NARA guides online

[Simon O.]

NARA's guides to captured German records have been digitized and made available for download as pdf files at Sturmpanzer.com

http://www.sturmpanzer.com/Default.a...1&item=2&sec=1

This is great news for anyone looking to order microfilm rolls from NARA, which you can do here.

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

http://www.archives.gov/research/ord...film-pubs.html

Rolls are $65 for US residents and $68 for everyone else, delivery takes around 2 months.

[Simon O.]

For example, this is how you might use the guides to help research a named item in your collection.

Let's say i had a grouping to an officer in the 25 Panzer Division and i wanted to see if he turns up in any of the division's records. I look up the relevant guide that tells me what NARA has on the division i'm interested in. In this case guide 64. I then look up the 25 Pz.Div. and see what there is. I see that the one and only microfilm roll there is with records from the division happens to include a list of officers duty assignments. This could be of interest to me so i decide to order the roll. It's number is 815 but i also need the publication code for divisions which is T315 (as noted in the first NARA link above). So on my order form i need to write T315-815

[Simon O.]

If you're researching a particular division it's well worth looking at the records to any Corps or Army they belonged to. Remember that paperwork had to go up the chain of command and a lot of better information can be found higher up. Sometimes reports sent from divisional level only remain in the records of it's parent army.

Do you need to be good at German?
Not necessarily, if all you're after are facts and figures then a working knowledge of German military terms and abbreviations should get you by.

[Simon O.]

NARA are now running a pilot project whereby microfilm rolls can now be ordered on DVD. The pages are in jpg format scanned at 250 dpi.

It's not mentioned as of yet on their website but you can obtain them by specifying DVD on your order form.

[sdesember]

These NARA publication guides are now available on line in some instances. When you type in the publication number to order online, there's a pdf file on the right side of the screen that contains the guide. What a timing as for some of us who used to hunt and order these guides spending hundreds. LMAO!

[Jonathan M]

At least it opens these sources up to people who would not have either the time or resources to physically trawl through these archives. Certainly an interesting opportunity has opened

[Simon O.]

NARA has offered copies for sale of it's microfilmed captured German documents for many years, it's just that microfilm is a little cubersome for a private researcher as you obviously need access to a microfilm reader, preferably with the ability to print too.

A couple of remarks regarding the new DVD format now offered. I received four yesterday, the order time was less than a month as opposed to the usual two for microfilm. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. Secondly, my order was sent in a rather thin jiffy bag with the DVDs simply held together with a rubber band. No unsurprisingly the DVD cases were broken on arrival although the DVDs themselves were fine.

[sdesember]

All those guides that are available in sturmpanzer web site are now availabe for FREE on NARA's site. I don't know when is exactly 'now' as I ordered (via online) these on microfilm a couple of years ago without realizing maybe they were there the whole time? I'd give you two examples of these guides fro NARA's web site:

(T71 - Records of the Ministry of Economics)

http://members.shaw.ca/archiv/T74.pdf

(T354 - Miscelleneous SS Records: Einwanderedzentralstelle, W-SS & SS-Oberabschitte)

http://members.shaw.ca/archiv/T354.pdf

All you have to do is follow the link like you would if you'd be ordering microfilms online or just click on the following link:

https://eservices.archives.gov/order...EFullRefresh=1

Click on the blue "Microfilm" tab
Type in the "t+numbers" in the "Search & Browse NARA's Microfilm Catalog" field box and press search. This will give you the displayed result, click on the particular title of the publication.

After that you'll see "View Important Publication Details" under "Publication Details" on the right side of your screen. Click the pdf logo and it'll give you the option to view or download the guides. Then... voila!

[Simon O.]

They're free on the Sturmpanzer site too, as well as being grouped together in one place. Also, it looks like they're not all there on NARA's site. Look at the divisional records series T-315.

I've always faxed my orders, i couldn't seem to bring up an individual roll on NARA's search system eg. T312-1065 only the guides?

[sdesember]

Simon,

R 1065 is under T312k. Here's what I had for my search:

[coburg22]

Nara

Hello Simon,

I have a question please regarding the archives websites below sturmpanzer. There is a topic entitled "SS Lists. Microfilm Publication A3343, Service SS, 26 Rolls". Is there a way that I could ask someone at the archive via email what kind of SS Lists they are or what is listed on each of the 26 rolls?

Best Regards,

James

[Richard Hedrick]

James,

this link might provide some answers:

http://www.stengerhistorica.com/Arch...h/SS-Lists.htm

Also, to add to Simon's comments about the new DVD's. I placed my last order by phone on 1.14 and received the DVDs today, 2.2. This is less than 3 weeks and by far the fastest service i have ever had when ordering, it could be that DVD duplication is a much quicker process. I ordered two disks and they came in a cardboard CD mailer, since the mailers only hold two cases maybe the trick is to only order two at a time to avoid having them mailed in a bag.

Richard

[sdesember]

DVD reproduction is much more speedy than the old microfilms. I ordered 7 rolls (1/20) arrived via Fedex today (2/5). All DVDs were nicely packaged in small boxes inside the Fedex box.

[coburg22]

Hello Richard,

Thank you very much, it answered all of my questions.

Best,

James

[tenoriodj]

HI Simon (et al)

Perhaps you can help me. I am trying to enter into the NARA order form the roll I am requesting, as : T-315 (for divisions) and 720 for my 19 ID rolls.

"This is not a valid number. Re-enter your Order Number or Reference Request Number.(SBL-EXL-00151)"

The item numbers of the three rolls I want are W 6286/1, 6709/1 and 6709/10.

Any ideas appreciated