British Army WW1 Service Records, 1914-1920 (Soldiers)
There were about 6-7 million soldiers (Other Ranks and Non-Commissioned Officers) who served with the British Army in the First World War. Each soldiers’ record of service was stored by the War Office after the First World War was over.
The 2 Million “Burnt Documents ” (WO 363)
Unfortunately about 60% of the soldiers’ Service Records were irretrievably damaged or lost completely as a result of enemy bombing in 1940 during the Second World War. The exact number of serving British soldiers is not known because of the loss of the records.
However, about a third, approximately 2 million, were saved from destruction. These records are known as the “Burnt Records”. Officially they are classed as WO 363 records, which is the reference number given to them by the National Archives.(The “WO” in the classification code stands for “War Office”.) As a result of the loss of so many of the First World War Service Records, there is now only a 40% chance that the Service Record of the individual you want to trace will be available to examine.
The surviving 2 million “Burnt Documents” Service Records are for soldiers who were discharged, demobilized at the end of the war, who died between 1914 and 1920 and who were not eligible for an Army pension. Some soldiers who were in the regular army before the outbreak of war in August 1914 may, however, be included in this class of records.
The Service Records will not include soldiers who continued to serve in the military after 1920. Their records are not available for public access.
The “Unburnt Documents ” (WO 364)
In addition to the 2 million or so “Burnt Documents ” there are also 750,000 Service Records which survived the Second World War bomb damage. These records are for soldiers who were discharged for medical reasons (illness or wounds) during the First World War. These records also include soldiers who were in the British Army before August 1914 and who were eligible for an Army pension because their term of service came to an end in or before 1920. This group of records are known as the “Unburnt Documents”. Their official classification by the National Archives is WO 364.
Service Records of the Household Cavalry
All the Service Records for Other Ranks and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Household Cavalry survived the Second World War in tact. These records are on microfilm and may be viewed by written appointment at the Household Cavalry Museum, Combermere Barracks, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3DN.
Service Records of the Guards Regiments
The Service Records of the Guards Regiments are held by each regiment. They are not complete as some were damaged during the Second World War bombing too. Appointments to view documents can be made by contacting the regiment as appropriate.
Information Contained in Soldiers' WW1 Service Records
A soldier's Service Record will include information about an individual's military service from the date when he enlisted to the date when he was either discharged from the military or when he died while serving. The information held within the Service Record usually includes:
- serviceman's name
- age
- place of birth
- occupation on enlistment
- marital status
- regimental number
- date of attestation (enlistment)
- physical description
A number of forms are usually included in the Service Record as follows and as appropriate:
- attestation forms (a form completed when an individual enlisted)
- medical history forms
- casualty forms
- disability statements
- regimental conduct sheets
- awards
- proceedings on discharge from the service
- cover for discharge documents
- index cards
Access to Soldiers' WW1 Service Records
To help you when you are looking through the surviving Service Records it is recommended that you have the following information if possible:
- individual's surname and christian name or initial(s)
- military rank
- service number
- regiment
The reason for this is that, unless the individual has an unusual name, there may be other men with exactly the same surname and initials and/or christian name in the records.
It is also worth bearing in mind that if a soldier served in the war for any length of time he might have been transferred to different battalions or regiments. This would likely have been the result of a requirement for drafts of men into other units which had suffered casualties in action. If this was so, he might have at least two or even three regiment designations and a different regimental number for each transfer. This information may be available from the medal records of an individual.
Where to View British Army Service Records
Surviving Service Records (WO 363) and Service Records with Pension Records (WO 364) are available to the public to view in two ways:
- They can be accessed on microfilm for free in person at the National Archives in Kew, where the original records are stored.
- In a joint project between the National Archives and www.ancestry.co.uk all 2.75 million surviving Service Records are being processed onto a database. The database contains images of the original records. Access to the online database is by subscription through www.ancestry.co.uk.
Further Reading
First World War Army Service Records: A Guide for Family Historians, by William Spencer. A best-selling guide providing expert advice on the records available to family historians online and at the National Archives. William Spencer has spent many years working at the National Archives and he offers invaluable advice for finding the right research material you need to help find what you are looking for in relation to the First World War.
Army Service Records of the First World War (Public Record Office Readers Guide). This includes illustrations of the types of document to be found in the Service Record, including attestation papers, discharge papers, medical records and casualty forms.
Army Service Records of the First World War (Public Record Office Readers Guide)
Army Service Records of the First World War (Paperback)
Tracing Your Army Ancestors (Paperback)