Hello, My grandfather asked me to research his father's time spent in the service. He told me he had been a POW but he did not know the details. I have been searching for quite a while but I have found very little. I found a record on the NARA website with the following information. [TABLE] [TR] Field TitleValueMeaning[/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]SERIAL NUMBER[/TD] [TD]38567971 [/TD] [TD]38567971 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]NAME [/TD] [TD]TARVER GEORGE E [/TD] [TD]TARVER GEORGE E [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]GRADE, ALPHA[/TD] [TD]PFC [/TD] [TD]Private First Class [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]GRADE CODE[/TD] [TD]7 [/TD] [TD]Second Lieutenant or Nurse or Dietitian or Physical therapy aide or Private First Class or Ensign or Second Class, Seaman [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]SERVICE CODE[/TD] [TD]1 [/TD] [TD]ARMY [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]ARM OR SERVICE[/TD] [TD]INF [/TD] [TD]Infantry [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]ARM OR SERVICE CODE[/TD] [TD]10 [/TD] [TD]INF: INFANTRY [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]DATE REPORT: DAY (DD)[/TD] [TD]16 [/TD] [TD]16 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]DATE REPORT: MONTH (MM)[/TD] [TD]12 [/TD] [TD]12 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]DATE REPORT: YEAR (Y)[/TD] [TD]4 [/TD] [TD]1944 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]RACIAL GROUP CODE[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]STATE OF RESIDENCE[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]TYPE OF ORGANIZATION[/TD] [TD]740 [/TD] [TD]Branch Immaterial/Infantry Division Band/Dental Corps/Medical Department [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]PARENT UNIT NUMBER[/TD] [TD]0422 [/TD] [TD]0422 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]PARENT UNIT TYPE[/TD] [TD]06 [/TD] [TD]Group/Regiment/Commands/System [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]AREA[/TD] [TD]72 [/TD] [TD]European Theatre: Germany [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]LATEST REPORT DATE: DAY (DD)[/TD] [TD]20 [/TD] [TD]20 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]LATEST REPORT DATE: MONTH (MM)[/TD] [TD]02 [/TD] [TD]02 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]LATEST REPORT DATE: YEAR (Y)[/TD] [TD]6 [/TD] [TD]1946 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]SOURCE OF REPORT[/TD] [TD]1 [/TD] [TD]Individual has been reported through sources considered official. [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]STATUS[/TD] [TD]7 [/TD] [TD]Returned to Military Control, Liberated or Repatriated [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]DETAINING POWER[/TD] [TD]1 [/TD] [TD]GERMANY [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]CAMP[/TD] [TD]063 [/TD] [TD]Stalag 12A to 9B Limburg An Der Lahn Hessen-Nassau, Prussia 50-08 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]REP[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="width: 165"]POW TRANSPORT SHIPS[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] I do not know what to do with this information. I sent in a request to the National Archives hoping to get a copy of his service record but I received a letter saying his record had not survived the fire, however, for a fee I could receive a copy of his Final Pay Voucher. I am unsure if this voucher will be valuable? Also, I cannot find any information using his Service Number. And I cannot find his enlistment information. Any advice on how to proceed? Thank you!!
His parent unit was the 422nd Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division. He was captured 16 December 1944 in the early days of the Bulge. Combat Chronicle of the 106th: "The 106th Infantry Division arrived in England, 17 November 1944, and trained briefly, then moved to France, 6 December. It relieved the 2d Infantry Division in the Schnee Eifel on the 11th. The Von Rundstedt attack was thrown in force at the 106th on 16 December. The 422d and 423d Infantry Regiments were encircled and cut off from the remainder of the Division by a junction of enemy forces in the vicinity of Schonberg. They regrouped for a counterattack but were blocked by the enemy and lost to the Division, 18 December. The rest of the Division withdrew from St. Vith on the 21st under constant enemy fire and pulled back over the Saint River at Vielsalm, 23 December. On the 24th, the 424th Regiment attached to the 7th Armored Division fought a delaying action at Manhay until ordered to an assembly area. From 25 December 1944 to 9 January 1945, the Division received reinforcements and supplies at Anthisnes, Belgium, and returned to the struggle, securing objectives along the Ennal-Logbierme line on the 15th after heavy fighting. After being pinched out by advancing divisions, the 106th assembled at Stavelot on the 18th for rehabilitation and training. It moved to the vicinity of Hunningen, 7 February, for defensive patrols and training. In March, the 424th advanced along tile high ground between Berk and the Simmer River and was again pinched out at Olds on the 7th. A period of training and patrolling followed until 15 March when the Division moved to St. Quentin for rehabilitation and the reconstruction of lost units. For the remainder of its stay in Europe, the 106th handled prisoners of war enclosures and engaged in occupational duties." http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/106id.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/106th_Infantry_Division_(United_States) http://106thinfantry.webs.com/ Dave
Regarding the missing enlistment data: What are some of the limitations of these records? • About 13% of the microfilmed punch cards, about 1.5 million cards, could not be scanned into theelectronic file and so are not in the electronic WWII Army Enlistment Records. See the Scope &Content Note and General Note in the series description for further information. http://aad.archives.gov/aad/content/aad_docs/rg64_army_serial_faq.pdf
Thank you so much Dave! Do you know what the Latest Report Date means? Is that when he was released from the camp or when he was discharged from the Army?
"38-551-092 through 38-574-473" That explains why I can't find it. Do you know of any alternative way to locate his record?
Here is a riveting 1st hand account of a 422nd GI who was also captured at the Bulge: http://www.indianamilitary.org/Germ... VIII-A Gorlitz/Edward Bohde/Bohde-Edward.pdf Dave
Thanks for posting that, Dave. I really like reading the first-person accounts of the guys that were there.
