Record Group 498) that may be of interest to you. Further, we located 5 file units of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in the Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II (Record Group 331) that pertain to the 15th Army Group. The series World War II Operations Reports, 1940 - 1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917-1985 (Record Group 407) may contain some information about the activities of the 15th Army Group. These records have not been digitized. Please contact RDT2 for more information about them.
In addition, we located the file 58 file units related to the 15th Army Group in the series Moving Images Relating to Military Activities, 1947 - 1964 in the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (Record Group 111). Some of these records have been digitized and may be viewed online via the National Archives Catalog. Please contact the National Archives at College Park - Motion Pictures (RDSM) at mopix@nara.gov with any questions you might have about these records.
Plus, the series Photographs of Fifth Army, II Corps Activities in Northern Italy, 1944-1945 also includes some photographs related to the 15th Army Group. These records have not been digitized. Please contact the National Archives at College Park - Still Pictures (RDSS) at stillpix@nara.gov for additional assistance with these records.
Finally, if you have not done so already, we suggest that you request a copy of your father’s Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). OMPFs and individual medical reports for enlisted men of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after October 1912 and prior to 1958 and for officers of the U.S. Army who were separated from the service after June 1917 and prior to 1958 are in the custody of NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. In many cases where 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 will be issued. Please 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. Veterans and their next of kin also may use eVetRecs to request records. See eVetRecs Help for instructions. For more information see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Archival Records Requests.
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 RDT2, RDSM, and RDSS. Also, the NPRC closed again as of November 7, 2020 until further notice. NPRC will respond only to requests involving burials, medical emergencies, and homeless veterans. If your request is urgent, please see Emergency Requests and Deadlines or emergency requests may be faxed to (314) 801-0764. Please check archives.gov/veterans for updates to the NPRC operating hours and status. We apologize for any inconvenience.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!