TRACING YOUR ARMY ANCESTORS

Understanding your ancestors' military service is more than just curiosity; it takes your research to a much deeper level enabling you to flesh out the bones of your ancestors and helps you realise just how much they contributed to the country. Inevitably the records will provide additional and often vital genealogical information. It allows you to discover your ancestors’ involvement and contribution in significant military campaigns, but above all, it will provide a much greater insight into your ancestors' lives.

Military service records and other information about their regiment are an invaluable resource because they provide information such as including dates of enlistment, the units in which they served, ranks held and personal details such as physical descriptions, medical condition, dates and places of birth, next of kin and medals and awards. In order to know where to begin your research, look for any diaries or existing family documents, photographs of your ancestor in a uniform, medals or other heirlooms which might give you a clue. Local newspaper reports as well as family stories and artefacts are also a good starting point. Oral traditions passed down from one generation to another may provide additional clues on whereabouts your military ancestor may have served.

Military records are often completed a they use abbreviations and terminology which, if not understood, can be a challenge. You will become familiar with these as your research progresses but there are lists available both online and from the authorities of the commonly used abbreviations.

If you are lucky enough to have older relations who may have first-hand information or may even have served alongside them, you should arrange to talk to them before it is too late. In reality you may be lucky to still have someone alive who served in World War Two but there is no living person who would have served in the Great War, although there may be diaries and letters home which may help in your search of official records.

When researching military service, there are several categories of records that are available. Begin with your ancestor's service record if it survives; these are often referred to as attestation and discharge papers. They will not exist for every soldier. These are in their personnel file and should be the first document to search for because they provide detailed information about an individual’s military career. Pension records are another valuable resource. Regimental muster rolls and paylist will tell you where the individual was serving, any promotions and provide useful information about married quarters and where in the world someone served. For most of these records you will need to visit The National Archives at Kew.

There are many websites which enable you to research basic military records but they only scratch the surface of information which is generally available. Many of these websites provide access to some service records, medal rolls, pensions, war diaries various other records. Many military organisations such as the Western Front Association, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, veterans’ associations and the International Red Cross (for POWs) have digitised their records, many of which will enhance your research.

Regimental museums hold a significant amount of information which is not available online or at other archives. They also have volunteer staff who have wealth of expertise on the regiment or ships your ancestor served with. Don’t overlook records which may be held by other local archives and local studies collections.

Researching military and naval records is often a complex process because it is necessary to look at different classes of records to piece together an ancestor's full career details.

Before embarking on your research, find out about the campaigns or wars your ancestor may have been involved with and where the regiment was serving.

As most researchers will start their search for ancestors who served in the Great War, there are a few challenges. If your ancestor appears in the 1911 census but not the 1921 census, then they may have died as a result of war injuries or may have been killed in action during the war.

Many military records have not survived - this is particularly true of army service records. Many records were destroyed in The Blitz. Some of those records which have survived are damaged with charred edges or parts missing, but you still need to read what is available.