Graves Registration | in the ETO

Welcome to Quartermaster Graves Registration Service | in the ETO

This website is dedicated to the men of the Quartermaster Graves Registration Service units, who not only took care of all American dead during World War II, but all Allied, enemy and civilian casualties. These silent heroes worked in tough conditions and with utmost respect and decency to make sure every deceased American soldier will be identified and properly buried. Today, these men and the task they had are mostly forgotten. However, these units worked with interesting pieces of equipment, often specificly designed for these units, and created their own paperwork, therefor this can be of interest for anybody who is researching an named item in their WWII collection, or an adopted soldier of a military cemetery. It is my wish this website can be of any guidance to you all to keep the stories of these brave men alive.

612th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company

But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue [...]

History of the Graves Registration

An act of Congress signed on 17 July 1862 authorized the President of the United States to purchase land and cause it to the securely enclosed to be used as a national cemetery for soldiers who die in the service of their country. The Congress adopted on 13 April 1866 the following joint resolution: That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and required to take immediate measures to preserve from desecration [...]

Foy American Temporary Military Cemetery

The cemetery for the men who died at Bastogne was opened on 4 February 1945, at Foy, the scene of some of the bitterest fighting. Actually, soldiers other than those who gave their lives at Bastogne were biried there. Foy continued to be used by the Third Army until March 1945, when it was transferred to ADSEC (The Advance Section, Communications Zone). By that time it contained 2,327 American, 26 Allied and [...]

Saint Laurent-sur-Mer American Temporary Military Cemetery

Operations at Saint Laurent began at on 10 June, when 775 Allied and 200 enemy dead were recieved. Although 325 burials had been made by 11 June, internment was not completed until 15 June. The graves registration company assigned to the Provisional Engineer Special Brigade Group was then put under First United States Army control, and Saint Laurent became a First Army Cemetery. By 26 June, 1,510 American, 48 Allied [...]

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

On 17 August 1942 flying fortresses of the Eighth United States Bomber Command made their first independent raid on Europe, dropping 18 tons of bombs on the railway yards at Rouen. Thereafter, American airstrength continued to grow in England, Scotland and Wales, necessitating more than one United Srates cemetery. The Chief Quartermaster considered constructing a major cemetery on a 65-acre tract of land at Madingly [...]

Brookwood American Temporary Military Cemetery

On 13 Januari 1942, two weeks before the arrival of the first American forces in Northern Ireland, Colonel W.H. Middleswart, Quartermaster of the USAFBI (United States Army Forces in the British Isles), asked Major General Chaney to get permission from the American Battle Monuments Commision to make burials in the American military cemetery at Brookwood. The War Department replied 10 days that the commission [...]

Lisnabreeny American Temporary Military Cemetery

On 9 February 1942, 2 weeks after the United States Army forces arrived in Northern Ireland, G-4, USAFBI (United States Army Forces in the British Isles), made arrangements with the British to use portions of two cemeteries. One in Londonderry and one in Belfast. The Londonderry Cemetery was never used, but 17 burials had been made in the Belfast City Cemetery by August 1942. Because the Graves Registration Service was [...]

Agencies

Several agencies were created by the American Graves Registration Service during World War II in the European Theater of Operations. These are the following: Graves Registration Service, USAFBI - In World War II the first United States graves registration agency in Europe was established on 21 April 1942. Colonel William H. Middleswart was designated chief but continued to service as Quartermaster, USAFBI (United States [...]

Medical Department, form 52b ‘Emergency Medical Tag’ (Revised November 5, 1942)

Medical personnel was supposed to fill out an Emergency Medical Tag for each casualty. Just as doctors and nurses do in todays hospitals, it is critical to have the patients’ name and identity n…

200 Tags, Identification, M-1940 Monel Metal

Every American soldier in World War II was issued a set of M-1940 identification tags, or “dog tags”. Embossed on it was information like name, Army Serial Number, tetanus, religion etc. T…

Flag, Burial, 48 stars – Albert Bergerhofer, Jr – (301st Bombardment Group, 353rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)

