Difference between revisions of "Military Research"

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[[Category:Military and Maritime History]][[image:hussar.jpg|right|thumb|250px|7th Queen's Own Hussar. Image from Wikimedia Commons.]]
 
  
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While military records are increasingly being made available online and some have been filmed by the LDS, the major repository for the majority of records remains the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>. Their <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/default.htm?source=ddmenu_research0_e research guides]</span> provide an overview of the availability of records for all services. Books, websites and museums can provide more detail.  
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'''The following describes the main sources for research but is not exhaustive.'''
 
<br><br>
 
==Army Research ==
 
  
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/army.asp '''DocumentsOnline ~ Army''']</span>
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*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/army/?WT.lp=mh-33483 '''Research Guide ~ Army''']</span>
 
 
 
*'''[[The Army]]'''
 
<br>
 
====Before 1914====
 
Surviving discharge papers for other ranks are held at <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> (ref WO97) and those discharged to pension up to 1854 are name indexed on the National Archives <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/default.asp?source=ddmenu_search3&j=1 online catalogue]</span>.  There is a 3-year project of digitisation for these records. 
 
 
 
For discharge papers from 1855-1882 it is essential to have some details on a man’s regiment which might be found on the census or on certificates. 
 
 
 
Other records available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> include Muster Rolls, Medal Records and Pension records.
 
 
For officers of this period, records can be found at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> in references WO 25 and WO76.  An outline of an officer’s career can be obtained from the Army List.
 
 
 
Muster rolls and service records for the Militia and Volunteers may be found at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> and Local Record Offices.
 
 
 
For all periods of Army service, other useful sources include the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk London Gazette]</span> which is searchable online, for announcements of promotions and awards of certain medals and Regimental Museums, for an overview of the campaigns the regiment was involved in, but not usually for personal records.
 
 
 
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.findmypast.com Findmypast]</span> website has indexes to Regimental births, marriages and deaths, although these are incomplete.
 
<br>
 
====1914-1918====
 
Service records for other ranks (non officers) are gradually being made available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> website although a significant number were destroyed. 
 
 
 
Medal cards are available on both the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> websites.
 
 
 
Medal Rolls, only available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> should provide a man’s battalion.
 
 
Service records for Officers are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> and are name searchable on their <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/default.asp?source=ddmenu_search3&j=1 online catalogue]</span> (Refs WO339 and WO374).  Again, not all survive.  The Army List will provide an outline of an Officer’s career.   
 
 
 
War Diaries for this period are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>, with some online at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
<br>
 
'''Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)''' service records can be seen at <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span>.
 
<br>
 
====1921 to present==== 
 
 
 
For service records see <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.veterans-uk.info Veterans-UK]</span> for procedure and cost. 
 
 
 
War Diaries for World War 2 are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>.
 
 
 
Recommendations for Honours and Awards for 1935-1990 are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
 
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> website has the Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945.
 
 
 
Prisoner of War records for WW1 and 2 are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>, with incomplete lists being held by the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.icrc.org/ International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva]</span>. Some P.O.W. records are held on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> website.
 
 
 
 
 
Deaths during both World Wars for all services can be found on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14 Commonwealth War Graves Commission]</span> website  and, for the Army, in ''Soldiers Died in the Great War'', available on CD ROM, at some libraries and on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.findmypast.com Findmypast]</span> website and <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> websites.
 
 
 
Both the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.findmypast.com Findmypast]</span> websites have the National Roll of the Great War. 
 
 
 
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.1914-1918.net Long Long Trail]</span> website is an excellent resource for WW1.
 
<br><br>
 
 
 
==Royal Navy Research ==
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/navy.asp '''DocumentsOnline ~ Royal Navy''']</span>
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/navy/?WT.lp=mh-33481 '''Research Guide ~ Royal Navy''']</span>
 
 
 
*'''[[The Royal Navy]]'''
 
<br>
 
====Before 1928====
 
Service records are held at the ccc and are increasingly being made available online.  Registers of seamen’s services for ratings joining between 1873 and 1923 are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website. Some Continuous Service Engagement books for those ratings enlisting between 1853 and 1872 are also available on this site, along with Royal Naval Officers’ Service records 1756-1917 and Wills of Royal Naval Seamen 1786-1882.
 
