1. Why use this guide?
For information on how to search for a service record of an officer, airman or airwoman in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) or the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1914 go to the relevant research guide.
This guide will tell you what sort of information you may find on a service record or other sources available.
2. Essential information
The rank of the individual, date(s) and type of service determine where you need to look to find the relevant service record(s).
The RAF was formed on 1 April 1918 when the RFC and RNAS were amalgamated. Officers and men of both services who continued service after this date transferred into the new service and were joined by new entrants.
3. Officers' service records (1918-1922)
3.1 RAF officers 1918-1922
The Royal Air Force officers' records (AIR 76) may contain the following information:
- dates of joining
- promotions
- units served in
- next of kin (although the relationship may not always be specified)
- special qualifications
- casualties received
- honours and awards
- occupation
- address and date of birth (although these entries are not always filled in)
You can also trace the career of a RAF officer from March 1919 in the Air Force list at The National Archives.
3.2 RAF officers after 1922
The National Archives does not hold service records of officers who served after 1922. You can obtain brief details of service from RAF disclosures, find details on how to apply on the Veterans UK website.
Once you have obtained these details, you may want to refer to operational records which may supply more information on everyday activities. They sometimes include nominal rolls, list of officers, details of promotions, transfers and awards. Refer to the research guide Second World War operational records for guidance.
You may want to consult The Air Force list and the confidential list for Sept 1939 to Dec 1954 is in AIR 10/3814-3840, AIR 10/5237-5256, AIR 10/5413-5422 and AIR 10/5581-5582.
4. Service records of airmen (1914-1924)
4.1 RNAS before April 1918
The register of seamen's services in series ADM 188 usually contain the following information:
- date and place of birth
- summary of service to date with names of ships served on
- from 1892 you are also likely to find physical characteristics on entry
- any wounds received
- date of death if it occurred during service
Royal Navy service numbers used by the RNAS were prefixed with the letter 'F'. When they transferred into the RAF, their old RNAS service numbers were modified to bring them into line with the numbers being used by the old RFC men and the new service. The 'F' prefix was removed and the number 2 and as many noughts as necessary were added in front of the old RNAS number to make it six digits, for example F 1002 became 201002 or F 54559 became 254559.
A number of men of the Royal Navy who were serving before the formation of the RNAS in July 1914 and who transferred into that service retained their own service numbers but were given RNAS ranks. These pre-July 1914 sailors who went on to serve in the RAF were given service numbers within the 313001 and 316000 range.
4.2 RAF airmen from April 1918
The records in AIR 79 usually contain the following information:
- date and place of birth
- physical description
- religious denomination
- next of kin
- spouse and children
- date of joining
- promotions
- units served in
- award of medals
- date of discharge
4.3 RAF airmen after 1924
Records of those men within the service number range 1-329000 who went on to see service in the Second World War, as well as records of men whose service number was 329001 or higher, are still maintained by the RAF disclosures. Find out how to apply on the Veterans UK website.
5. Medals (1914-1922)
5.1 Campaign medals
Find RFC medals in series WO 329.
Locate RNAS medals and medal entitlements in Campaign, long service and conduct medals in series ADM 171 using Ancestry.co.uk.
If an individual in the RAF qualified for his medal(s) after 1 April 1918, the only place you will find details about his medal entitlement will be on his service record.
5.2 Gallantry medals
For information on gallantry medals awarded to RFC, RNAS or RAF personnel, read the research guide Medals, British armed services: gallantry medals.
6. Pension records (1916-1920)
Find payments made to invalided RAF officers from 1917 to 1920 in series PMG 42. Pensions paid to relatives of deceased RAF officers from 1916 to 1920 are in series PMG 44. Supplementary payments to RAF officers and their dependants from 1916 to 1920 are in series PMG 43.
7. Other records (1918-1985)
7.1 Courts martial
Courts martial from 1918 to 1965 are in series AIR 21. These give the name and rank of each prisoner, place of trial, nature of charge and sentence. Find the proceeding of district, general and field courts martial of officers and men from 1941 to 1986 in series AIR 18.
Records of courts martial policy are in series AIR 2 and AIR 20.
7.2 Muster list
The only complete muster list of the RAF was compiled on its formation on 1 April 1918. Copies are in AIR 1/819/204/4/1316 and also AIR 10/232 to AIR 10/237.
7.3 Nominal rolls
Browse the first series of Air Historical Branch (AHB) records in series AIR 1 for nominal rolls of individual units for the First World War, along with correspondence with officers, awards, promotions and combat reports. Indexes to series AIR 1 are available at the National Archives. The second series, are in AIR 5, contains little on individuals.
For men from the USA and Dominions who served with the British Air Forces in the First World War, try the roll of honour in AIR 2/219.
The National Archives does hold a roll of honour for 5 group, Second World War in AIR 14/2091.
7.4 Prisoners of war
The AIR records do not contain detailed information about prisoners of war. Find a list of all aircrew known to have been held prisoner by Germany in AIR 20/2336. Browse other related files in series AIR 40 and prisoner of war and internees files in series FO 916.
8. Records in other archives
For more information about the RAF, you may wish to visit the RAF Museum website.
9. Further reading
Some or all of the publications below may be available to buy from The National Archives' bookshop. Alternatively, search The National Archives' library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew.
William Spencer, Air Force Records for Family Historians (The National Archives, 2008)
Ian Tavendar, The Distinguished Flying Medal Register for the Second World War: With Official Recommendation Details (Savannah Publications, 2000)
Michael Maton, Honour the Air Forces: Honours and Awards to the RAF and Dominion Air Forces during the Second World War (Token Publishing Limited, 2004)
Find details of men who joined the RFC between its formation in 1912 and August 1914 (numbers 1-1400) by reading Jack V Webb and Ian McInnes, A Contemptible Little Flying Corps (London Stamp Exchange, 1991)
Nick Carter and Carol Carter, The Distinguished Flying Cross and How It Was Won 1918-1995 (Savannah Publications, 1998)