Albert Bergerhofer Jr joined the US Army on September 16 1942 and recieved his personal service number: 17059667. When enlisting at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas he was only 19 years of age. After completi…

Graves Registration Service marked identification tags (Neuville – Belgium)

Two different style tags: one square ribbed-like metal tag and one dog-tag model identification tag. What these have in common is the fact they both were found in Neuville, Belgium. The square tag con…

Graves Registration Service marked dog tags (Luxembourg)

These GRS marked dog tags were dug up in Luxembourg, in a so-called dump pit. Holes were dug up in the ground to throw all kinds of rubbish in. Medical waste, used clothing and also GRS waste, like th…

Graves Registration Service marked dog tag (Metz – France)

This GRS marked dog tag was dug up in the area of Metz (France), in a so-called dump pit. Holes were dug up in the ground to throw all kinds of rubbish in. For example: medical waste, used clothing an…

Graves Registration Service marked dog tags (Normandy – France)

These GRS marked dog tags were dug up in the Normandy region, in a so-called dump pit. Holes were dug up in the ground to throw all kinds of rubbish in. Medical waste, used clothing and also GRS waste…

Document, German Army, Charles M. Ricketts (DOW)

This is an archive document from the German Army reporting POW Charles M. Ricketts has died on February 1st 1945 after being in captivity for approximately 27 days at Stalag 12A to 9B near Limburg An …

Dog tags John T. Kidney Jr (603rd Graves Registration Company)

2nd Lieutenant John T. Kidney Jr was born on 2 May 1914 and was from Akron Ohio. On 3 February 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to the 2nd Platoon of the 603rd Quartermaster Graves…

Dust Respirator, M1

Standard equipment for Graves Registration Service personnel to protect themselves against odors and small particles. Originally, the M-1 dust respirator was issued during WWII to vehicle drivers and …

Mattress Cover, for Felt Mattress

Standard Medical Department white cotton mattrass cover. Obviously used to sleep on in the first place, but in reality these were also used by Graves Registration Service personnel to bury deceased so…

Methyl Bromide – Delousing Agent (20cc Ampoule)

Methyl Bromide is a delousing agent used to disinfect clothing from louse. Used by Graves Registration personnel when handling deceased personnel who had been dead for several days, weeks or even mont…

Bag, Delousing, Synthetic Rubber

Large bag made out of synthetic rubber to delouse infected clothing. A seperate ampoule of Methyl-Bromide must be used as an louse killing agent. Those came in glass ampoules and to get the procedure …

Model 70 Addressograph Imprinting Machine (Medical Item #99387)

The Model 70 Addressograph is a pistol-type Imprinting Machine used by the US Army Medical Department and Graves Registration units to transfer dog tag (or burial tag) identification data directly to …

Bag, Personal Effects (Stock No. 27-B-250)

Used to store small personal effects from deceased soldiers. For example (wrist)watches, bracelets and billfolds were stored in these. After the paperwork has been filled in, the bags were put into a …

Typewriter, Royal Aristocrat, 1941

World War II period U.S. Army marked Typewriter from type Aristocrat, as made by the Royal Typewriter Company in 1941. During World War II hundreds of thousands of typewriters were used by all armies …

Next-of-kin Burial Information Set

This completes the set of information sent to the next-of-kin. A letter from the Department of the Army, Office of the Quartermaster General explaining that US Congress authorized the disinternment an…

American Cemeteries (1945-1946)

Two pamphlets were sent by the US War Department to next-of-kins in case of a soldier’ death. This is the second pamphlet named “American Cemeteries”. The other pamphlet is titled &#…

Casket Tag | Robert T. STRAYER

A metal tag about 3 times larger in width as a standard US WWII period identification tag, or ‘Dog Tag”. These were used in case a deceased American soldier buried overseas was repatriated…

Disposition of World War II Armed Forces Dead (1946)

This is one of two pamphlets sent between 1946-1948 to all next-of-kins who had loved ones buried in temporary American military cemeteries overseas. The second pamhplet is named ‘American Cemet…

Graves Registration | in the ETO 1944-1945