This is a brief guide to help you with your research into Royal Marines officersofficer - a senior member of staff in the armed forces. Royal Marines records are kept in different places depending on when the Marine served. This guide will help you to find out if the information you are looking for exists, and if it does where to find it.
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What do I need to know before I start?
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Try to find out:
- the full name of the officera senior member of staff in the armed forces
- the division he served in (Chatham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Woolwich)
- the date range of his service
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What records can I see online?
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Service records (1793-1925)
Search DocumentsOnlinea collection of documents from The National Archives which are available entirely online by name and download (£There may be a charge for accessing this information. Searching indexes may be free.) service records for officers commissioned before 1925 (ADM 196). They give full details of service and include, in some cases, the name and profession of the officer's father, but the collection is complete only from about 1837.
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Royal Marine medal rolls (1914-1920)
Search the First World War campaign medal rolls (£There may be a charge for accessing this information. Searching indexes may be free.) for the Royal Marines on findmypast.co.uk. This database provides a complete listing of all Royal Marines who served in the First World War and also has service details for a large number of men. The medals covered by the rolls are: the 1914 Star, the Clasp to the 1914 Star, the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
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Recommendations for Honours and Awards (1935-1990)
Search DocumentsOnlinea collection of documents from The National Archives which are available entirely online by name and download (£There may be a charge for accessing this information. Searching indexes may be free.) Recommendations for Honours and Awards (WO 373). These are mainly British army awards but do include some for the Royal Marines.
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What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?
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Surveys of 1822 and 1831
Consult the results of an 1822 survey of Royal Marine officers in ADM 6/73-83 and ADM 6/409. For each officer it contains name, rank, date of seniority, actual age on 1 April 1822, whether in receipt of allowances other than pay, and amount of pay. Results of an additional survey from 1831 are in ADM 6/84-85.
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Leave books and half pay lists (1804-1846)
Consult Admiralty leave books for Royal Marine officers in ADM 6/200-206 , and ADM 6/414. Officers on half pay are listed in ADM 6/410-414 .
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To access these records you will either need to visit us, commission research (£there will be a charge) or, where you can identify a specific record referencea unique set of letters and numbers identifying a document in The National Archives, order a copy (£there will be a charge).
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What records can I find in other archives and organisations?
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Service records (1925 to date)
Look on the Veterans UK website to find out how to obtain service records from the Royal Navy for Royal Marine officersofficer - a senior member of staff in the armed forces commissionedcommissioned officer - a person who holds their position by royal commission after 1925.
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What other resources will help me find information?
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Books
Read Tracing Your Royal Marine Ancestors by Richard Brooks & Matthew Little (Pen & Sword Family History, 2008).
Consult published Navy Lists or the earlier Steele's Navy List to get an outline of an officera senior member of staff in the armed forces's career from 1782 to date.
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Websites
Browse the collection of research documents which are available to download from the Royal Marines Museum website.
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In-depth research guides
Royal Marines other ranks
Royal Navy commissioned officers
British Army officers up to 1913