The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently in the process of transferring around 10 million service records to The National Archives for permanent preservation. This is the largest and most complex transfer in our 200-year history.
To date 8.2 million records have been transferred to us and the process is due to be completed in 2027.
This page aims to provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the service records project and how you can access the records.
From 2 February 2026, The National Archives will be implementing new fees for its search and copying services relating to these records – for more information on this read our news story, or our Ministry of Defence service personnel records fees frequently asked questions.
Overview
What are the service records?
The records included in this collection cover personnel in all three services – Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force – where the individual has a date of birth before or up to 1 January 1940 They include around 500,000 personnel with First World War service, and the vast majority of those who served in the Second World War.
The records are predominantly in paper format, with some photographs (mainly ID photo size), x-rays and a small amount of microfilm.
These records are of national significance, which is why we are working with the MOD to ensure their long-term preservation.
How do I find out if the record I want is with The National Archives or the MOD?
We have completed the transfer of all Army non-officer records within the scope of this project and are currently working on the transfer of the RAF officer and non-officer records.
The transfer of the Navy records has not yet started. These are still with the MOD, who have published details of the transfer here: Information for transfer to The National Archives – GOV.UK
What’s involved in the transfer process?
Once the records are transferred to us, we must ensure that all the material can be stored safely and to archival standards. In practice, this may include placing them in specially made archival boxes to keep the records free from any degradation or damage.
We will then index and catalogue the records, according to our cataloguing standards, so that researchers are able to search for them on our website.
What information can I find in the records?
The most common information within the collection are attestation papers, which capture details of when the individual joined the service, along with a Record of Service which shows when the individual served in different units. Records may also include medical or disciplinary information.
For further information on these records see our Research Guides:
British Army soldiers of the Second World War
Royal Air Force personnel
Why are some of the records closed? What does that mean?
Records without personal data are opened and made available to the public 100 years after an individual’s birth.
But the service personnel records often contain sensitive personal data, including medical information, which may carry an expectation of confidentiality that extends beyond a person’s lifetime.
To balance privacy with historical access, the MOD and The National Archives apply a 115-year closure period for medical information.
This aligns with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), for more information follow the links below:
How does section 41 apply to requests for information about deceased people? | ICO
What do FOIA and the EIR say about requests for personal information? | ICO
Accessing the MOD service records
How do I search for a service personnel record?
You may wish to check our digitisation partner Ancestry’s website first to see if the record has been published online. You can also check the MOD transfer page to see if the record has been transferred to us yet or is still held by the MOD.
Of the records transferred to us 2.6 million are available on our catalogue, Discovery. Your search results will let you know if the records can be viewed online or not.
If an MOD service personnel record is not viewable online, you will need to request access to the service record using the relevant form below:
- Request military service records for a person born between 1910 and 1939
- Request military service records for a person born before 1910
- Visit GOV.UK to request records for those born on or after 1 January 1940
If you are looking for records for multiple individuals, please refer to our fair use policy on the limits around access requests.
From 2 February 2026 the way you request access to the MOD Service Personnel records from us is changing and may incur fees. Find out more information on our fees page.
What information do I need before I make a request?
To establish if the individual you are looking for has a record within this collection, we need as much information as possible to find the correct match, including:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Service number – if known
In the absence of the service number other useful information would be:
- Place of birth
- Regiment
Proof of death may also be required if the person’s date of birth was less than 115 years ago. Suitable forms of evidence are:
- Official death certificate
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission certificate
- Published obituary
- Grant of Probate with supporting evidence of birthdate
Why can’t you find the person I am looking for?
It is possible that once we have searched the index, we still can’t find the record you are looking for. There are several reasons for this, but it is possible the record does not exist.
Can I see my own MOD service record?
Yes, you can request a copy of your own information by submitting a Data Subject Access Request using the form below to apply for access to your record, or to the record of someone who has authorised you to act on their behalf.
You’ll need to provide:
- Proof of your identity
- If acting for someone else: proof of their identity and written permission
These requests are handled under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR and are always free of charge. For information about how we treat personal data, please see Privacy notice – Legal.
Is there a fee for some records?
If you wish to obtain a digital or a printed paper copy of these records, or of records in the collection which have not yet been digitised, a fee may be charged.
As a government department, we are obliged to charge for some of our public services, including research and record copying. The prices we charge are set out by the Fees Regulations under the Public Records Act (1958) and are based on recovering the costs of providing these services.
If you want a copy of a record that is available on Discovery, we provide a record copying service via our website.
From 2 February 2026, The National Archives will be implementing new fees for its search and copying services relating to the MOD Service Personnel records – for more information on this, read our news story.
Which MOD service records are searchable in Discovery?
We are gradually cataloguing the original service records as they are transferred to us, capturing information so that they can be searched by named individual. Currently there are 2.6 million entries on our catalogue.
