Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II
(Record Group 260)
1923-72 (bulk 1945-72)
Table of Contents
- 260.1 Administrative History
- 260.2 Records of the U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC) 1943-45
- 260.3 Records of the Executive Office of the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) [OMGUS]
1943-49 (bulk 1945-49)
- 260.3.1 Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff
- 260.3.2 Correspondence maintained by the Adjutant General's Office
- 260.3.3 Issuances maintained by the Adjutant General's Office
- 260.3.4 Other records maintained by the Adjutant General's Office
- 260.3.5 Records of the Control Office
- 260.3.6 Records of the Field Information Agency, Technical (FIAT)
- 260.4 Records of Functional Offices and divisions of OMGUS 1923-51 (bulk 1945-50)
- 260.4.1 Records of the Analysis and Research Branch of the Office of the Director of Intelligence
- 260.4.2 Records of the Regional Government Coordinating Office
- 260.4.3 Records of the Economics Division
- 260.4.4 Records of the Information Services Division (formerly Public Relations Office)
- 260.4.5 Records of the Civil Administration Division
- 260.4.6 Records of the Legal Division
- 260.4.7 Records of the Manpower Division
- 260.4.8 Records of the Transportation Division
- 260.4.9 Records of the Property Division
- 260.4.10 Records of the Finance Division
- 260.4.11 Records of the Education and Cultural Relations Division (E&CRD)
- 260.4.12 Records of the Civil Aviation Branch of the Armed Forces Division
- 260.5 Records of OMGUS Organizations concerned with War Crimes Trials
1945-49
- 260.5.1 Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes (OCCWC)
- 260.5.2 Records of the Secretariat for U.S. Military Tribunals
- 260.5.3 Records of the Secretariat of the International Military Tribunal (IMT) in the custody of the Secretariat for U.S. Military Tribunals
- 260.5.4 Other records
- 260.6 Records of Berlin Command, OMGUS 1946-48
- 260.7 Records of State (Land) and Sector Military Governments Responsible to OMGUS
1945-51 (bulk 1945-49)
- 260.7.1 Records of the Office of Military Government, Bavaria
- 260.7.2 Records of the Office of Military Government, Hesse
- 260.7.3 Records of the Office of Military Government, Württemberg-Baden
- 260.7.4 Records of the Office of Military Government, Bremen
- 260.7.5 Records of the Office of Military Government, Berlin Sector
- 260.8 Records of U.S. Elements of Allied Control Authority (ACA) Organizations (Germany) 1944-53 (bulk 1945-48)
- 260.9 Records of U.S. Elements of Combined U.S.-British organizations (Germany)
1943-51 (bulk 1945-49)
- 260.9.1 Records of the U.S. element of the Bipartite Board ("BIB")
- 260.9.2 Records of the Office of the U.S. Chairman of the Bipartite Control Office ("BICO")
- 260.9.3 General records of the U.S. element of BICO
- 260.9.4 Records of U.S. elements of BICO staff organizations
- 260.9.5 Records of U.S. elements of other bipartite organizations
- 260.10 Records of U.S. Elements of Combined U.S.-British-French Organizations (Germany) 1948-49
- 260.11 Records of the U.S., Allied Commission for Austria (USACA) Section of Headquarters U.S. Forces in Austria 1932-56 (bulk 1945-50)
- 260.12 Records of the U.S. Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR)
1945-72
- 260.12.1 Records of the Office of the High Commissioner
- 260.12.2 Records maintained by the Administrative Office of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.3 Records of the Comptroller Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.4 Records of the Economic Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.5 Records of the Health, Education and Welfare Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.6 Records of the Labor Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.7 Records of the Legal Affairs Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.8 Records of the Liaison Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.9 Records of the Public Affairs Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.10 Records of the Public Safety Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.11 Records of the Public Works Department of the Office of the Civil Administrator
- 260.12.12 Records of civil affairs teams responsible to the Office of the Civil Administrator
Finding Aids: Preliminary Inventory in National Archives microfiche edition of preliminary inventories.
Security-Classified Records: This record group may include material that is security-classified.
Related Records: Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas in General Records of the Department of State, RG 59. Records of Headquarters U.S. Forces, European Theater, and its successor, Headquarters European Command; Headquarters U.S. Forces in Austria; General Headquarters U.S. Army Forces in the Pacific, and its successor, Headquarters Far East Command; Headquarters U.S. Army Forces, Western Pacific; and Headquarters Ryukyus Command and its successors, Headquarters Philippines- Ryukyus Command and Headquarters Ryukyuan Command, all in Records of U.S. Army Commands, 1942- , RG 338.
260.2 Records of the U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC)
1943-45
History: Established as an organization of Headquarters European
Theater of Operations, U.S. Army (HQ ETOUSA), by General Order
80, HQ ETOUSA, August 9, 1944, implementing a Joint Chiefs of
Staff (JCS) message to Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary
Force (SHAEF), August 5, 1944. So named in anticipation of the
organization's becoming the U.S. element of the staff of a
control council, consisting of the commanders-in-chief of the
U.S., British, and Soviet occupying forces, that would administer
occupied Germany during the immediate postwar period. By same
general order, Brig. Gen. Cornelius W. Wickersham was appointed
to head USGCC, with title of acting deputy to the chief U.S.
representative (not yet named) on the future control council.
Effective April 17, 1945, Lt. Gen. Lucius D. Clay was appointed
Deputy Military Governor to succeed Gen. Wickersham as head of
USGCC. USGCC functioned, May 8-October 1, 1945, as the agency of
the first Military Governor, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who
served concurrently as Commanding General ETOUSA (to July 1,
1945) and Commanding General U.S. Forces, European Theater
(USFET, successor to ETOUSA, from July 1, 1945). In accordance
with the Agreement on Control Machinery in Germany, signed by
U.S., United Kingdom, and USSR representatives, November 14,
1944, and amended to add France as the fourth occupying power,
May 1, 1945, Control Council formally established by Section II-A
of the Protocol of the Proceedings of the Berlin Conference (also
known as the Potsdam Conference), August 1, 1945. USGCC
abolished, with functions transferred to newly established Office
of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) [OMGUS], October 1,
1945. See 260.3.
Related Records: Historical records of USGCC in records of the
Historical Branch of the Control Office, OMGUS, described UNDER
260.3.5. Papers, 1945-49, of Gen. Lucius D. Clay, Deputy U.S.
Military Governor, Germany (1945-47), and U.S. Military Governor,
Germany (1947-49) in National Archives collection of donated
materials; selected documents from the papers in Jean Edward
Smith, ed., The Papers of General Lucius D. Clay: Germany, 1945-
1949, 2 vols. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1974).
