United Kingdom, World War I Service Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Image Visiblity
Whenever possible, Family Search makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record Custodians, The National Archives. The United Kingdom, World War I Service Records, 1914-1920 collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The images can be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you.

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1914-1920 It contains records from two publications in the National Archives:


 * WO 363 (War Office: Soldiers' Documents, First World War "Burnt Documents") surviving records of service for non commissioned officers and other ranks who served in the 1914-1918 war and did not re-enlist prior to the outbreak of war in 1939 and
 * WO 364 (War Office: Documents from Pension Claims, First World War) service records of non-commissioned officers and other ranks who were discharged from the Army and claimed disability pensions for war service between 1914 and 1920 and did not re-enlist prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The records are unlikely to contain information on individuals who did not claim a war pension.

Military records are of great genealogical value and may provide information not found in any other source. These records identify individuals who served or were eligible to serve in the military. Military service (other than the militia) was usually a lifetime career. Officers came from the upper classes; soldiers usually came from the poor.

The National Archives at Kew in the London area is the caretaker of most of the military records. It is important to understand the "fonds" or the way records are grouped. There is a Department code (ADM for admiralty, WO for War Office, etc) and a series number.

These records are the service files of soldiers who were discharged from the British army between 1914 and 1920. They are a collection known as the "unburned documents." They represent about 8 percent of the soldiers who served during those years.

The article British Military Records has more information about these records.

Record Content
Service records may contain the following information:


 * Name of Soldier
 * Place of birth
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Marital Status
 * Date of marriage (If married)
 * Wife’s maiden name
 * Military rank
 * Date of enlistment
 * Place of enlistment
 * Religion

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the name of soldier you're looking for. As you are searching it is helpful to know some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated birth year, and family relationships as well.

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Name Range - First Letter" ⇒Select the appropriate "Name Range - First Two Letters" ⇒Select the appropriate "Name Range - Surname" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information

 * Use the age to calculate the approximate birth year.
 * Use the place of birth and calculated birth year to search for a birth record.
 * Use the spouse's name to search for a marriage record.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby military units.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection, see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * National Archives of the UK
 * British War Graves
 * England and Wales Historic Maps
 * England and Wales History Links

Related Wiki Articles

 * England Military Records
 * British Military Records
 * British Military Records Online
 * United Kingdom

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

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