Collections now partially available to search and browse include:
- WO 420: Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers regiment (other ranks)
- WO 421: selected smaller corps (other ranks)
- WO 422: infantry over age (other ranks)
- WO 423: Other Ranks and Nurses: Service Records, Second World War
- WO 426: French Tchad [Chad] Other Ranks: Service Records
- WO 427: Women’s Services in East Africa, Nurses and Other Ranks: Service Records
- WO 428: Royal Artillery Other Ranks: Service Records, Second World War
- WO 438: Royal Army Service Corps, Army Catering Corps, and Royal Engineers Other Ranks: Service Records, Second World War
- WO 440: Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) and Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) and other ranks service records
- WO 447: Auxiliary Territorial Service (Palestine) and other ranks service records
- WO 459: Overseas Clearing Wing other ranks service records
More collections will be added to our catalogue, Discovery, on a regular basis, but this work will take several years to complete.
Can I see the original MOD service records?
If the service record you are interested in is open and you have found it in Discovery, you will be able to order it to view in our reading rooms free of charge (advance bookings only).
Why can’t I find the person I am looking for on Discovery?
When searching Discovery, the information must match exactly, so please double check details such as surname, initials and date of birth.
If you cannot find the person you are looking for it is likely that we have not yet catalogued their service record, or that the record is still with the MOD. You can submit a service record request directly to MOD via GOV.UK.
You may also want to search Ancestry’s website, which you can do for free on site at Kew.
I am a relative of the person I am searching for. Will I be able to see all the information in their record?
The right to access information is set out in the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The act gives everyone a legal right to know what information is held by public bodies, including The National Archives. It also provides you with the right to have it communicated to you, subject to any exemptions which may apply.
Since these rights are given to everyone, anyone can request information, regardless of whether they are related to the subject or not. Under the FOI Act, there are a number of exemptions which can be applied by public bodies to protect certain types of information, including that which is sensitive or personal.
This means that occasionally, information will be provided but with redactions in place to protect certain types of information.
Can I open a record of an individual I know to be deceased?
Access to records is considered on a case-by-case basis under the relevant access legislation.
Before a record can be opened, it must first be located and reviewed. We may need proof of death to allow us to assess whether any information can be released.
Can I ask for an open record of a living individual to be closed?
If you see a record that is open, but which you believe should be closed because the person is still alive, you can ask for the record to be closed.
Our takedown and reclosure policy provides more detail of how this works in practice.
Why am I unable to open the link I have just received for the record I requested?
If a record can be provided to you, a link will be sent with instructions on accessing the record digitally. Please allow around one hour for the link to become active and the record available for download.
Why is my request taking longer than usual?
We try to respond to FOI requests within the statutory timeframe but unfortunately this has not always been possible due to the unprecedented number of requests we receive for these records. You can read about our FOI request demands here: FOI performance – Freedom of Information.
Once a request has been submitted, it remains active until it has been resolved. Your case reference number (usually starting CAS) serves as confirmation that your case is in our system and will be responded to.
Our new fees, coming into effect on 2 February 2026, will not be applied retrospectively to existing requests.
Digitising the MOD service records
Which MOD service records are being digitised and when will they be available?
We are working with commercial partners to digitise, transcribe and publish the records.
We have awarded a contract to the genealogy company, Ancestry, commissioning them to digitise elements of the first three million MOD service records that have been transferred, as well as another contract to digitise approximately four million Home Guards enrolment forms,.
The first four collections being digitised are British Army service records for non-officer ranks:
These were selected because they contain the largest proportion of open and publishable records, including individuals from across the world who served in the British Army, particularly during the Second World War.
Ancestry is publishing these records in phases between 2024 and 2029. The first three collections (WO 420 and WO 421 in full; WO 422 partially) are already available at Ancestry’s website. We will issue invitations to tender for further service records collections in the coming years. Updates on further releases will be provided here as the project progresses.
Is Ancestry digitising everything in each MoD service record?
Due to the scale of the project and the nature of the information that the records contain, it is not possible to digitise each service record in its entirety.
The information being digitised is the core service record and includes:
- Attestation forms: structured information about when the individual joined the service;
- Statements of service: providing details of which units an individual served in, including dates;
- Service and casualty forms: providing rich information of the individual’s time in service, including details of the regiment(s) in which they served and where they were posted.
Medical forms and disciplinary conduct forms will not be digitised as part of this project as these records contain sensitive personal data.
Why do I have to pay to view the digitised service records?
The cost of creating digital images from the paper originals, transcribing those records, and building the digital infrastructure to present the images and data to the public is significant, and beyond our resources and statutory role.
We therefore offer licensing opportunities for private businesses – such as Ancestry – to work with us in widening access to the records we hold by digitising them and offering online access, with the licensee required to fully fund digitisation and associated costs.
Visitors to The National Archives at Kew can access Ancestry for free in our reading rooms or via public Wi-Fi on their own devices.
These records are also available as part of Ancestry’s library membership – check with your local library or archive to see if they have it.
Why was Ancestry selected to digitise these MOD service records?
Ancestry was selected as our digitisation partner in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The procurement process comprised a rigorous tendering process, and the opportunity to participate was published on the Contracts Finder website.
Will MOD service records for living individuals be digitised?
No, in accordance with Data Protection Law only MOD service records of individuals with a date of birth over 100 years ago will be published.