Every successful research journey starts with what your family already knows. Sit down with older relatives and ask for full names, nicknames, dates of birth, and places of birth. A regimental number, even a partial one, is gold dust. Look for photographs in uniform, letters, discharge papers, or medals tucked away in drawers. A cap badge can identify a regiment; a shoulder title can narrow it down further. Write everything down, even the smallest detail. If your relative served in the British Army, the regimental number is often the key that unlocks the rest. For the Royal Navy, a service number beginning with a letter (such as J or P) can indicate a particular branch. For the Royal Air Force, service numbers from 1918 onwards follow their own series. Do not assume you know the spelling of a surname; try variations. And remember that many men lied about their age to enlist, so treat dates with a degree of flexibility.
Service records are the backbone of any wartime investigation. For the British Army, records for officers up to 1922 and other ranks up to 1920 are held at The National Archives and many are available online. Later records (1920–1963) are with the Ministry of Defence and require a freedom of information request or proof of relationship. Royal Navy records are also at The National Archives, while RAF records from 1918 onwards are with the Ministry of Defence. What will you find? Typically:
Be prepared for gaps. Many First World War army records were destroyed by bombing in 1940. If your relative’s record is among the “burnt documents”, you may only have fragments. Do not be disheartened; other sources can fill the holes.
Medal rolls list individuals who received campaign medals, such as the 1914 Star, the 1939–45 Star, or the Defence Medal. They can confirm service in a specific theatre and sometimes give a unit and rank. The London Gazette publishes citations for gallantry awards like the Military Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, or the George Medal. Search the Gazette by name and regiment; the entries are often surprisingly detailed. For a broader picture, consult unit war diaries. These daily records, held at The National Archives, describe movements, actions, and casualties. They rarely name ordinary soldiers, but they place your relative in a precise time and place. If you know he was at a particular battle, the war diary will tell you what his unit was doing that day.
Local newspapers are an underrated treasure trove. They reported on enlistment, promotions, wounds, and deaths. Many are digitised and searchable at local record offices or through online newspaper archives. Look for letters from the front, fundraising events, and memorial services. A photograph of your relative in uniform might appear alongside a report of him coming home on leave. Parish magazines and school records can also mention former pupils serving overseas. These sources give you the human story: how the war affected your family and community. They also help you understand the leadership your relative experienced—whether a strict sergeant-major or a compassionate officer—because local papers often quoted letters home that described daily life and morale.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records casualties from both World Wars. Its database gives grave or memorial details, including the cemetery and plot. Local war memorials often list names; compare them with your research to confirm a death. For those who survived, check regimental museums and reunion associations. They may hold photographs, diaries, or personal accounts. A regimental museum curator can be a wonderfully helpful guide. Also look for absent voters’ lists from 1918, which recorded servicemen still away from home. These lists give an address and sometimes a service number, bridging the gap between family and military records.
Once you have facts, build a timeline. Consider the wider war: was your relative at Dunkirk, El Alamein, or Normandy? Was he a stretcher-bearer, a signaller, or a tank commander? Leadership at section, platoon, or ship level shaped every experience. Read unit histories and personal memoirs to understand the conditions he faced. A single medal roll entry can lead to a battalion history, which in turn explains why a young officer made a particular decision under fire. Your research does more than fill in a family tree. It honours a generation that served, and it adds to our shared understanding of British leadership in wartime. Take your time, cross-check every source, and let the quiet voices of the past speak again.
The Bulldog Review shares practical, down-to-earth guidance on british leadership and wartime history for readers across the UK.
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