This is a brief guide to researching records of Royal Navy ratingsRating - a seaman ranking lower than an officer. These are the most junior class of seamen in the Royal Navy. after 1923. Service recordsservice record - a document recording the career of an individual in the armed forces for this period are currently held by the Ministry of Defence.
This guide will help you to find out if the information you are looking for exists and, if it does, where to find it or more information about it.
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What do I need to know before I start?
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Try to find out:
- the name and rank of the person
- the name of the ship(s) the person served on
- a date range of service
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What records can I see online?
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Medal rolls (1793-1972)
Search by name for information about the award of campaign, long service and good conduct medals in the Royal Navy medal roll (ADM 171) using Ancestry.co.uk (£There may be a charge for accessing this information. Searching indexes may be free.). These rolls do not usually contain biographical information. Digital microfilm copies of these records are also available to download and browse from our website free of charge.
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What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?
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The National Archives has limited records relating to Royal Navy ratings after 1923.
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What records can I find in other archives and organisations?
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Service records (1923-present)
Visit the Veterans UK website for information about how to request a summary of a service recorda document recording the career of an individual in the armed forces from the Ministry of Defence if you are the subject of the record or next of kin. These are not available to members of the general public.
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What other resources will help me find information?
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Books
Read Tracing your Naval Ancestors by Bruno Pappalardo (The National Archives, 2003).
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Births, marriages and deaths in the armed forces
Royal Navy commissioned officers
Royal Navy warrant officers