Online: Australian Red Cross POW Cards/AIF personnel

Discussion in 'Australian' started by Maureene, Jun 1, 2017.

  1. Maureene

    Maureene Well-Known Member

    A dataset of approximately 60,000 cards called “Missing, Wounded and Prisoner Of War Enquiry Cards” used by the Australian Red Cross during WW2 is available online through the University of Melbourne Archives. Most cards relate to missing AIF personnel.

    A catalogue description extract says
    2016.0049 [Missing, Wounded and Prisoner Of War Enquiry Cards]
    Australian Red Cross Society, National Office
    Date Range of Records: 1940-1973

    Red Cross Archives Series Reference: NO1. This series is comprised of approximately 60,000 cards used by the Central Bureau for Wounded, Missing and Prisoners of War of the Australian Red Cross to trace the welfare and whereabouts of members of the armed forces, and some civilians, during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The vast majority of cards in this series date from 1940 to 1945. Of these, most relate to missing AIF personnel.
    Collection Category: Community and Political, organisations

    At the time of writing, the information about the above is rather hidden on the following website, and I could not find a permanent URL for the above, however it may be found as follows (and it is also included in another link below):

    Go to Home (University of Melbourne Archives) and use the search term Missing, Wounded and Prisoner Of War Enquiry Cards in “Search the catalogue” then view the catalogue entry

    To search for the name of a POW, use the Search digitised items within the above website.

    The above catalogue information provides the following links
    http://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=87295
    Information about the dataset which also includes information from the previously mentioned catalogue description.
    http://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=87296
    Abbreviations commonly used in 2016.0049: Missing, Wounded and Prisoner of War Enquiry Cards, Australian Red Cross Society, National Office

    There is also a blog about these cards
    ‘A Humane and Intimate Administration’: The Red Cross’ World War Two Wounded, Missing and Prisoner of War Cards | University of Melbourne Archives

    In the comments section at the bottom, there is an example of a card
    http://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/umblumaic/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=78462 and
    the URL for the Search
    Search Our Collections

    Cheers
    Maureen
     
  2. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Thanks Maureene, I have now got three records I am interested in.

    Mark
     
  3. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Thanks Maureen,

    This could prove useful for my Australian Rangoon Jailer's.

    Steve
     
  4. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Thanks for the heads up
     
  5. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    :salut: Much appreciated. No new info for me but another document for the collection.
     
  6. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Fabulous for me, 10 cards from my 16 Aussies.:D
     

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