Transcripts of oral history interviews of Gen. Clay in Hoover,
Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy Libraries. Records of the U.S.
High Commissioner for Germany, RG 466.
260.2.1 General records
Textual Records: Decimal correspondence, 1944-45. Daily journal,
May-October 1945. Minutes of staff meetings, July 28, 1944-
September 29, 1945. Microfilm copy of the Military Governor's
reports, July-September 1945 (combined with Military Governor's
reports, October-December 1945, 2 rolls). Records of the meetings
and activities of the Combined Deputy Military Governors, 1945.
Planning records, 1944-45, including records concerning immediate
actions to be taken in the event of a German surrender (Project
Eclipse); records dealing with the occupation role to be played
by the British; and staff studies on demilitarization,
disarmament, and paramilitary organizations. Policy records,
including files of JCS and Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS)
issuances concerning Germany, 1944-45; and a digest of military
government policies set forth in JCS and European Advisory
Commission (EAC; see 260.2.2) directives ("Policy Book"), 1945.
Microfilm Publications: M1075.
260.2.2 Records in USGCC custody relating to the European
Advisory Commission (EAC)
History: EAC established, with seat in London, by a secret
protocol signed by U.S., United Kingdom, and USSR representatives
at the Tripartite Conference in Moscow, November 1, 1943, with
responsibility for making recommendations to the three Allied
governments on questions connected with the termination of the
war in Europe. Provisional Government of the French Republic
accepted into membership, November 27, 1944. EAC's 12 recommended
formal agreements, all of which were eventually accepted by all
member governments, concerned surrender terms for, and postwar
administration of, Germany and Austria; and armistice terms for
Bulgaria. EAC abolished, September 10, 1945, pursuant to Section
I of the Protocol of the Proceedings of the Berlin Conference
(also known as the Potsdam Conference), August 1, 1945. By
Sections I and II of same protocol, responsibility for drawing up
peace treaties with the former European Axis powers vested in a
Council of Foreign Ministers of China, France, United Kingdom,
United States, and USSR; and responsibility for administering
occupied Germany vested in Control Council.
Textual Records: Decimal correspondence and a subject file, 1943-
45, of Brig. Gens. Cornelius W. Wickersham and Vincent Meyer,
successive military advisers to John G. Winant, U.S. Ambassador
to the United Kingdom, in his capacity as U.S. member of EAC.
Minutes of EAC meetings, 1944-45. File of draft EAC directives,
with related memorandums and opinions, maintained by Ambassador
Robert D. Murphy, political adviser attached to SHAEF, 1944-45.
Subject file concerning EAC directives, maintained by the Legal
Advice Branch, 1944-45.
260.3 Records of the Executive Office of the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) [OMGUS]
1943-49 (bulk 1945-49)
History: For a history of OMGUS predecessor, the U.S. Group
Control Council, Germany (USGCC), SEE 260.2. OMGUS established,
effective October 1, 1945, by General Order 283, HQ USFET,
October 8, 1945, implementing USFET letter AG 014.1 GEC-AGO,
September 26, 1945. Responsible for administering U.S. zone of
occupation and U.S. sector of Berlin, and for functioning as U.S.
element of organizations comprising the Allied Control Authority,
the name given to the four-power occupation control system. OMGUS
functioned, October 1, 1945-September 1, 1949, as the agent of
the following successive Military Governors: Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower (concurrently Commanding General USFET), October 1-
November 10, 1945; Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. (acting;
concurrently acting Commanding General USFET), November 11-25,
1945; Gen. Joseph T. McNarney (concurrently Commanding General
USFET), November 26, 1945-January 5, 1947; Gen. Lucius D. Clay
(concurrently Commanding General USFET, January 6-March 14, 1947;
and Commanding General European Command [EUCOM], successor to
USFET, from March 15, 1947), January 6, 1947-May 14, 1949; and
Lt. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner (acting; concurrently acting
Commanding General EUCOM), May 15-September 1, 1949. Transition
from military to civilian occupation administration initiated by
Presidential appointment of John J. McCloy as U.S. High
Commissioner for Germany (USHCG), announced May 18, 1949, and
establishment in the Department of State of that position by EO
10062, June 6, 1949. McCloy assumed duties, September 2, 1949.
OMGUS organizations progressively abolished, with functions
transferred to USHCG organizations, June-September 1949.
Transition completed by September 21, 1949, date of the
establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany. OMGUS formally
abolished, effective December 5, 1949, by General Order 108,
Headquarters EUCOM, December 1, 1949.
Related Records: See Related Records under 260.2 for papers and
oral history interviews of Gen. Lucius D. Clay. Records of the
U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, RG 466.
260.3.1 Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff
Textual Records: Subject file, 1945-49. Official files, 1945-47,
of Maj. Gen. Frank Keating, Assistant Deputy Military Governor
(1946-47). Official files, 1944-48, of Brig. Gen. Charles K.
Gailey, Jr., Chief of Staff (1946-49). Files of miscellaneous
records concerning occupation policies and problems, 1947-49.
Minutes and memorandums, 1949, of the Interdivisional
Reorientation Committee, established, 1948, to plan and implement
a U.S.-German cultural exchange program.
