Find your military ancestors with these links to records available online, including Army, Navy and RAF from both World Wars and many other conflicts.
Service Records
- British Army Service Records
More than 8 million documents about the British Army between 1760 and 1939. Find officers and other ranks in 13 different sets of records from The National Archives and the Scots Guards. The records can tell you when your ancestor joined and left the army, as well as details about where he came from and his military service.
- British Royal Navy and Marines Service and Pension Records
See if your military ancestors were awarded a pension. The collection covers the years 1704–1939.
- Royal Marines Service Records 1842–1925
Search and view the records of around 110,000 men who joined the Royal Marines between 1842 and 1925.
- Service Records of Deceased Military Personnel
You can request records of your ancestors from the government if you can't find them elsewhere.
- British Army Medals
Find medal index cards and more online at the National Archives.
- British Army Lists
Over 200 British army lists ranging from the years 1840–1946, in book format viewable and searchable online.
- British Army Soldiers Wills
Search for the will of a soldier who died while serving in the British armed forces between 1850 and 1986.
World War I
- First World War
The National Archives portal to all their military records relating to WWI.
- Lives of the First World War
Over 7 million life stories, more than 158,000 lives remembered, and almost 800,000 facts. Many records are free, but some require a subscription.
- Royal Naval Division Service Records 1914–1920
Records covering more than 50,000 officers and ratings who joined the Royal Naval Division or who passed through Crystal Palace during the First World War.
- World War I Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Records 1917–1920
- The Long, Long Trail
An essential resource for family historians trying to find what happened to a relative in 1914–1918, or researching a local war memorial or the men of a particular unit.
World War II
- British Army Roll of Honour 1939–1945
- Royal Air Force Combat Reports 1939–1945
Official reports filed by pilots or air gunners after encountering enemy aircraft. Covers squadrons, wings and groups serving with Fighter Command, Bomber Command, Coastal Command and the Fleet Air Arm.
- Bomber Command Losses
A database of over 66,000 records covering the years 1936–1968.
War Graves & Memorials
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The casualty database lists the names and place of commemoration of the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars.
- World War One Cemeteries
Photographs of all 940 cemeteries in France and Belgium of 40 or more burials, plus many other military cemeteries and memorials from around the world.
- War Graves Photographic Project
Thousands of photos of war dead graves and memorials, with the option to order quality images.
- The Scottish War Graves Project
Over 15,500 headstones online from over 650 cemeteries and burial grounds in Scotland. All photographs are free to view and request.
- The Roll of Honour
Names of members of the Armed Forces who died in military service on or after 1 January 1948 (and Palestine 1945–47).
- Roll of Honour
Dedicated to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Thousands of names from war memorials across the UK and beyond.
- National Memorial Arboretum Roll of Honour
Search and view details of those who died serving in the armed forces.
- Maritime Memorials
Records of seafarers and victims of maritime disasters. The database contains over 5,000 church, cemetery and public memorials.
Prisoners of War
- Prisoners of War 1715–1945
The National Archives' Prisoners of War collection. Includes military personnel, civilians, diplomats, missionaries and merchant seamen.
- Far East Prisoners of War Database
Approximately 55,500 names of British POWs taken from army, navy and air force records.
- World War I Prisoners of War
The ICRC's index of 5 million cards on WWI prisoners and detainees. 10 million people were captured and sent to detention camps during the First World War.
Additional Records
- Naval & Military Archive
Ten databases covering those from Britain who died in military service in both World Wars, plus biographical information on over 400,000 who served. Includes the National Roll of the Great War, De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, and British Prisoners of War records. Pay per view or subscription.
- British Merchant Navy Crew Lists 1915
Over 39,000 crew lists featuring over 750,000 names, free to search.
- Anglo Boer War
Over 2,300 articles, 11,000 images and 12,500 pages in searchable PDF format on the Anglo Boer War 1899–1900.
- Corps of Military Police
A record of over 56,000 soldiers, 2,368 casualties and memorials in over 900 cemeteries.
- Naval Biographical Database
People, places, ships, organisations and events associated with the Royal Navy since 1660.
- The Trafalgar Roll
Names of around 1,640 officers and men who served in the Royal Navy fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
- War of 1812 Privateers
Activities of both American and British privateers, including listings of American POWs held in the UK and British subjects held in the United States.