Military records in England document the service of personnel in one of three British Armed Forces: the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force. The Royal units are part of the larger UK military, encompassing Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Meanwhile, the British Army is unique to England.
A good primer on getting started with military records is this Wiki page: How to research military records. It's worth noting that a fire in 1940 destroyed most records pertaining to the service of British solders in World War I.[1]
MyHeritage has multiple collections related to British military service. They represent a good starting point before exploring the additional resources below:
- United Kingdom, Royal Marines’ Service Records, 1842-1925 on MyHeritage
- British Silver War Badge Recipients, 1914-1918 on MyHeritage
- British Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 on MyHeritage
- United Kingdom, British Army and Air Force Nominal Roll, 1920 on MyHeritage
- Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921, 1939-1947 on MyHeritage
- British Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 on MyHeritage
- British Military Officers on MyHeritage
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
Historical context on the British militaryHistorical context on the British military
The British Army, along with naval forces and other parts of the UK military, has been involved in more than 100 wars and interventions since the early 1700s, many of which were of a smaller scale.[2]
The largest military operations during that span, based on estimates for British casualties, include:
What records were keptWhat records were kept
War diaries, muster books, crew lists, journals, service records, pension records, and documentation of medals and honors are the primary records from wartime eras that have survived to present day. Other records like medical reports, casualty lists, and births, marriages, and deaths can also be found.
The muster rolls and pay lists (about 1730-1898) are particularly handy if you have a British ancestor who served during those times. Here's a handy guide on those records, which can include enlistment date, movements, discharge date, birthplace, trade, and occasionally date of death.
World war era records contain similar information, but as mentioned previously, the majority of the WWI records did not survive a fire that occurred in 1940.
Where to find British military recordsWhere to find British military records
These are some of the best places to find information outside of the MyHeritage collections:
- Gov.uk Armed Forces: This page describes how to get a copy of British military records of service
- Here's a link to search for someone born before 1909
- Here's a link for someone born between 1909-1939
- The National Archives, Kew: Based in the London borough of Richmond, this archive hosts British military records.
- If you are unable to visit in person, try searching the site's catalogue, which has many names indexed
- The 20th century "what's online" page has a searchable database at the bottom (mostly World War II era)
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: This organization maintains a database of military personnel who died in the First World War or Second World War while in service for multiple nations including England. If you find a loved one, expect to find data like their regiment or unit, date of death, and where they are buried.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about Military Records in EnglandExplore more about Military Records in England
- How To look for records of British Army soldiers up to 1913 by The National Archives in UK
- How To Research A Former Soldier by The National Army Museum in UK
- MyHeritage Ask The Expert - Military Records on MyHeritage by Daniel Horowitz
References
- ↑ Surviving the Deluge: British servicemen in World War I. Roy E. Bailey, Timothy J. Hatton, Kris Inwood. "3. A sample of soldiers" ... " The service records are particularly challenging to use, not least because a large part of the original archive was destroyed in a fire in 1940 at the War Office Army Records Centre, from which only about 40%, subsequently known as the ‘Burnt Documents’, could be saved. "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570677X22001125
- ↑ List of wars involving the United Kingdom. https://monarchies.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_United_Kingdom