International Tracing Service Came Through! Paul Diamond's Displaced Persons Records

Over a year ago, I contacted the International Tracing Service (ITS) to see if they had information on my grandfather during or after WWII.  I had forgotten that I even submitted the request--and was pleasantly surprised to get multiple documents from them, tracing my grandfather's life after WWII finished until he left Europe for America.  My grandmother's account of those years can be seen here.

Pejsach Diment Alien Registration, December 13, 1945

On December 13, 1945, my grandfather registered at the Neufreimann Displaced Person (DP) camp in Munich.  He stated that he was born March 27, 1922 in Biskupieze, Russia, and that his parents were Abraham and Cyvia Zutelman Diment.  He was a driver and mechanic who spoke Yiddish, Polish and Ukrainian.  And he wanted to go to America.

Pejsach & Sonia Diement; Szejwa Bajer, transfer to Leipheim DP Camp near Ulm, Germany

In January 1946, both of my grandparents and my great grandmother transferred to Leipheim with 23 others.

Pejsach Diment Alien Registration, January 26, 1946

My grandfather filled out another DP Registration Card in Leipheim in January 1946.  Here, he states his mother's maiden name as Dricken (not sure where this came from!) and says he desires to go to Palestine.  Here, he doesn't mention that he speaks Ukrainian but does say that he speaks Czech.

Pejsach Diment, Alien Registration, January 15, 1947; Side 1

Pejsach Diment, Alien Registration, January 15, 1947; Side2

A third DP Registration Card from 1947 has his mother's maiden name correct (Zutelman) and again states that he wanted to emigrate to the United States.

And soon after, that emigration happened:

Pejsach & Sonia Diment Emigration

My grandparents were listed as emigrating on the Ernie Pyle; an account of this eventful trip can be seen here.

Pejsach Diment, American Joint Distribution Committee Card

ITS also included a location service card that they had on file, presumably if people were trying to find my grandfather after he left Europe.

ITS was also kind enough to include my grandfather's whereabouts by date, based on these documents:

• 13th December 1945-16th January 1946 in DP camp Munich-Neufreimann (Doc. ID. 66880120 and 82016424)
• 23rd January 1946 transferred from DP camp Munich-Neufreimann to DP camp Leipheim (Ulm) (Doc. ID. 82016424)
• 26th January 1946 stayed in DP camp Leipheim (Doc. ID. 66880121)
• 15th January 1947 stayed in a DP camp in Germany (place not indicated) (Doc. ID. 66880118)
• 10th March 1947 emigrated from Bremen to the USA on board the ship “Ernie Pyle” (Doc. ID. 81650697 and 81650705)

Note:  I just joined Twitter.  Feel free to follow me (@larasgenealogy).

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