WW2 Draft Registration

By TheCount on Mon, 04/12/2021 - 17:24

Forums

Me again. Having trouble formulating the source of the source for Ancestry's WW2 Draft Registration (Fourth Registration for New York). Most of the records I am looking at are in Brooklyn, NYC

Let's take for example: https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1002/images/NY-2370398-4560?

Ancestry gives us as the source: The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147

original data: United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147. National Archives and Records Administration.

For the description: There is a link for the full source citation here: https://search.ancestry.com/search/dbextra.aspx?dbid=1002 There are 2 description for New York

Fourth Registration Draft Cards (WWII). New York State Headquarters ca. 1942. NAI: 2555973. The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri. U.S.A.

Fourth Registration Draft Cards (WWII). New York State Headquarters. Accession 147-71A-1177, Textual Records. NAI: 7644745. Record Group 147: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975. The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri. U.S.A.

Tracking this down at NARA

NAI: 2555973
Record Group 147: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975
Series: Fourth Registration Draft Cards for New York City, 4/27/1942 - 4/27/1942
Microform Publication(s):M1987 World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for New York City, New York.

NAI: 7644745
Record Group 147: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975
Series: Draft Registration Cards of the Fourth Registration for New York State, 4/27/1942 - 4/27/1942

I assume that NAI: 2555973 applies to the records I am looking at since Brooklyn is in NYC. However, I am unsure if I should use that number because in a previous question to you regarding passenger records you advised against it. This of course might be a different situation especially given there are two numbers for New York. Obviously the information that Ancestry gives is disparate and incomplete.

I tried to assemble the layer based on what I saw in chapter 11. Hopefully I have a handle on it.

; citing Record Group "147: Records of the Selective Service System; NAI: 2555973; World War II: Fourth Registration; The National Archives, St. Louis, Missouri."

One other question if you will - should I put this all in quotes? All the information in there came from Ancestry although I chose bits and pieces and shortened it here and there. I thought I saw somewhere that if you take more than three words it needs to go into quotes. One of the reasons I ask is because on the laminated quick sheet in the WW1 draft registration example- the source of the source is not in quotation marks. (although I don't know where the film no. came from).

 

Thanks again

Submitted byEEon Tue, 04/13/2021 - 09:24

Ah, yes. We all love the kajillion record images that Ancestry provides, but the way it presents its source-of-our-source data drives us bonkers.  When we combine the complexity of NARA citations with Ancestry’s version, it drives us mad.

The sleuthing you did at NARA’s website, to determine which of the two NARA record-sets actually applies in your case, does simplify the citation for you. You have narrowed it down to:

NAI: 2555973
Record Group 147: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975
Series: Fourth Registration Draft Cards for New York City, 4/27/1942 - 4/27/1942
Microform Publication(s):M1987 World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for New York City, New York.

Note that the last line of this NARA description tells us that the records have been microfilmed. That’s what Ancestry would have used to create its images. Therefore, you can most-simply cite the microfilm this way:

…; citing World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for New York City, microfilm publication M1987 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

If you wish, you can add the additional information Ancestry gives about the location of the original record-set. However,  users of National Archives material are expected to use its microfilm, when a set of records has been filmed, rather than write the archives and ask for a copy of the original.

If you decide to include all the bits and pieces of data that Ancestry provides relevant to the original, then the pieces should be assembled in the sequence used by NARA. You’ll find this  at EE 11.1. That first section of the National Archives chapter lays out the organizational scheme used by the archives:

• Item of interest, with relevant names, item description, dates, page numbers;

• File Unit Name, date (or inclusive dates);

• Series Name, inclusive dates;

• Subgroup Name, inclusive dates;

• Record Group No.: Name, with inclusive dates if the name carries them; and

• Archive, location.

Note that the U.S. National Archives starts its citations with the smallest element, working up to the largest. (In some other nations, that sequence is reversed.)   Regarding the NAI (identifying number) that NARA is now assigning to its records:  that identifier (in this case) applies to the series, not the record group.

 

Submitted byEEon Tue, 04/13/2021 - 09:49

Now, to take this conversation in a different direction …

Considering that Ancestry's World War II draft-card database is structured significantly different from the FamilySearch database you followed at EE11.33 (AND structured differently from Ancestry’s U.S. World War II Enlistment Record  database used an a “Military Records” example on EE's Ancestry QuickSheet!), for this draft-card database, EE would use the path > waypoint approach to create a reference note:

          1. “U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1002/images/NY-2370398-4560 : accessed 13 April 2021) > New York City > Picone, Vito –Pollack, Robert > All > image 4560 of 6476, draft card for Harold Alphonsus Plunkett; citing World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for New York City, microform publication M1987 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)

 

Submitted byTheCounton Tue, 04/13/2021 - 13:18

My head hurts. I had many questions after your response, but after reading it over and over again and going back to chapter 11 several more times, I think I have a handle on most of it.

I have one question that comes to mind. Your suggested source of the source comes directly from NARA. Ancestry points you there of course but doesn't tell you that it come from a microfilm or what the exact name of the microfilm is.

I had the understanding that we should only cite what we used. I did not use the actual microfilm and since Ancestry didn't cite it -  it was my impression that (perhaps incorrectly?) we should cite what we could from Ancestry and then make a note where we found the rest of the information....am I wrong in thinking that?

BTW - my first layer was similar to the WW1 QuickSheet example. I hadn't added waypoints, but thanks for suggesting that perhaps I should.

Submitted byEEon Tue, 04/13/2021 - 16:09

TheCount, you're right. I obviously got lost in that maze of data also! Let's try this, as a way of summarizing that maze:

       1. “U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1002/images/NY-2370398-4560 : accessed 13 April 2021) > New York City > Picone, Vito –Pollack, Robert > All > image 4560 of 6476, draft card for Harold Alphonsus Plunkett; citing NARA NAI 2555973, which has been microfilmed as  World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for New York City, microform publication M1987 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)