260.3.2 Correspondence maintained by the Adjutant General's
Office
Textual Records: Formerly security-classified and unclassified
decimal correspondence, 1945-49, with partial microfilm copy (97
rolls). Formerly security-classified incoming messages, 1946-49,
and outgoing messages, 1946-48. Microfilm copies of summaries of
telephone conferences ("Telecons") between the staff of the
Military Governor and various officials in Washington, DC, 1947-
49 (10 rolls).
260.3.3 Issuances maintained by the Adjutant General's Office
Textual Records: Numbered internal administrative issuances, with
related records, 1945-49. Military government issuance case
files, arranged by Control Council (CC) law number, 1945-48; CC
directive number, 1945-49; OMGUS law number, 1945-49; OMGUS
proclamation number, 1945-48; OMGUS ordinance number, 1945-49;
and OMGUS regulation number, 1945-49.
260.3.4 Other records maintained by the Adjutant General's Office
Textual Records: Microfilm copy of the Military Governor's
reports, October-December 1945 (combined with Military Governor's
reports, July-September 1945, 2 rolls). Records relating to the
council comprised of German nationals representing the states
under U.S. occupation, known as the Council of States
(L"nderrat), including correspondence with the council and its
directorate, 1945-49; minutes of council meetings, 1945-47; and
records concerning laws proposed by the council, 1945-47. Minutes
and related records of a meeting of the U.S., British, French,
and Soviet military governors of Germany to discuss issues
resulting from the Soviet blockade of the western zones of Berlin
("Four Governors Conference Records"), August-September 1948.
Reference file of intelligence reports from various sources,
dealing mainly with activities of the USSR internally, in its
satellite countries, and in its zone of occupied Germany, 1945-
49. Reference copies of studies of postwar problems conducted by
the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee and the Combined Chiefs
of Staff, 1943-48. Reference copies of published reports of OMGUS
organizations concerning denazification, democratization,
reparation, and restitution efforts, 1947. Microfilm copy of the
German civil law code, n.d. (2 rolls).
Related Records: Additional records concerning the L"nderrat
under 260.4.2.
260.3.5 Records of the Control Office
Textual Records: General records, consisting of separate subject
files relating to military government administration, 1945-49,
and the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1947-
49. Records of the Historical Branch, consisting of
administrative records, 1945-49; and a compilation of historical
records (209 ft.) of the USGCC (see 260.2), the main and regional
headquarters organizations of OMGUS, and various Allied
occupation organizations, ca. 1945-49, including a microfilm copy
of reports of the Tripartite Nutrition Committee, 1945-47 (1
roll). Records of the Organization and Program Branch, consisting
of a subject file, 1945-49; and reference files on military
government regulations, 1944-49. Correspondence, reports, and
other records of the Reports and Statistics Branch, 1945-49.
Records of the Budget and Fiscal Branch relating to contracts and
accounts, audits, and budgets, 1944-49.
260.3.6 Records of the Field Information Agency, Technical (FIAT)
Textual Records: Records documenting the organization's mission
to oversee the collection of technical, scientific, industrial,
and economic information relating to Germany, 1945-47, including
decimal correspondence, a subject file, and daily journals.
260.4 Records of Functional Offices and Divisions of OMGUS
1923-51 (bulk 1945-50)
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.4.1 Records of the Analysis and Research Branch of the Office
of the Director of Intelligence
Textual Records: Decimal correspondence, 1945-49. Subject file,
1944-48. Reference collection of miscellaneous reports and
publications, 1947-48; and of memorandums, reports, news
clippings, messages, and other records, arranged by subject,
1947-49.
260.4.2 Records of the Regional Government Coordinating Office
Textual Records: Main subject file, 1945-48. Records relating to
the activities of the L"nderrat, 1945-48. Subject file concerning
interzonal and military government liaison officers' meetings,
1945-48.
Related Records: Additional records concerning the L"nderrat
under 260.3.4.
260.4.3 Records of the Economics Division
Textual Records: General records, consisting of main decimal
correspondence, 1944-49; decimal correspondence of the deputy
director, 1947-49; a subject file, 1945-49; records relating to
trade and trade agreements, 1947-49; records concerning the
Economic Cooperation Administration, 1948-49; and a reference
file of published reports, ca. 1945. Correspondence, reports, and
other records of the Industry Branch and its Oil and Public
Utilities Sections, 1945-49, including a microfilm copy of
branch-level correspondence, 1945-49 (8 rolls). Subject file of
the Price Control Branch, 1945-49. Records of the Decartelization
Branch, including two files of general records, a file of records
concerning the Bosch Group of Hesse, and a library of
publications on German industries, ca. 1945-49, to which items
were added, 1949-51, by successor organizations of the Office of
the High Commissioner for Germany; case files on German
industrial firms (1927-48), compiled 1945-48; reports on various
German companies, 1945-47; records relating to the
decartelization of the Bosch Group, 1948-49; and correspondence
and other records of the I.G. Farben Control Office (1930-48),
compiled 1945-48.
260.4.4 Records of the Information Services Division (formerly
Public Relations Office)
Textual Records: Subject files of the Office of the Director,
1945-49, and the Office of the Deputy Director, 1948-50. Main
decimal correspondence, 1944-49. Correspondence, reports,
studies, and other records, ca. 1945-49, of the following
branches: Policy and Programming; Opinion Surveys; Fiscal and
Budget Control; Press; Publication Control; Motion Picture;
Radio; and Information Centers and Exhibits.
Photographs (4,848 images): Taken or acquired by the Public
Relations Office, showing OMGUS military and civilian personnel,
headquarters, and housing and recreational facilities; Allied
military governors and personnel; U.S. Government officials; U.S.
military awards ceremonies; buildings in ruins; displaced persons
and refugees; CARE and other relief programs; and military
operations during the Berlin airlift, 1943-49 (OMG, MGG).
