WORLD WAR TWO GRAVE REGISTRATION

During WWII the Grave Registration Units had to see to it that soldiers who were killed were identified and buried. Personal possessions were carefully cataloged and returned to their loved ones back in the States. These men often had to work close to the front-troops. I will try to give you a better understanding about the work the men of the Graves Registration Units did during WWII.

The Quartermaster graves registration company was the principal unit performing the function of supervising the burial of the dead, of recording and marking graves, collecting, receipting for and disposing of the personal effects of deceased soldiers.

Under combat conditions the Graves Registration Company was ordinarly broken up into it's four platoons. Each one of three platoons then served a combat division. The fourth served the corps troops and assisted the other platoons. A further break-down into sections operating with combat teams was possible.

As soon as a battlefield was free from extreme danger, the operating units entered and picked up the men who had been pronounced dead, and so tagged by the Medical Corps. The bodies were then moved to cemeteries designated by the division commander. Because of the imminence of diseases or in order to maintain morale of the troops, hasty burials were often necessary. In that case the leader would make a sketch so the location of grave could be determined after the cessation of hostilities.

Every effort was made to identify the dead. If identification tags were attached, the problem was comparatively simple, otherwise it was necessary to determine the identity from such clues as letters, dental work, fingerprints and perhaps even the proces of elimination, if the body was badly mutilated.

In the "Stripping Line" grenades and ammunition were removed with great care. In the field the men had to be extra carefull, because booby-traps were sometimes placed under the bodies of the dead soldiers. Personal effects were removed just before burial, placed in a bag or a handkerchief, and tagged with the soldier's name. An inventory of the property was made and sent with the property to Headquarters, Graves Registration Service.

The Graves Registration Company was responsible for the respectful burial of the dead. For this purpose, the service of a chaplain could be obtained.

Reed more about the 607th Grave Registration Company by follow the link below