How to Research Your Relative's DDay Story Before Your Visit

For many of my guests, a trip to Normandy is a pilgrimage to find the exact spot where a family member once stood. As a private guide, I specialize in tracing these "Footsteps," but the investigation begins long before you land in France.

While I handle the deep dive into After Action Reports (AARs), War Diaries and Morning Reports to track the tactical movements, there are four key pieces of information you should try to gather first.

1. The Service Number

A soldier’s Service Number is the most reliable way to identify them in military archives. Names can be misspelled or duplicated, but the service number is unique.

• Where to find it: Look at the top of old letters, dog tags, or the "Enlistment Record."

• Why it matters: This number allows us to verify we are following the correct individual through the massive bureaucracy of WWII records.

2. The Discharge Paper

For U.S. veterans, the Report of Separation is the holy grail of family research.

• Key Data: It lists the specific Battalion and Regiment, the dates of overseas service, and the "Battles and Campaigns" they participated in (e.g., "Normandy," "Northern France").

• The "Box 34" Detail: This section often lists wounded status or specific decorations that give us clues about their combat experience.

If you are researching a Commonwealth soldier, the Service Record (obtained from the UK Ministry of Defence or Library and Archives Canada) is your primary resource. Look specifically for the "Statement of Service" and the "Casualty Form". These documents provide the chronological "trace" of their movements

3. The Specific Unit (Down to the Company)

Knowing a relative was in "the 29th Division" is a start, but the real magic happens at the Company level.

• The Goal: We want to find the Regiment and Company (e.g., 506th PIR, Company E or 22nd Canadian Armored Regiment, B Squadron).

• The Impact on Your Tour: Each individual unit had a specific objective: a certain bridge, a specific field, or a particular village. If you provide the Company/Squadron/Troop, I can place you in the most exact place possible where their story unfolded.

4. Wounded in Action (WIA) Records

Knowing if and when a relative was wounded is often the most emotional part of the research.

• The Timing: If your relative was wounded on June 8th, it could tell us exactly where they were when they were evacuated.

• The Records: Check the "Hospital Admission Cards" or the "Purple Heart" citations for US soldiers. These records often include a "Diagnosis Code" which, while technical, tells us the nature of the action they were involved in. If you are researching a Commonwealth soldier, the Service Record (obtained from the UK Ministry of Defence or Library and Archives Canada) is your primary resource.

  
  

How We Collaborate

Once you have some of these "foundational" details: the service number, unit, and discharge papers, my work begins.

I take those details and cross-reference them with my private library of Morning Reports, War Diaries and After Action Reports. While the discharge paper tells us who they were, the Morning Reports and War Diaries I use tell us where they were every 24 hours.

Together, we bridge the gap between a name on a piece of paper and the physical ground of Normandy.

You can learn more about how to book a specialized tour with me retracing the Footsteps of your WW2 veteran by visiting my Footsteps Tours page.