260.4.5 Records of the Civil Administration Division
Textual Records: General records, including central decimal
correspondence, 1945-49; subject correspondence maintained by the
Executive Branch, 1945-49; minutes of divisional staff meetings,
1945-49; records relating to alleged Soviet violations of
quadripartite agreements, 1945-49; and reports on local
elections, 1945-46. Correspondence, messages, reports, case
files, and other records, ca. 1945-49, of the following branches:
Personnel and Administrative; Prisoner of War and Displaced
Persons; Civil Liberties and Democratization; Governmental
Structures; Public Safety; Policy Enforcement; and Public Health
and Public Welfare.
260.4.6 Records of the Legal Division
Textual Records: General records, including a central subject
file, 1945-50; records maintained by the Secretariat, 1945-49; a
chronological file, 1945-50; and records of the Reports Office,
1945-49. Correspondence, reports, case files, and other records,
1945-49, of the following branches: Legal Advice; Administration
of Justice; and Prisons.
260.4.7 Records of the Manpower Division
Textual Records: Central subject files, 1945-49. Correspondence,
reports, studies, and other records, 1945-49, of the following
branches: Labor Relations; Social Insurance; Labor Management
Technique; and Manpower Analysis.
260.4.8 Records of the Transportation Division
Textual Records: Central correspondence relating to
transportation policy, international transportation, and the
activities of various interallied occupation organizations
concerned with transportation, 1945-49. Records of the
Administrative, Secretariat and Reports, and Technical Supply
Sections of the Executive Branch, 1945-49. Subject and reports
files of the Reports and Statistics Group, 1945-49.
Correspondence, reports, studies, and other records, 1945-49, of
the following branches: Movements; Rail; Inland Water Transport;
Maritime Ports and Shipping; and Highway and Highway Transport.
260.4.9 Records of the Property Division
Textual Records: General records, including a central subject
file, 1944-50; and a reports file, 1945-49. Correspondence, case
files, reports, and other records of the Property Control and
External Assets Branch, 1944-50, and the Reparations and
Restitution Branch, 1945-49. Records of, and relating to, centers
for the collection of literary, artistic, and other types of
alienated property established in various cities in the U.S.
occupation zone ("Central Collecting Points," CCP), 1944-51 (bulk
1945-49).
Photographs: Archives, libraries, and castles in
10 German cities, 1946-47 (ACL, 181 images). Photographs taken by
the Dresden Art Gallery, presumably as a record of art plundered
by the Axis powers ("Linz Collection"), 1940-45 (L, 3,000
images). Postwar collection, storage, and restitution of works of
art, accomplished at the Munich CCP, 1945-47 (MP, 1,234 images);
and at the Wiesbaden CCP, 1945-50 (WA, WB, WC, WAE, WLA, WLB, and
WLC; 9,767 images). Famous Germans, and the Hermann G"ring art
collection, assembled at the Munich CCP, and restitution of art
activities at that location, ca. 1945 (MCCP, 118 images).
Activities at the Offenbach Archival Depot of OMGUS, art looted
from synagogues, and activities of the Task Force Reich Leader
Rosenberg (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, "ERR"), in albums,
1946 (PHOAD, 160 images).
Photographs and Postcards: Relating to the
Platterhof (former name of the General Walker Hotel) in the then
existing village of Obersalzburg, Bavaria, ca. 1923-40 (NS, NSA, 277 images).
Photographs and Photomechanical Reproductions:
Portraits of famous Germans, compiled in 1904, n.d. (GP, 30 images).
Photographic Prints: Benedictine abbey at
Montecassino, Italy, before and after its destruction by Allied
bombing, with restoration plans, in album, 1949 (MC, 51 images).
War damage to German monuments and buildings, 1946-47 (DM, 2,100
images). "Ex libris" bookplates, ca. 1946 (XL, 478 images), and
library markings from looted books, ca. 1946 (LM, 14,783 images),
photographed at the Offenbach Archival Depot. Survey of war
damage to historical and cultural monuments in the U.S. zone of
occupation, 1947 (DB, 200 images). Scenes from the life of SS-
Brig. Gen. Ulrich Graf, in albums, ca. 1937 (NSE, NSF; 40
images). Photographic prints dedicated to Professor Seifert, in
album, 1942 (NSB, 56 images).
Photographic Negatives: Comprising the Task Force
Reich Leader Rosenberg Collection ("ERR Collection"), showing
works of art taken from France to Germany by teams acting under
the direction of National Socialist ("Nazi") official Alfred
Rosenberg, 1940-43 (ERR, 6,710 images). Polish art, ca. 1939 (PC,
27 images). Russian icons, ca. 1945-46 (RT, 34 images). Exhibit
held at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris, 1943 (JP, 21 images).
Engravings in the Berlin Kupferstiche Kabinett, photographed at
the Wiesbaden CCP, ca. 1946 (KK, 158 images).
Photomechanical Reproductions: Art sent for
temporary safekeeping to the National Gallery of Art in
Washington, DC, 1945 (GU, 202 images). Photomechanical
reproductions included in a publication on Adolf Hitler's
lineage, 1937 (NSD, 32 images); and in a book on Ordensburg in
Sonthofen, Bavaria, 1937 (NSC, 19 images).
Related Records: Records of the American Commission for the
Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War
Areas, RG 239.
260.4.10 Records of the Finance Division
Textual Records: General records, consisting of correspondence
concerning financial policies and procedures, 1944-48; case files
on banks, 1945-47; records of interrogations of Nazi financiers,
1946-47; and a microfilm copy of case files on leading German
officials (1933-45), compiled ca. 1945-47 (3 rolls). Subject file
of the Financial Institutions Branch, 1945-48. Correspondence and
other records of the Office of the Finance Adviser concerning
export-import, trade, and financial institution policies, 1945-
49. Correspondence, reports, and other records, 1945-50, of the
following groups: Financial Intelligence; Internal and External
Finance; and Foreign Exchange Depository.
260.4.11 Records of the Education and Cultural Relations Division
(E&CRD)
Textual Records: General records, including transcripts of
telephone conferences between the Civil Affairs Division of
Headquarters USFET/EUCOM and E&CRD officials, 1946-49; records
concerning budget and fiscal matters, 1948-49; and records of the
Research and Planning Section, 1948-49. Correspondence, messages,
reports, studies, and other records, 1945-49, of the following
branches: Education; Community Education (formerly Group
Activities); Religious Affairs; and Cultural Affairs.
