Military Genealogy

A lot of people – mostly men, especially as you go back in time, but also women – have served in the different branches of the armed forces. For some it was their entire lives, posted abroad – to India, perhaps – and dying in a war or conflict. For others it was simply an interruption in their lives.

Finding information on those who were in the services isn’t that complex, and needn’t cost money, although some companies will look on your behalf for a fee.

National Archives

Your prime source of information should be the National Archives, which has extensive military holdings for the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. One of the best places to go is the list of muster rolls. Since muster rolls were taken monthly (in many instances they were actually taken quarterly) they give a full record of movements. However, you’ll need to know your ancestor’s regiment in order to track him on the rolls. The rolls date back to the 1730s and run all the way to 1898.

If your ancestor was an officer, you can find him in the Commission Books, which run from 1660 all the way to 1913, while the Army Lists are the ideal way to follow the career of an officer.

For a marine, if you know his division, then you can find him either in the attestation forms or the records of service, although this only applies to those who enlisted prior to 1925.

Naval personnel can be traced through ships’ musters (which should also give you good basic information on the man including age and place of birth). However, you’ll need to know at least one of the ships on which he served. When researching naval officers, go first to the Navy List, which was updated quarterly. There are also the registers of officers’ services, although you won’t find much prior to 1840. A better option might be to research officer’s passing certificates, since all would have had to pass an exam to move from midshipman to lieutenant, or the full- and half-pay registers.

The Royal Air Force is the newest of the services, and that means its records and more complete, including the records of the three branches that came together to form the RAF.

Imperial War Museum

Although you won’t find much of direct interest at the Imperial War Museum, their archives will help you put the war experiences of ancestors who were involved in the First and Second World Wars into a much greater context. It’s also possible that you might find a picture of your ancestor in their extensive photographic collections.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Many, many Commonwealth service personnel died during the First and Second World Wars, a total of 1.7 million, not only on the battlefields in Europe, but in Africa, Asia and at sea.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was set up to remember them. If you have an ancestor who died in the wars, you can search the records for some brief information on the person, including service details, as well as where they’re buried or commemorated.

India

Prior to the 20th century, India probably saw more British military personnel than anywhere else in the world, initially with the East India Company Army, and later the Indian Army.

If your ancestor was there, look at the India Office records at the British Library. Unfortunately, only part of the military records are accessible online, so you might have to go to the Library in London for more in-depth research.