July 18, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 40 Comments
During WWII, the United States Army adopted a form to document the fate of missing air crews. Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) are a valuable resource that provides details, witness statements, survivor accounts, and more. The reports tell the story … Continue reading
April 5, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 5 Comments
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation declaring April 9th as National Former POW Recognition Day. The day commemorates the capture of nearly 25,000 U.S. troops that were surrendered by their commander on Bataan in the Philippines on April … Continue reading
March 29, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 3 Comments
The 493rd Bombardment Group was a unit of the US Army Air Forces assigned to the 93rd Bombardment Wing, Eighth Air Force, during WWII. The group included the 860th, 861st, 862nd, and 863rd Heavy Bombardment Squadrons. They were known as … Continue reading
March 18, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 154 Comments
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between C-Rations and K-Rations? During WWII, US military officials had to find a way to feed the troops when they weren’t near a mess hall. Rations were prepackaged meals, easy to prepare, … Continue reading
March 3, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | Comments Off on March 28, 1942: St Nazaire Raid
On March 28, 1942, British forces rammed an obsolete destroyer laden with explosives into heavily defended dry docks at St Nazaire in German-occupied France. The state-of-the-art dry docks were the base of operations for the German U-Boat fleet and the … Continue reading
January 24, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 80 Comments
By the time WWII ended in 1945, the Holocaust claimed the lives of more than 6 million Jews across German-occupied Europe. In addition to Jews, Nazi Germany also engaged in the systematic killing of 11 million others, including POWs and … Continue reading
January 19, 2022 by Jenny Ashcraft | 33 Comments
Anyone who has tried to research the military history of an ancestor knows that it can be difficult. Millions of military records were destroyed in a fire, leaving researchers to seek alternative ways to put together the pieces. We have … Continue reading