260.4.12 Records of the Civil Aviation Branch of the Armed Forces
Division
Textual Records: Decimal correspondence, 1949-50. Subject file,
1944-50.
260.5 Records of OMGUS Organizations concerned with War Crimes Trials
1945-49
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.5.1 Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for War
Crimes (OCCWC)
History: For a history, see 238.4.
Textual Records: Administrative records, 1946-49. Records of the
Evidence Division, consisting of case files on defendants and
witnesses in Case 6 ("I.G. Farben Case"), heard before a U.S.
military tribunal in Nuremberg (1947-48), ca. 1947-48; completed
Staff Evidence Analysis (SEA) forms, 1946-48, compiled by the
Document Control Branch; and interrogation summaries, 1946-48,
compiled by the Interrogation Branch. Records of the Special
Projects Division relating to its mission to assist ministries of
justice in the various German states within the U.S. zone in the
conduct of denazification cases, 1947-49. Records of the
Publications Division concerning the publication of proceedings
of the U.S. military tribunals, 1948-49. Records of the Language
Division, 1947-48, consisting of daily trial reports and
exemplars of translation tests.
Related Records: Additional records of OCCWC in RG 238, National
Archives Collection of World War II War Crimes Records.
260.5.2 Records of the Secretariat for U.S. Military Tribunals
History: For a history, see 238.5.
Textual Records: Records of the Office of the Secretary General,
including general correspondence, 1946-49; daily trial summaries,
1947-48; case files of prosecution and defense motions and
requests, 1947-49; and clemency petition case files, 1947-49.
Defendant and witness case files of the Marshal's Office, 1947-
48. Subject files and administrative records of the Defense
Center, 1946-49. Records of the Office of the Director of
Printing relating to the publication and distribution of the
official trial record, 1945-49.
Related Records: Additional records of the Secretariat for U.S.
Military Tribunals in RG 238, National Archives Collection of
World War II War Crimes Records.
260.5.3 Records of the Secretariat of the International Military
Tribunal (IMT) in the custody of the Secretariat for U.S. Military Tribunals
History: Established by IMT Procedural Rule 8, October 29, 1945,
with responsibility for receiving all documents addressed to the
IMT, maintaining IMT records, and providing clerical services to
IMT. Abolished following the rendering of IMT judgments,
September 30 and October 1, 1946, with a residual staff
functioning, 1946-49, until completion of the publication of the
official record of IMT proceedings, 1949. Official trial records,
constituting the Archives of the International Military Tribunal
of Nuremberg, were deposited with the International Court of
Justice in The Hague, Netherlands.
Textual Records: General records, 1945-46. File of official trial
documents in the custody of the IMT President, Lord Justice
Geoffrey Lawrence, 1945-46. Copies of exhibits and document
books, 1945-46. Records concerning indicted organizations, 1945-46.
Related Records: Records of the Office of the U.S. Chief of
Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality in RG 238,
National Archives Collection of World War II War Crimes Records.
260.5.4 Other records
Photographic Prints (2,087 images): Made by the Office of the
U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality
from negatives comprising the Task Force Reich Leader Rosenberg
Collection ("ERR Collection"; see 260.4.9 under Photographic
Negatives), 1945 (ERRA).
Related Records: Records of Task Force Reich Leader Rosenberg in
RG 242, National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized.
Records of the Office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the
Prosecution of Axis Criminality in RG 238, National Archives
Collection of World War II War Crimes Records.
260.6 Records of Berlin Command, OMGUS
1946-48
Textual Records: Central decimal correspondence, 1946-48. Subject
file, 1947-48. File of endorsements sent, 1947-48. Incoming
messages, January-April 1948. Outgoing messages, 1946-48. Unit
reports of operations, compiled by the Historical Division, 1947-
48. Special court martial-case files, compiled by the Staff Judge
Advocate, 1947-48. Fragmentary records of the Engineer Division,
Signal Division, 7782d Special Troop Battalion, Motor Transport
Battalion, and Berlin Barter Center, 1946-48.
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.7 Records of State (Land) and Sector Military Governments Responsible to OMGUS
1945-51 (bulk 1945-49)
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.7.1 Records of the Office of Military Government, Bavaria
Textual Records: Records of the Office of the Land Director, including separate correspondence
files of the Director, Assistant Director, and Deputy Director, 1947-49; central decimal correspondence,
1945-49; a subject file, 1946-48; correspondence and other records relating to investigations, 1945-49;
issuances, 1945-49; incoming and outgoing messages, 1945-49; and reports, 1945-49. Correspondence, messages,
case files, reports, and other records, 1945-51 (bulk 1945-49), of the following divisions: Intelligence;
Economics; Manpower; Finance; Legal; Education and Cultural Relations; Food, Agriculture, and Forestry;
Property; Civil Administration; and Information Services. Correspondence, messages, and other records
of the Transportation Branch, 1945- 49. Records of the Field Operations Division, including headquarters
records, 1947-49; and records, 1946-50, of Branches A (Würzburg), B (Ansbach), D (Regensburg), E
(Munich), and G (Augsburg), together with records of each branch's subordinate Resident Liaison and Security
Offices, located in each district (Landkreis).
Posters (1 item): "Stalin an das Deutsche Volk," from
correspondence of the Land Director, ca. 1949.
260.7.2 Records of the Office of Military Government, Hesse
Textual Records: Subject correspondence maintained by the
Executive Office, 1946-48, with partial microfilm copy (1 roll).
Correspondence, reports, and issuances of the Hesse Section,
7780th OMGUS Group, 1945-49. Correspondence, messages, reports,
and other records, 1945-49, of the following divisions:
Personnel; Historical and Field Reports; Public Information;
Intelligence; Bipartite Liaison; Education and Cultural
Relations; Legal; Civil Administration; Information Services; and
Property. Records of the Liaison and Security Control Division,
consisting of headquarters records, 1946-49; and records of
Liaison and Security Offices, together with their suboffices, in
the following districts: Wiesbaden, Frankfurt, Darmstadt,
Wetzlar, Giessen, Marburg, Fulda, Fritzlar-Homberg, and Kassel.
