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Military Research - United Kingdom
WORK in PROGRESS
Image right - National Archives, Kew
Image Geograph © Copyright Chris Reynolds and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
The purpose of this project is to outline resources available for researching Military Records on the United Kingdom, both geographical/physical and online.
Online Resources
(There may be charges to download some documents)
National Archives
where all service records are deposited. See records online section - available online are -
- British Army medal index cards 1914-1920
- British Army nurses’ service records 1914-1918
- British Army war diaries 1914-1922
- Household Cavalry soldiers’ service records 1799-1920
- Prisoner of war interview reports 1914-1918
- Prisoners of war: selected records 1715-1945
- Royal Air Force airmen service records 1912-1939
- Royal Air Force officers’ service records 1918-1919
- Royal Flying Corps airmen
- Royal Naval Air Service officers
- Royal Naval Air Service officers’ service records 1906-1918
- Victoria Cross Registers 1856-1944
- Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps service records 1917-1920
- Women’s Royal Air Force service records 1918-1920
- Women’s Royal Naval Service personnel
- Women’s Royal Naval service records 1917-1919
Imperial War Museum
IWM are an Independent Research Organisation (IRO). Their curators actively engage with the academic community in new and challenging ways in order to deepen understanding of war..
You can find out more about their research by visiting their blogs, or you can receive news of current research opportunities by signing up to their academic mailing list.
The IWM also has research facilities to carry out your own research on IWM's collections. See Tracing your Family History
Many of their collections can be searched. A collection of 20,000 individual papers and documents can be searched.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
...whose work began with building, and now maintaining, cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories, and managing the official casualty database archives for their member nations. The core principles of the CWGC in their Royal Charter in 1917 -
- Each of the Commonwealth dead should be commemorated by name on a headstone or memorial
- Headstones and memorials should be permanent
- Headstones should be uniform
- There should be equality of treatment for the war dead irrespective of rank or religion.
Over 2,500 war cemeteries and plots constructed; headstones over more than a million burials at military and civil sites across the world have been erected. Individuals who have no known grave are commemorated by name on a Memorial to the Missing. The names and service details recorded in their archives were taken from official military sources, where they were available.
World War 1 Cemeteries
AND
World War 2 Cemeteries
Both these pages have detailed pages for WW cemeteries - many include profiles for men in those cemeteries.
British Red Cross
First World War volunteers - Over 90,000 people volunteered for the British Red Cross at home and overseas during the war. Find First World War volunteers or a Red Cross hospital. Search available for personnel records,
The Long, Long Trail
...a personal website by Chris Baker dedicated to helping you discover the British army and its soldiers of the First World War.
Subscription sites
Other records have been made available through -
Ancestry.co.uk
Contains a mixture of original and compilations of other list material. It has an enormous amount of material relating to the First World War soldiers. Of note -
- Army Medal Cards (back and front)
- Silver War Badge Roll and records
... contains indexed images of rolls listing military personnel awarded Britain’s Silver War Badge for service in World War I.
- British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
- British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
- British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 FREE
- England, The National Roll of the Great War, 1914-1918
- UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
- UK, Casualties of the Boer War, 1899-1902
- UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
- UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
... listing of World War II British prisoners of war. Information listed about the soldiers includes: name, rank, branch of the armed forces, regiment, POW number
- UK, Waterloo Medal Roll, 1815
- Gateshead, Durham, England, War Honours Scrapbook, 1914-1920 FREE INDEX
... a scrapbook of newspaper clippings of photos and names of soldiers from the Gateshead area in World War I. Most of the clippings are portrait photographs of individual soldiers with information about their unit, rank and condition, such as wounded, killed or missing. The scrapbook also includes articles about memorial and awards given and there are also a few group photos
- WWII United News Newsreels, 1942-1946
- UK, Royal Air Force Airmen Records, 1918-1940
- UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939
- UK, De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, 1914-1919
... biographies of over 26,000 casualties of the Great War. Casualties include men (both officers and ranks) from the British Army, Navy, and Air Force; 7,000 of the biographies include photographs.
- Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950
... contains approximately 28,000 index cards and 34 photograph albums of aviators who were issued with their flying licences (certificates) by the Royal Aero Club from 1910-1950.
FindMyPast.co.uk
Over 12.5 million British records relating to military service and conflicts around the world. Records of servicemen included in this category covers both world wars as well as the Anglo-Boer War, Korean War, Spanish Civil War, Napoleonic War, and the Malayan Emergency. Peacetime army lists are also included, in addition to draft records, pension records, and lists of awards and decorations. There are records of army deserters and prisoners of war.
Of particular note - Service records for the British Army and Militia (part time soldiers) between 1760 and 1915
See How to Search our Military Records
Forces War Records and Forces Reunited
British Armed Forces
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of British Armed Forces
- The British Army official page
- National Army Museum
Regimental Websites
There are websites for regiments of the army - please feel free to add to the list below
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918.
- Royal Air Force official page
- Royal Air Force Museum
Naval Websites
The Royal Navy is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force.
- Roay Navy official website
- The National Museum - Royal Navy
The Royal Navy Research Archive aims to provide virtual museum, giving access to a range of web materials related to RN ships, establishments, units, and personnel, primarily from the start of World War One through into the 21st century. Content includes articles, short histories and the reminiscences of the men and women who served in the Royal Navy, WRNS, and Royal Marines.
Publications
The London Gazette
Lists honours and awards to civilians and the military. Promotions and retirements of officers are also recorded. The online archive has an advanced search option. A service number is useful in searches.