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**Simon O.** · 09-14-2005, 01:52 AM

Hei

If you know what you're looking for have you thought about ordering microfilm copies of records held at NARA?

http://www.archives.gov/research/cap...-virginia.html

The first thing you need to do is order some of the guides. These will tell you what records exist for all the various units and a very brief summary of what they contain. Let's say you're interested in the 3 Geb.Div. in 1940 for example, you look up the division on the relevant guide and note that all records from 1940 for the division are on roll 1234 for example. You then order film roll T315 1234, it takes about 6 weeks or so, for us in Norway Toll also hits us with mva but at $38 per roll i think it's excellent value.

Here's the link to the order form
http://www.archives.gov/research/ord...order-form.pdf

A microfilm reader can of course be very expensive so i guess you could use your local library, they should have one. I've just bought a microfiche reader cheaply via E-bay and it works very well, ironically it's ex-Bundeswehr surplus, brand new and small enough to fit on my desk. A good buy for 50 Euros i thought.

**PanzerAbt.Zbv40** · 09-14-2005, 06:57 PM

Thank you! That is some great info.
Yes, I knwo what I am looking for. My signature tells it.

I have been thinking about the national archives, but didnt exactly know where to start, so thanks for the info.
I am also working on some stuff from the American Civil War so lots of stuff I wanna pick up there.

In some books published in Norway here right after the war, and the notes refer to something called "Departmental Records Branch" In US. I havent found anything on the net, so I assume that stuff is now in the National Archives?

**Richard Hedrick** · 09-15-2005, 05:51 AM

FYI: price increase at NARA

Thought this might be of interest, i got quite a shock when i saw it yesterday.

Price increase at NARA for microfilm rolls to $65 for US and $68 for foreign order. I thought it was a steep increase. Price change effective October 1.

http://www.archives.gov/research/order/#microfilm

http://www.archives.gov/research/not...m-increase.pdf

richard

**F L Clemens** · 09-15-2005, 08:52 AM

Originally posted by PanzerAbt.Zbv40

Thank you! That is some great info.
Yes, I knwo what I am looking for. My signature tells it.

In some books published in Norway here right after the war, and the notes refer to something called "Departmental Records Branch" In US. I havent found anything on the net, so I assume that stuff is now in the National Archives?

Anything historical from the US Govt should go to the National Archives. There's always some small chance that a particular agency has not delivered the goods to the archives but the consolidation there is more complete now than ever.

A "Departmental Records Branch" would refer to a historical unit within any agency. At this point however no agency is likely to still be holding WW2 era documents, with some exceptions like the Air Force and the Army CMH.

What stage are you in for researching PAzbV 40? It sounds like you are just beginning if you haven't tapped the National Archives (NARA) and/or Freiburg (BAMA). I'd be willing to work with you if have a serious project underway. I have a Wehrpass for an officer from PAzbV 40 (Theodor Meier), but more importantly I have regular access to the NARA.

Anyway, in case you don't know already, here are some basics about NARA versus BAMA.

NARA - most German records there are on microfilm and easily accessible to the researcher so NARA is faster to look up info. The finding aids are fairly detailed, but of course they are still just overviews.
- the downside is that maps on microfilm are black and white versus the original color. Also, NARA holdings are smaller than BAMA since more material was added after the US returned the originals and not all the originals were microfilmed before return.

BAMA - the record collection is larger and in the original but the finding aids are less informative. Here you have to know better what you are looking for in order to even request it. Scanning files is slower because you are looking at originals and have to request file by file versus grabbing microfilm at NARA.
- Holdings are more dispersed, photos are Koblenz, personnel files at Kornelimunster, etc, but most unit records are at Freiburg.

Hope this helps. And I do recommend continuing to work on your German, otherwise why bother with this Wehrmacht stuff?

**Michael Miller** · 09-15-2005, 01:10 PM

Richard~

That is absolutely horrible news. Thanks for sharing it.

So it will now cost me $59,694.00 to buy the 909 rolls of SS officer record microfilm.

