Great Britain, War Office Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Great Britain

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains a variety of records kept by the War Office over the period 1772-1935. Availability of records may vary by record type, year, and locality. The original records are held at The National Archives in London.

Military Records identify individuals who served or who were eligible to serve in the military. As such, they are are potentially of great genealogical value as they may provide information not found in any other source. Records in this collection come from across the United Kingdom of this period, and therefore may include records from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images of digitized records available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on this website are granted by the record custodians. Due to their restrictions on this collection, the digital images of this collection are not available for viewing on this website. Some records may be viewed at the National Archives Image Library.

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The indexed information is limited to:
 * The name of the person
 * Date of service
 * The place of service

If possible, look at the actual image. The following list indicates potential information given in the records within this collection.


 * Descriptions of the regiments/battalions
 * Physical descriptions of soldiers
 * Age
 * Date and place of birth
 * Occupations
 * Commissions/promotions for soldiers
 * Returns of services
 * Casualty Lists
 * Statements of settlements of soldiers, whether half pay or full pay
 * Successions of ranks of soldiers
 * Pensions for soldiers
 * Lists of married officers (sometimes including names of children)
 * Lists of wounded officers

Collection Content
This collection contains documents of various kinds, including regimental descriptions, succession books, commissions, appointments, descriptions, returns of services, casualties, half pays, pensions, and gratuities.

Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The table below can be sorted by DGS number, Film number, and the Note describing the contents of the DGS image folder.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * The approximate dates of military service

View the Images
To view images in this collection:
 * 1) Look at the Digital Folder Number List to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
 * 2) Go to the Browse Page
 * 3) Select the Film number to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * If an age or birth year are listed, search for birth information in civil and church records
 * Prior or after military service, look for the individual in census records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Remember that it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible matches

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and England
 * Scotland Guided Research, Ireland Guided Research, England Guided Research
 * Scotland Record Finder, Ireland Record Finder, Wales Record Finder England Record Finder
 * Scotland Research Tips and Strategies, Ireland Research Tips and Strategies, Wales Research Tips and Strategies, England Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.