Using war records
With two world wars in the last century, most family history researchers will have a close relative who served in the army, navy or air force, and perhaps died in a conflict. And if they weren't in military service, their ancestors may have had an equally important – and traceable – auxiliary role, in the police force, fire brigade or nursing service.
British women ambulance drivers attached to the Belgium army, Calais,
May 1918
Imperial War Museum (Q3257)
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Military records
There is an excellent step-by-step guide to finding military records on the National Archives website, and the Imperial War Museum has several downloadable factsheets about tracing ancestors in the forces.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website has an easy-to-use searchable website listing the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars. The register also contains details of the 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who died as a result of enemy action in the Second World War. Entitled the 'Debt of Honour Register', it covers 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations worldwide.
Information on prisoners of war can be found on the International Committee of the Red Cross website.
Looking for old comrades? The British Legion website is a good starting point.
Cyndi's List is the largest collection of genealogical websites on the internet and the section on UK military has a bewildering selection. If you know which regiment, ship or battle your ancester served in, you will find a link here.
War memorials
Most towns and villages have their own war memorials listing citizens who died in the two world wars and other conflicts before or since. Some memorials go back to campaigns such as the Boer war (in South Africa, 1899-1902) or further, and others commemorate the dead from more recent conflicts like the Falklands war.
Memorials are often accompanied by calligraphic Rolls of Honour kept in parish churches and other locations. Photographs and transcriptions can be found on the www.roll-of-honour.com website.
The aim of Channel 4's exciting database project is – in partnership with the Imperial War Museum – to produce a permanent definitive record of all First World War memorials, as well as a database of the people commemorated on the memorials. Through this Lost Generation site, users will be able to search the database by name or memorial, as well as add stories, correct details or supply missing information. These updates will be verified before being added permanently to the records.
The British War Memorial Project aims to build an online memorial, with photographs, to British service personnel from 1914 to the present day – including those killed in recent conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
Army
There has been a professional regular army in England since 1660. Few records remain from the early times, but information becomes more comprehensive the closer we get to the present day. Army service records are archived and stored by the Regiment or Corps. Requests from relatives for records for all ranks in the Army that served after 1920 should be made to the Army Personnel Centre. Please note that the Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards (Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh) keep their own archives.
British Army officers' records for the First World War (1914-1918) can be found by searching the National Archives at Kew. They have 217,767 officers' service records from the First World War, but many were destroyed by bombing in 1940. Index WO 339 contains records and correspondence for Regular Army and Emergency Reserve officers who served in the First World War; WO 374 (1898-1922) contains records and correspondence for officers with temporary commissions and Territorial Army officers who served in the First World War. If you are searching for a common name, you will first need to know his regiment or corps and rank, which can be found by searching WO 338. Regimental war diaries, 1914-22, are also kept at Kew and may provide valuable information on events and activities. Some have been transcribed by enthusiasts – see for example Oliver Strangward's War Diaries of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Personal diaries can be found at the Imperial War Museum.
Medal rolls
All members of the British Army and Royal Flying Corps were awarded campaign medals if they served overseas. The National Archives holds the index and the medal rolls as well as providing brief details of service, such as regiment and theatre of war. Gallantry awards are published in the official Government newspaper, the London Gazette, which is available online. The Victoria Cross is the best documented award, with 1,355 awarded since 1856. More info on www.victoriacross.net.