Records of service
From 1842 to 1936 the main series of service records are in the series ADM 159
. These give details of date and place of birth, trade, physical description, religion, date and place of enlistment and full service record. They are arranged by division and then service number. There are indexes to the service numbers in ADM 313/27-109. Divisional numbers were introduced in 1884, but were retrospective so men who were serving before then were given numbers. Numbering for Chatham commences in 1842, Portsmouth in 1843, Plymouth from 1856 and the Royal Marine Artillery from 1859. Men who served in the Woolwich Division until 1869, should be looked for under the division to which they were transferred.
Registers for the Royal Marine Band from 1903 to 1918 can be found in ADM 159/103-112. The Royal Marine Medical Unit 1914 to 1918 can be found in ADM 159/209-210.
For those men who enlisted after 1936 you should write to The Historical Records Office, Ministry of Defence, Centurion Building, Grange Road, Gosport, Portsmouth PO13 9XA.
