More than half a century ago, the Great Patriotic War ended, leaving a mark in almost every family. The fate of millions of dead and missing soldiers is unknown. The descendants’duty is to honor the heroes who sacrificed their lives for their future. The search for the missing during the Second World War and the post-war period is carried out both at the state level and by volunteers. Databases are being compiled, self-search technologies are being developed to help those who care about the fate of missing relatives.
You will need
- - office supplies;
- - access to the Internet.
Instruction manual
1
Start by collecting information about the missing person. It is advisable to know not only his name, surname and patronymic, but also the date and place of birth, the RVK (regional military commissariat) of the conscription, the number of the military unit (or postal field station) and the military rank of the wanted person. Also try to collect information about his relatives.
2
Search the Internet using the information. There are several databases of WWII military personnel. The most complete of them are: http://www.obd-memorial.ru/ (a database compiled on the basis of the documents of the TsAMO RF) and http://www.ipc.antat.ru/Ref/all.asp (a database, compiled on the basis of the Memory Books of various regions).
3
Even if the information of interest was found, check its accuracy from other sources. Visit sites and forums dedicated to military history. When searching, use different combinations of words, check for possible synonyms and abbreviations of names, terms and titles.
4
If the information found could not answer all your questions, send requests to the appropriate archives. When sending a request, attach an envelope with a return address and stamp in the letter - this will speed up the response.
5
Contact international search services. For quite some time, the German archives of World War II served only for internal use. However, in 2006 it was decided to declassify them. The site of the International Tracing Service, located in Bad Arolsen, provides the opportunity to fill out an online application to search for information about a wanted relative: http://www.its-arolsen.org/en/glavnaja/index.html. In addition, check the database of Soviet prisoners of war and the database of burials of Soviet citizens in Saxony. This can be done on the website
note
When conducting searches, vary the spelling of the last name and first name of the wanted person. They can be severely distorted, since basically all the recordings were made by ear or mistakes could be made when rewriting documents.
Be prepared for the fact that the search can drag on for many months or even years. The most terrible war in the history of mankind was on, so many data simply did not survive. Sometimes, unfortunately, searches may not be successful at all. This is especially true for the search for the missing and dead in 1941 and 1942.
Useful advice
When collecting information, it is useful to note for yourself the sources of its receipt. As the facts accumulate, they can be evaluated in different ways. You may need to double-check any information and such a detailed description will reduce the overall search time.