Correspondence and other records of the State Seizure Association
(Staatliche Erfassungsgesellschaft, "STEG"), 1945-48, relating to
its mission to seize and operate factories as necessary to ensure
Germany's economic survival and eventual recovery. Subject file
of the Wiesbaden regional office of the U.S. Customs Group, 1949.
260.7.3 Records of the Office of Military Government,
Württemberg-Baden
Textual Records: General records, including central
correspondence, 1945-49; subject correspondence, 1945-49;
issuances, 1945-49; a file of speeches, press conferences, and
news releases, 1945-50; financial records, 1948-50; and reports
of military government detachments, 1945-47. Correspondence,
messages, reports, and other records, 1945-49, of the following
divisions: Government Affairs; Information Service; Education and
Cultural Relations; Legal; Economics; Property; Intelligence;
Fiscal; and Transportation. Records of the Field Relations
Division (formerly Field Operations Group), including records of
headquarters, 1945-49; and records, 1945-49, of the Resident
Liaison and Security Office in each district (Landkreis).
260.7.4 Records of the Office of Military Government, Bremen
Textual Records: General records, including central subject
files, 1945-49; incoming messages, 1946-48; issuances, 1946-49;
and reports, 1945-47. Correspondence, messages, reports, and
other records, 1945-49, of the following divisions: Information
Control; Finance; Legal; Public Health and Welfare;
Denazification; Manpower; Public Safety; Education; Civil
Administration; Economics; Transport; and Waterfront. Records of
the Public Information Office, including correspondence, 1947-48;
monthly activity reports of other offices, divisions, and
branches, 1948-49; and quarterly and annual histories of military
government in Bremen, 1945-48. Records of the Bremerhaven Liaison
and Security Detachment, including decimal and subject
correspondence, 1945-49; reading files of the director, 1947-49;
records relating to housing, the fishing industry, and clubs and
youth activities, 1945-49; and records of the Special Branch
concerning denazification activities, 1945-49.
260.7.5 Records of the Office of Military Government, Berlin
Sector
Textual Records: Subject correspondence, 1945-49. U.S. airlift
reports, 1948-49, with microfilm copy (8 rolls). British airlift
reports, 1948-49. Microfilm copy of orders to the mayor of
Berlin, May-September 1949 (1 roll); activity reports, 1947-48 (7
rolls); and Berlin press reviews and releases, 1947-48 (12
rolls). Records of the Civil Administration and Political Affairs
Branch, including a central subject file, 1945-49; minutes of
meetings of the City Assembly of Greater Berlin, 1948-49, with
partial microfilm copy (6 rolls); and microfilm copies of special
reports, 1947-48 (1 roll), and weekly political reports, January-
October 1948 (2 rolls). Correspondence, messages, reports, and
other records, 1945-49, of the following other branches:
Information Services; Education and Cultural Relations; Public
Health; Public Welfare; Manpower; Legal; Economics;
Communications; Finance; Property Control; Public Works and
Utilities; and Public Safety.
260.8 Records of U.S. Elements of Allied Control Authority (ACA) Organizations (Germany)
1944-53 (bulk 1945-48)
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.8.1 General records
Textual Records: Central file, arranged numerically, 1945-49,
with subject index. Microfilm copy of Control Council and
Coordinating Committee status reports, 1945-48 (1 roll).
Administrative records of the U.S. element of the Allied
Secretariat, 1945-48.
260.8.2 Records of the U.S. element of the Control Council
Textual Records: General records, 1945-48. "Master File," 1945-
46.
260.8.3 Records of the U.S. element of the Coordinating Committee
Textual Records: General records, 1945-48. "Master File," 1945-
48. Minutes, 1945-48. Miscellaneous records, 1946-53.
260.8.4 Records of U.S. elements of ACA directorates
Textual Records: General records of U.S. elements of the Combined
Services Directorate and its predecessors, the Air, Military, and
Naval Directorates, 1945-48, with partial microfilm copies, 1945-
47 (66 rolls). General records of U.S. elements of the Prisoners
of War and Displaced Persons Directorate, 1945-48, and its
subordinate organization, the Combined Repatriation Executive,
1945-49. General records of the U.S. element of the Combined
Services and Economic Directorate, 1947. General records, 1945-
49, of U.S. elements of the following other directorates: Legal;
Internal Affairs and Communications; Economic; Financial;
Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitution; Transport; Manpower;
and Political.
260.8.5 Records of U.S. elements of other ACA organizations
Textual Records: General records of the U.S. element of the
German External Property Commission, 1945-48. Records of the U.S.
element of the Committee on Allied Controls, 1944-49. Subject
file of the U.S. element of the Allied Kommandatura
[quadripartite controlling body for Berlin], 1945-49. Memorandums
of the U.S. element of the Divisional Legislative Review Board,
1949.
260.9 Records of U.S. Elements of Combined U.S.-British organizations (Germany)
1943-51 (bulk 1945-49)
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.9.1 Records of the U.S. element of the Bipartite Board
("BIB")
Textual Records: General records, 1947-49, dealing with the
board's policy-making activities for the unified economy of the
U.S. and British zones of occupation. Minutes of BIB meetings,
with agendas and related background papers, 1949. Records
concerning the various bipartite organizations, 1947-49.
260.9.2 Records of the Office of the U.S. Chairman of the
Bipartite Control Office ("BICO")
Textual Records: Subject file, 1947-50. File of treaties and
trade agreements, 1947-50.