~ Mike

**Simon V.** · 09-15-2005, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by Michael Miller

Richard~

That is absolutely horrible news. Thanks for sharing it.

So it will now cost me $59,694.00 to buy the 909 rolls of SS officer record microfilm.

~ Mike

Indeed horrible news Mike

A small raise would be understandable but an increase of almost 30$? I think a war has to be payed with our hard earned money

**Michael Miller** · 09-15-2005, 05:07 PM

I assume the cost of printing documents from the microfilm readers has also increased (it was .30 per page when I was there in 2001).

~ Mike

**F L Clemens** · 09-16-2005, 04:51 AM

Hardcopy prints from the microfilm are still 30 cents as far as I know. I stopped printing a long time ago though. I shoot everything with a digital camera. I get about 200 good resolution images on a mini-CD which costs about a buck. So I shoot all day for pennies. I used to have have to think "Hmm, is this worth the cost of printing out when there is just one sentence of interest in this document?" Now, I don't care - I just point and click.
At home, I no longer have to deal with reams of paper documents filling up my storage space. It's on the computer and I spend one minute looking for a document rather than an hour digging thru piles of paper.
The digital revolution...it's groovy!

PS Another advantage to digital when I am shooting hardcopy documents is that I am preserving crumbling documents for the future. All that WW2 paper is turning to dust rapidly, especially as multiple researchers handle it. I kinda wish NARA would no longer allow people to put hardcopy docs on the copier machines - it truly accelerates the destruction of history as people bend and fold brittle paper.

**Simon O.** · 09-18-2005, 03:58 PM

Originally posted by Richard Hedrick

Thought this might be of interest, i got quite a shock when i saw it yesterday.

Price increase at NARA for microfilm rolls to $65 for US and $68 for foreign order. I thought it was a steep increase. Price change effective October 1.

http://www.archives.gov/research/order/#microfilm

http://www.archives.gov/research/not...m-increase.pdf

richard

What i don't get though is why microfilm research material is taxable by the Norwegian customs whilst books aren't?

I bet they don't process my last order until just after 1st Oct.

**Richard Hedrick** · 09-21-2005, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by F L Clemens

... I shoot everything with a digital camera. I get about 200 good resolution images on a mini-CD which costs about a buck. So I shoot all day for pennies. ...

F L Clemens, I want to thank you for your comment on using your digital camera to shot microfilm. I have been whining at my public libraries and local university to get imaging capabilities added to their microfilm viewers but to no avail. My process has been to print a copy then scan them when I get home but this past weekend I used a digital camera and voila, one step archiving.

One would like to think they are smart enough to figure these seemingly simple things out on their own but apparently I am not. Thanks a lot for sharing.

The ability to copy microfilm content without having to have a roll of quarter in your pocket… Priceless!!!

richard

**PanzerAbt.Zbv40** · 09-21-2005, 06:09 PM

Originally posted by Simon orchard

What i don't get though is why microfilm research material is taxable by the Norwegian customs whilst books aren't?
I bet they don't process my last order until just after 1st Oct.

Because they are greeeeedy..

Seriously, everything related to history should be tax free.. I even had to pay tax fees for some german militaria stuff I bought from the states..

I usualy tell people to write the value to $20 and gift on package..etc, but I guess that wont work with the national archives.
Maybe I just try pick up some microfilmes on my next trip to the states or ask some friend in USa to order, and resend it to me..

Tom

**F L Clemens** · 09-25-2005, 08:42 AM

Originally posted by Richard Hedrick

F L Clemens, I want to thank you for your comment on using your digital camera to shot microfilm.

Some comments on shooting digital images off of microfilm.
- Image quality can vary according to the type of microfilm reader/printer you are using.
- Watch out for glare from overhead lights.
- Don't hesitate to try out different machines...experiment to get the best results. You may get snarls from those who want to use the printer, but if you get the best image from the printer machine, then fight for it!
- Watch out for the "single bulb" effect from some machines. The image will be brighter in the center and darker towards the corners. Some machines are downright nasty with this effect. Play around with the size of the projection to minimize the difference in brightness across the projected image.

Good luck!

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