Online Red Cross Records

[Trav]

I have successfully found three index cards created by the ICRC for my Grandfather. Those cards provide PA and R codes which I have also now seen.

 

Using the index cards of some other men transferred with my Grandfather... and scrolling a little through their PA codes, I found two more records for Grandfather, neither listed on his Index cards, at least the three I have found.

 

The question is, is there a guide to the way the PA codes have been grouped? Is there an order to it all or are they random? I can't scroll through all the records, but if I knew for example PA 1000 - PA 3999 were records for Camp X in 1917, that sort of thing, it may at least narrow things down for me.

[Coldstreamer]

these records are a nightmare to look through, you did well to find something - I find it all rather random but Ive not compared anything and made any note

 

but its a free resource and you cant argue with that

 

[Trav]

I was over the moon to find another two records, they confirm his location in Giessen at the time, narrow down his transfer date from Orb-Lettgenbrunn to Giessen (by confirming his presence in Giessen September and November 1915), and one record shows his army service number thus confirming his alias and another variation of it used in other Red Cross records, quite a result!

 

Therefore, I wondered if records were made every month for all the prisoners? Maybe I should contact the ICRC and ask them.

[Keith_history_buff]

Of the men that I have researched, who were imprisoned for years, I have seen no evidence whatsoever of there being monthly reports. There are a couple of entries on the PA ledger sheets at best. There are others on here, with more research experience, whom I hope can comment further. It seemed to me that a new entry on a PA sheet could occur if a POW were moved to a different camp, so that the ICRC had a last known address.

Whilst the ICRC records are a challenge to search via the free website, there has been some indexing of these records done by FindMyPast, so this might throw up some further records.

[Trav]

Thanks for the info, that's basically what I have too 👍

 

Right now I have PA records showing him in Limburg.

 

Transferred out of Limburg.

 

Into Orb-lettgenbrunn.

 

The two records mentioned above two months apart for him in Giessen.

 

And one for his transfer from there to Holland.

 

What was interesting, was that those two records not found on any Index Card, were two months apart and not for a transfer either. That's what got me wondering if monthly lists were compiled and forwarded to the RC.