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  • Military records
    • Main contributor: Gena Philibert-Ortega
    U.S. Army discharge certificate and enlistment record for Sergeant John J. Gallagher.
    U.S. Army discharge certificate and enlistment record for Sergeant John J. Gallagher.

    Military records, sometimes called Service records[1] are documents available in almost every country for every serviceman and servicewoman (except perhaps for certain classified cases) and are generated not only during wartime but also during times of peace. These documents allow for the identification of individuals who have served in the armed forces of their country or colonial authority as well as those who were eligible for service but did not serve actively. Military records can family researchers learn more about their ancestors who served their country and obtain additional details about their families.

    While military records are largely for those who served, there are military records that detail information about those who did not serve. An example would be a military draft card. Those who filled out draft cards did not always serve in the military. For those who did serve, records for a military dependent (spouse or child) may exist. For example, a gravestone in a military cemetery marking the burial of the service member and their spouse.

    Information found in military records will differ depending on the purpose of the record. At the very least, there will be a name and a service number. Military record information may include:

    • Name
    • Age/birth date
    • Death date
    • Residential address
    • Next of kin names
    • Photograph
    • Medical examinations
    • Occupation
    • Education level
    • Rank in military
    • Where stationed
    • Battles fought in
    • Payments
    • Military training
    • Time off requests
    • Awards
    • Promotions
    • Orders
    • Test scores
    • Disciplinary actions
    • Names of commanding officers/supervisors
    • Burial information
    • Absence from home for a period of time
    • If married, gaps in years between the birth of children
    • Of the right age to serve during a war
    • Symbols or information about service found on gravestones
    • Burial in a military cemetery or a dedicated military burial ground
    • Family stories
    • Photos in uniform
    • Membership in veteran organizations
    Young men presenting themselves for the military selection phase in Brazil.
    Young men presenting themselves for the military selection phase in Brazil.

    Military records should be used with other records to provide context and a better understanding of that time and place. For example, newspaper articles mentioning battles that the ancestor fought in can be helpful in adding information to what is found in a service record. Annotating a map with the places they were stationed might help locate photographs and other records. Other non-military government records, such as censuses or passports, might provide additional information. Reading the memories of other soldiers or war or battle histories can also help in understanding an ancestor's service. There different types of military records, which may include the following:

    • Draft cards
    • Enlistments
    • Military service records
    • Muster records
    • Morning reports
    • Pensions
    • Benefit records (such as hospital or other benefits provided after service)
    • Burial records
    • Court records (in cases of disciplinary actions)
    • Military hospital records

    Research your ancestors on MyHeritage

    Finding military records

    Military Identity Document of Viktor Belenko
    Military Identity Document of Viktor Belenko.

    If researching a more recent ancestor, exhaust home sources for military records. Former military personnel may have awards, discharge papers, copies of their military file, uniforms, medals, photographs, published histories, and other items from their service. These items may also have been passed down to family members.

    Online finding aids may exist for military records, particularly those that pertain to a specific war. A general finding aid is Cyndi's List. Search by a country and then the subject Military. In addition, the Military Worldwide category includes links to research repositories. For those with ancestors that fought in the US Civil War (1861-1865), the National Park Service finding aid Soldiers and Sailors Database provides an index to military personnel during this conflict and the information needed to find the records.

    Information about finding records may be found on national library or archive websites. For example, The National Archives (UK) Research Guides index includes various guides for researching military ancestors. The US National Archives. Research Our Records page includes military research according to which branch the ancestor served.

    Depending on the country and the date, a military record might be archived in a national government archive. Accessing these records may be limited if it is a more recent file to the soldier or a close family member due to privacy concerns. You may need to show proof of death for the soldier. There also may be a fee. Older records (75-100+ years) may be easier to access from a government archive, but you may still be required to pay a fee. In some cases, you may be able to hire a researcher to find a copy of the records for you which may save some money. Some military records may be found online through a genealogy website. Keep in mind that this may not include all of the records available. In many cases, what is available online has to do with records from war and does not include all of the possible records.

    For military records available from MyHeritage, go to the collection catalog and choose the subject category Military. Here are some examples of military record collections from around the world available on MyHeritage:

    See also

    Explore more about military records

    References

    1. ↑ Defence and war service records. National Archives of Australia


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    Contributors

    Main contributor: Gena Philibert-Ortega
    Additional contributor: Maor Malul