The following excerpt is from an article in the December 28, 2010 edition of the NewJerseyNewsroom.com.
At least 3,427 New Jersey armed service members died in World War I and now the State Archives has developed an online database designed to help people searching for information on those who gave their lives in the Great War.
In late 1919, after America’s two-year role in the war ended, the U.S. War Department issued to state adjutant generals cards for the recording of information on deceased soldiers and sailors. The database includes 3,427 names, sometimes a photo, service number, place and date of birth, military organization, assignments, date of death, cause of death, wounds or injuries received and the name and address of next of kin.
Check out the site by clicking here.
The following is from the New Jersey Department of State Website:
More than 3,400 New Jersey men were killed in action or otherwise died while in United States service during World War I, 1917-1918. In late 1919, the U.S. War Department issued, to the adjutant generals of each state, sample cards for the recording of service information for deceased soldiers and sailors. This database includes 3,427 name entries, linked to an information card or photograph, or often both. The information cards provide the following data: name; service number; race; residence; place and date of enlistment; place and date of birth; organizations served in and dates of assignment/transfer; date killed or otherwise died (if not killed in action, cause of death); wounds or injuries received; and the name and address of the person notified of the death. The photographs included in the series measure 3.5″x5.5″, and contain (usually) an oval-shaped, reproduced image (frequently from a military portrait).
You can search the database by surname, first name, town and county of residence, birth state and country, cause of death and race. You can also search by Card ID# if you know the database assigned number for more direct searching.
A maximum of 500 records can be retrieved in one search.
I clicked on over to the website, and did a search on the surname of Crane. I got three hits.
Clicking on file card #1126 for William Ward Crane, I got the following info:
Now go find your New Jersey WWI relative who died in the conflict.
