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Photograph of two ATS women on lookout with binoculars (Catalogue reference: INF2/42)

This is a brief guide to researching records of the women's branches of the British army.

Most relevant documents are available either online, from The Ministry of Defence or at The National Archives. Not all have survived, and of those that have survived, many are damaged.

  • What do I need to know before I start?

    • Try to find out:

      • the name and rank of the person
      • a date range to help focus the search

  • What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?

    • Selected medical records of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (1914-1918)

      Browse MH 106 for medical records of seleted personnel. MH 106 is a representative sample and is not complete.

    • Selected honours (1917-1918)

      Consult WO 162/65 for details of women who received honours OBE, CBE, MBE, DBE or Mentioned in Despatches.

  • What records can I find in other archives and organisations?

    • Service records (1938-present)

      Visit the Veterans UK website for information about how to request a summary of a service record from the Ministry of Defence. These are not available to members of the general public, but next of kin may request access to them.

  • What other resources will help me find information?

    • Websites

      Search the London Gazette for information about British army officers' commissions and gallantry awards.

    • Books

      Read First World War Army Service Records by William Spencer (The National Archives, 2008).

  • The National Archives is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Related guides

Did you know?

The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps was formed in 1917 and was renamed the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1918; it was disbanded in 1921.

The Auxiliary Territorial Service was formed in 1938 and was succeeded by the Women's Royal Army Corps in 1949, which was in turn fully integrated into the British army in 1992.

About 57,000 women joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, performing non-combatant roles such as clerical and mechanical work. Most of these served within the United Kingdom.

Many army service records between 1914 and 1920 do not exist as they were destroyed by German bombing in 1940. Only about 7,000 Women's Auxiliary Army Corps service records survive.

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