 
 
The '''Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS)''' records are held at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> and service records for World War 1 are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
 
 
'''Royal Naval Reserve (RNR)''' records are held at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>. 
 
Service records for officers are available from 1862-1920 and for ratings, for 1860-1913 and for the First World War.
 
 
 
'''Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR)''' and '''Royal Naval Division (RND)''' records are also at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>.  World War One service records for the RND are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website and Ancestry and <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.findmypast.com Findmypast]</span> have Casualties of the Great War. Some RND records are held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
 
 
 
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> holds an immense amount of material on the Royal Navy, but it can be difficult to search.  Useful records for all periods include Musters in various ADM series, Certificates of Service in ADM 29, Medal records in ADM 171, Ships Logs in ADM 53 and pension records in various series of the ADM reference. For officers, the Navy List can provide an outline of a man’s career and the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk London Gazette]</span> details of medals and promotions.
 
 
 
Other useful repositories for Royal Navy research are Lloyds of London records, held at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/City_of_London_libraries/guildhall_lib.htm Guildhall Library]</span>, including Lloyds Register which gives detailed information on each ship, Lloyds List, recording ships’ arrivals and departures and ships’ losses and enquiries, and Lloyds Captains Registers, listing the holders of masters certificates, along with personal and service details.
 
 
 
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/ Royal Naval Museum]</span> holds a wide variety of relevant material, as does the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/ National Maritime Museum]</span>.
 
<br>
 
====1928-1971====
 
For service records (with limited information), see <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.veterans-uk.info Veterans-UK]</span> for procedure and cost.
 
<br><br>
 
====Royal Marines====
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/marines/?WT.lp=mh-33480 '''Research Guide ~ Royal Marines''']
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Marines service records for those enlisting 1842-1936 are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
<br><br>
 
 
 
==Merchant Navy Research==
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/merchant/?WT.lp=mh-33440 '''Research Guide ~ Merchant Navy''']
 
 
 
*'''[[Maritime]]'''
 
 
 
 
 
Records for Merchant Seamen for 1835-1972 are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>, and there is a 3-year project to digitise the earlier records. Crew lists, musters and Ships Logs are also held at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>.
 
 
 
Medals to Merchant Seamen in WW2 and Merchant Shipping Movement Cards for WW2 are on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
 
Other records may be found at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Libraries/City_of_London_libraries/guildhall_lib.htm Guildhall Library]</span>, the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/ National Maritime Museum]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/ Southampton Archives]</span>, some local Record Offices and the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.mun.ca/mha/ Maritime History Archive]</span> in Newfoundland. 
 
 
 
Medal records for World War 2 are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> site.
 
<br><br>
 
 
 
==Royal Air Force Research==
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/airforce.asp '''DocumentsOnline ~ Royal Air Force''']</span>.
 
 
 
*<span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/airforce/?WT.lp=mh-33482 '''Research Guide ~ Royal Air Force''']</span>.
 
 
 
*[['''The Royal Air Force''']]
 
 
 
 
 
The RAF was formed in 1918 by the amalgamation of the '''Royal Flying Corps (RFC)''' and the '''Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS)'''.
 
 
 
Service records for RFC and RNAS officers are at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span> and service records for officers who ended their service before 1920 are in AIR 76. The RAF List will provide an outline of an officer’s career.
 
 
 
Service records for airmen are gradually being made available online at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> website. 
 
 
 
Medal records are online at both the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> and <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> websites, and Operational Records are held at <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>.
 
 
 
Post WW1 (see the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/airforce/?WT.lp=mh-33482 National Archives Research Guide]</span> for exact details).
 
 
 
For service records see <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.veterans-uk.info Veterans-UK]</span> for procedure and cost. 
 
 
 
Operational records Books are available at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ National Archives]</span>. 
 
 
 
World War 2 Combat Reports 1939-1945 are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
 
 
Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificates for 1910-1950 are available on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry]</span> website and '''Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF)''' service records can be found on the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ DocumentsOnline]</span> website.
 
<br><br>
 
==Indian Army==
 
Records are held at the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.bl.uk/ British Library]</span> and the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.fibis.org/ Families In British India Society]</span> website holds some relevant data.
 
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'''annswabey October 2009'''
 
 
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Revision as of 10:51, 12 February 2010



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