There is no sure way to find the caste with surname because surnames can be misleading. E.g. , all Singhs are not Sardars because there are Singhs in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan.
Similarly, Gupta. You can find Sharmas in Kerala. In Maharashtra many surnames are common among Brahmins and SC/ST.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.