260.9.3 General records of the U.S. element of BICO
Textual Records: Decimal, subject, and subject-numeric
correspondence, 1947-49. Reading file, 1948-49. Reports,
memorandums, minutes, and other records of the U.S. economic
adviser, 1947-49. Minutes of meetings of BICO staff members with
bizonal and German officials, 1947-49. Records relating to
bipartite participation in the European Recovery Program, 1947-
49. Reference collection on bipartite organizations and
activities, maintained by the BICO Library, 1946-49.
260.9.4 Records of U.S. elements of BICO staff organizations
Textual Records: Correspondence, reports, memorandums, and other
records, 1945-50 (bulk 1947-49), of the following bipartite
control groups: Civil Service; Commerce and Industry;
Communications; Finance; Food, Agriculture, and Forestry; Legal;
and U.S. Customs.
260.9.5 Records of U.S. elements of other bipartite organizations
Textual Records: Records of the Joint Export-Import Agency,
consisting of records concerning payment and trade agreements,
arranged by country, 1946-50; records relating to military
government accounts, 1943-49; records relating to advances and
payments, 1946-50; and minutes of meetings and other records of
the Joint Export Import Board, 1947-49. Subject files of the U.S.
element of the Allied Bank Commission, 1948-51.
260.10 Records of U.S. Elements of Combined U.S.-British-French Organizations (Germany)
1948-49
Textual Records: General records, 1948-49. Progress reports,
1948-49. Records of tripartite meetings, 1948-49. Minutes and
related records of the Committee of Deputies of the Military
Security Board, March-June 1949.
Related Records: Records of the U.S. High Commissioner for
Germany, RG 466.
260.11 Records of the U.S., Allied Commission for Austria (USACA) Section of Headquarters U.S. Forces in Austria
1932-56 (bulk 1945-50)
Note: Presently allocated to this record group, but not part of
the records of the USACA Section, are records of other
organizations of Headquarters U.S. Forces in Austria (HQ USFA),
including records of the Historical Division, ca. 1945-50 (16
ft.); and war crimes case files maintained by the Judge Advocate
Section, ca. 1945-50 (5 ft.).
History: USACA Section, responsible for civil affairs/military
government administration, was organized concurrently with the
establishment of HQ USFA by General Order 1, HQ USFA, July 5,
1945, as a component of U.S. Forces, European Theater (USFET).
The single position of Commanding General USFA and U.S. High
Commissioner for Austria was held successively by Gen. Mark W.
Clark, July 5, 1945-May 16, 1947; and Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes,
May 17, 1947-September 19, 1950. USACA Section provided the U.S.
element of organizations comprising the Allied Commission for
Austria, the name of the four-power occupation administration
established by a U.S., British, French, and Soviet agreement,
signed July 4, 1945, and made effective July 24, 1945. USACA
Section also administered occupation government in U.S. zone of
Austria and U.S. sector of Vienna. USACA Section abolished
following transfer of U.S. occupation government from military to
civilian authority, marked by the Presidential appointment of
Walter J. Donnelly as Envoy (later, Ambassador) to Austria and
U.S. High Commissioner for Austria, effective September 20, 1950.
Donnelly succeeded by Ambassador Llewelyn E. Thompson, Jr., July
17, 1952. U.S. occupation government in Austria officially
terminated, July 27, 1955, date of the entrance into force of the
State Treaty for the Re-establishment of an Independent and
Democratic Austria, signed May 15, 1955.
260.11.1 General records
Textual Records: Correspondence and other records of the Office
of the Chief (prior to March 1950, Office of the Director), 1946-
51. Central decimal correspondence, 1945-51. Records of various
organizations of the Allied Commission for Austria, maintained by
USACA, ca. 1945-50. Final report of the High Commissioner, 1950.
260.11.2 Records of component organizations
Textual Records: Records of general and special
staff sections, 1944-56, including reports, intelligence
summaries, and investigative files of the G-2 (Intelligence)
Section. General records of the Information Branch and
subordinate sections, 1945-50; and the Statistical Analysis
Branch, 1945-50. Correspondence, reports, case files, and other
records of the Monuments and Fine Arts, German External Assets,
and Property Control Branches of the Reparations, Deliveries, and
Restitution Division, 1932-51 (bulk 1945-51). General records,
1945-50, of the following components of the Internal Affairs and
Displaced Persons Division: the Internal Affairs Branch and its
Public Safety and Denazification Sections; and the Displaced
Persons Branch. Records of the Legal Division, consisting of
administrative records, 1945-50; and records of general, summary,
and intermediate courts sitting in Linz, Salzburg, Vienna, and
other localities, 1945-55. Records of the Education Division,
consisting of general records, 1945-50; and records relating to
youth activities, 1946-51. General records of the Welfare and
Relief Branch of the Social Administration Division, 1945-50.
Central decimal correspondence maintained by the Adjutant General Section, 1946-47. Records of the Vienna Area Command, including central correspondence, issuances, and other
general records maintained by the Adjutant General Section, 1946-
48; and miscellaneous records, 1946-48. Records of military detachments, maintained by the Military and
Naval Divisions, 1946-51. General records of the following other
divisions: Air, 1945-51; Civilian Supply, 1946-50; Finance, 1945-
50; Economic, 1944-50; Transport, 1945-50; and Communications,
1945-50.
Map: Town plan of Gmunden, Austria, 1947 (1 item).
260.12 Records of the U.S. Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands (USCAR)
1945-72
History: Following signing of the Instrument of Surrender,
September 2, 1945, Ryukyu Islands were administered by Department
of the Navy, September 21, 1945-June 30, 1946, with Commanding
Officer, Naval Operating Base, Okinawa functioning as chief
military government officer under authority of Commander-in-Chief
U.S. Pacific Fleet. Transfer of administration from Department of
the Navy to War Department authorized by Joint Chiefs of Staff
(JCS) approval, April 1, 1946, of JCS 819/11, March 5, 1946, with
added proviso of JCS 819/12, March 22, 1946. Pursuant to
implementing instructions of General Headquarters U.S. Army
Forces in the Pacific (GHQ AFPAC), Okinawa Base Command
redesignated Ryukyus Command, effective July 1, 1946, by General
Order 162, Headquarters U.S. Army Forces, Western Pacific, and
made responsible for administration under a Deputy Commander for
Military Government. Ryukyu Islands administered successively by
Ryukyus Command, July 1-November 30, 1946; Philippines-Ryukyus
Command, December 1, 1946-July 31, 1948; and Ryukyuan Command,
August 1, 1948-December 15, 1950. USCAR established, effective
December 15, 1950, by a directive of Headquarters Far East
Command (HQ FEC, formerly GHQ AFPAC), AG 091.1 (5 Dec 50) RCA,
December 5, 1950, implementing a JCS memorandum, SM 2474-50,
October 11, 1950, directing Commander-in-Chief Far East, Gen.
