The "Old Men" of Cheverly - 1942

After the United States entered World War II, a new Selective Service Act required that all men between the ages of 18 and 64 register for the draft. The Fourth Registration, or Old Man’s Registration, was held on April 27, 1942. The purpose of this registration was to collect information on industrial capacity and skills of men who were born between April 27, 1877 and February 16, 1897 (ages 45 to 64). This draft registration was not intended to be used for military service but to provide a complete inventory of manpower resources in the United States that could be utilized for national service during World War II.

These records show the range of occupations and birthplaces of this group of men living in Cheverly in 1942. Images of the original records are available at www.familysearch.org.