Military history | The National Archives

The National Archives has a huge collection of records on the individuals who fought throughout Britain's military history, as well as on strategies, campaigns and equipment.

British Army

A guide to finding records of ancestors who served in the Army.
Royal Air Force

A guide to finding records of ancestors who served in the RAF and the Royal Flying Corps.

Royal Navy

A guide to finding records of ancestors who served in the Royal Navy, including admiralty records and service registers.
Merchant Navy

A guide to finding records of ancestors who served in the Merchant Navy, including crew lists.

First World War medals

Search and download medal cards from the First World War.
First World War soldier records

Visit our partner ancestry.co.uk to search and download service records and pension records.