Douglas MacArthur, to organize a civil administration for the
Ryukyu Islands in accordance with JCS 1231/14, October 4, 1950.
USCAR continued to function under Department of the Army
(formerly War Department), 1950-71. Amami Island Group of Ryukyu
Islands was returned to Japan by the Agreement between the United
States of America and Japan concerning the Amami Islands, signed
December 24, 1953, and made effective December 25, 1953. USCAR
abolished following entrance into force, May 15, 1972, of the
Agreement between the United States of America and Japan
concerning the Ryukyu Islands and the Daito Islands, signed June
17, 1971, by which the remaining island groups of the Ryukyu
Islands, including the Okinawa Island Group, were returned to
Japan.
260.12.1 Records of the Office of the High Commissioner
Textual Records: Correspondence, minutes and notes of meetings,
translations, and other records of the Language Aide, 1960-69.
Records of the Information Coordinator concerning the various
staff departments, 1969-71. Records of the Advisory Committee to
the High Commissioner, containing the committee's recommendations
for action on social, economic, and related matters, 1968-70.
Records of the U.S. element of the Preparatory Commission
concerning reversion of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan, 1970-71.
260.12.2 Records maintained by the Administrative Office of the
Office of the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: Central correspondence ("General Administrative
Files"), 1962-71. Record sets of issuances, 1950-59. Historical
and organization planning files, 1956-70.
260.12.3 Records of the Comptroller Department of the Office of
the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1965-72. Records
concerning budget formulation and execution, 1967-71; general
fund program formulation, 1966-71; economic aid, 1967-71; general
accounting, 1956-68; petroleum distribution accounting and
management, 1956-71; local government budget guidance, 1960-71;
and customs management, 1967-71.
260.12.4 Records of the Economic Department of the Office of the
Civil Administrator
Textual Records: "Common Mission Files," 1956-70. Records
concerning banking facilities, 1957-71; the Bank of Ryukyu, 1959-
71; and the Development Loan Corporation, 1961-71.
260.12.5 Records of the Health, Education and Welfare Department
of the Office of the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: General records, including legal and liaison
files, 1965-71; records containing local government budget
guidance, 1964-71; narcotics input control and reports files,
1963-71; records concerning communicable diseases, 1964-71; and
records concerning preventive medicine, veterinary medicine, and
sanitation activities, 1960-71. Project files of the Welfare
Division, 1964-71. General records, 1964-71, of the Health
Division; the Education Division; and the English Language
Center.
260.12.6 Records of the Labor Department of the Office of the
Civil Administrator
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1958-71. Civil affairs
planning files, 1968-71. Records relating to employment control,
1958-71; labor council management, 1958-71; and social insurance,
1953-71.
260.12.7 Records of the Legal Affairs Department of the Office of
the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: Records of the Legal Division, including policy
and precedent files, 1952-71; legislation and legislative
background files, 1952-68; English-language translations of
Government of the Ryukyu Islands laws, 1953-71; and claims files,
1961-71. Records of the Land Division, including general
correspondence, 1953-71; case files, 1955-71; records relating to
municipalities, 1946-47; land conference files, 1958; records
concerning Okinawa land problems, 1955-58; and South American
emigration and resettlement files, 1960-70.
260.12.8 Records of the Liaison Department of the Office of the
Civil Administrator
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1945-71. "Common Mission
Files," 1952-71. Records, 1952-71, concerning special projects
and international relations.
260.12.9 Records of the Public Affairs Department of the Office
of the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: Central correspondence, 1966-71. Program records
of the Cultural Affairs Division, 1964-71. Records of the
Information Division, including program records, 1964-71; record
sets of publications, 1952-70; press books, 1965-69; and "News
Morgue Files," 1958-71.
Motion Pictures: Newsreels produced by the
Information Division, depicting historical events, personalities,
ceremonial events, and social and economic activities in the
Ryukyu Islands, 1958-71 (2,185 reels).
Sound Recordings: Japanese-language sound track for
some of the newsreels produced by the Information Division, n.d. (2 items).
Photographic Prints: Political, economic, social,
and cultural life in the Ryukyu Islands under USCAR, including
political parties and elections, industries, schools and
universities, ceremonial events, and visits by dignitaries from
the United States and other countries, 1949-72 (CR, 35,100
images). USCAR activities, and social and cultural programs, in
albums, 1964-65 (CRA, 2,300 images).
260.12.10 Records of the Public Safety Department of the Office
of the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: Records of the Operations Division, including
general correspondence, 1968-71; reports of incidents involving
U.S. military personnel, 1968-71; police liaison files, 1967-71;
records concerning emergency planning, 1952-71; records relating
to civic action, 1966-71; and records containing local government
guidance, 1967-71. Records of the Immigration Division relating
to entry and exit control, 1958-71; and family registration,
1958-71.
260.12.11 Records of the Public Works Department of the Office of
the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: General correspondence, 1963-71. Project review
files, 1965-71. Records containing guidance on local construction
and maintenance, 1964-71. Records concerning water and electric
power control, transportation services, communications, and
postage stamp development, 1952-71.
260.12.12 Records of civil affairs teams responsible to the
Office of the Civil Administrator
Textual Records: Civil affairs files, 1969-71, of the Miyako and
the Yaeyama Civil Affairs Teams.
Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.
This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.
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