Researching Your British Army Ancestors

by David Whitehouse (Assistant Curator)

Where to Start

  • Anecdotes
  • Badges and Uniform
  • Official Documents
  • Medals and Trophies
  • Photographs
  • Letters and Postcards
  • Souvenirs and Memorabilia

Ancedotes

  • Oral history
  • Written notes
  • Family legend

Badges and Uniform

  • Cap badges
  • Shoulder titles
  • Buttons
  • Formation badges
  • Rank Badges
  • Qualifications
  • Medal Ribbons
  • Lanyards
  • Labels

Official Documents

  • Call-up Papers
  • Pay Book
  • Casualty notification
  • Discharge certificate

Medals and Trophies

  • Campaign medals
  • Gallantry medals
  • Commemorative medals
  • Competition trophies

Photographs

Can provide clues to:
  • Unit
  • Role
  • Theatre of operations
  • Training venues
  • Times

Letter and Postcards

Can provide clues to:
  • Unit
  • Places
  • Times
  • Activities

Souvenirs and Memorabilia

Can provide clues to:
  • Theatre of operations
  • Places visited
  • Activities

Research Sources

  • Medal Rolls and Cards
  • Service Records
  • Citations
  • Gazette
  • Army Lists
  • War Diaries
  • Census records
  • War Graves and Memorials
  • Military Museums
  • Open Sources

Medal Rolls and Cards

  • Held at National Archives at Kew
  • Digital copies available on-line

Service Records

  • Surviving Boer War and WW1 records held at National Archives
  • WW1 records digitised and available on-line
  • WW2 records held by Ministry of Defence
Contacting MOD

Citations

  • Held at National Archives at Kew
  • Digital copies available on-line

Gazette

  • Editions in London, Belfast and Edinburgh
  • Official journals of record of the British government, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published
  • Available on-line
  • Publishes postings and commissions

Army Lists

  • Lists of serving regular, militia or territorial British Army officers (since 1702)
  • Available at some military museums
  • Digital copies available on-line

War Diaries

  • Describe day to day activities of individual units
  • Held at the National Archive
  • Some available on-line

Census Records

  • Held at National Archives
  • Digital copies available on-line

War Graves and Memorials

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  • Details available on-line

Military Museums

  • Imperial War Museum
  • National Army Museum
  • Army Museums Ogilvy Trust (AMOT)
  • KSY Museum

Open Sources

  • Published regimental histories
  • Regimental journals
  • Newspapers
  • Internet - quick win – Google!

Case Study

Subject: 2nd Lieutenant George Edward Heriot

Would it be possible to search your archives for the above?  He was killed 13/12/1915 in or near Cairo, Egypt.  He is commemorated on our Great Dalby War Memorial having resided at Sanham House.

CWGC

www.cwgc.org
Son of Robert Heriot, of 108, St. George's Square, London; husband of Celia Maud Heriot, of Sanham, Melton Mowbray.

National Archives

WO-372-9-152984-24508

National Archives

1/3 CLY War Diary
3 Nov 1915
Arrived in MUDROS BAY soon after daybreak. Went ashore in lighters on the western side of the BAY at 8am. Marched at 10.30 to the rest camp 4 miles inland. Found a reinforcement from Egypt consisting of Capt HARE, Lieut ANSON and 63 NCOs and men, also 6 officers from ENGLAND, Major BURNABY, Capt ROBINSON and 2/Lieuts STEDALL, HERIOT, MERCER and MORISON.

Google

  • Search term – Lt GE Heriot
  • Liecester War Memorials
  • Donisthorpe Factory, Bath
  • To honour the memory of / officers and men of / Donisthorpe & Company Ltd / who gave their lives in the / Great War 1914 - 1918 / Name Regiment Where Killed / [names] / 1939-1945 / [names]
  • Lieut GE Heriot Middlesex Yeo Died in Cairo Hospital (Director D & Co Ltd)

Genealogy website

  • www.ancestry.com
  • UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects 1901-1929
  • GE Heriot
  • Death date: 11 Dec 1915
  • Death place: Dardanelles


Summary

  • Where to start – exploit what you already have or know
  • Sources – lots of resources
  • Case Study