All research guides
Family history
First World War
Second World War
Military and maritime
Social and cultural history
Criminals, courts and prisons
Political and economic history
Foreign and colonial history
Land and maps
Medieval and early modern history
Records for current legal purposes
Online collections
How to look for records of...
-
Crimean War – an overview
Recommended guideKeywords: crimean warwars -
First World War – an overview
Recommended guideKeywords: first world warwarsworld war one -
Second World War – an overview
Recommended guideKeywords: nazi germanysecond world warwarsworld war two - Abbreviations in Merchant Navy records
Keywords: merchant navynavy - Armed forces records held by other archives
Keywords: armybritish armyrafroyal air forceroyal navysoldierwars - Army regiments
Keywords: armybritish armyregiments and corps - Births, marriages and deaths at sea or abroad
Keywords: birthscoloniesdeathsmarriagesmerchant navyshipping - Births, marriages and deaths in the armed forces
Keywords: armybirthsbritish armydeathsmarriagesnavyrafroyal air forceroyal marinesroyal navy - Board of Ordnance
Keywords: armybritish armyordnance (military supplies) - Bomb Census survey records 1940-1945
Keywords: air raidsbomb censuscasualties of warsecond world warworld war two - British and Commonwealth prisoners of the First World War and previous wars
Keywords: first world warprisoners of warworld war one - British and Commonwealth prisoners of the Second World War and the Korean War
Keywords: korean warpowsprisoners of warsecond world war personnelworld war two - Available on:British Army casualty lists 1939-1945
Keywords: armybritish armydeathsdigitised recordsonline collectionssecond world warsoldierworld war two All records viewable online - British Army medal index cards 1914-1920
Keywords: digitised recordsonline collections All records viewable online - British Army muster rolls and pay lists c.1730-1898
Keywords: armybritish armymuster rollsregiments and corpssoldier - British Army nurses
Keywords: armybritish armynurseswomen's military service - British Army nurses’ service records 1914-1918
Keywords: digitised recordsonline collections All records viewable online - British Army officers in service after 1918
Keywords: armybritish armysecond world warsoldier - British Army officers of the First World War
Keywords: armybritish armyfirst world warmedalsofficers (army)soldierworld war oneworld war two - British Army officers up to 1913
Keywords: armyawardsbritish armymedalsofficers (army)soldier - British Army operations after 1945
Keywords: armybritish armykorean warregiments and corpswar diaries - British Army operations in the First World War
Keywords: armybritish armyfirst world warregiments and corpswar diariesworld war one - British Army operations in the Second World War
Keywords: armybritish armyregiments and corpssecond world warwar diariesworld war two - British Army operations up to 1913
Keywords: armyboer warbritish armycrimean warnapoleonic warsregiments and corps - British Army soldiers of the First World War
Keywords: armybritish armyfirst world warnon-commissioned officersoldier - British Army soldiers up to 1913
Keywords: armybritish armypensionssoldier - British military campaign and service medals
Keywords: armyawardsbritish armycampaign medalsmedalsofficers (army) - British military gallantry medals
Keywords: armyawardsbritish armygallantry medalshonoursmedals - Coastguard records
Keywords: coastguardcustoms (tax)pensionsshipping - Conscientious objectors
Keywords: conscientious objectorsfirst world warsecond world warworld war oneworld war two - Courts martial and desertion in the British Army 17th-20th centuries
Keywords: armybritish armycourts martialdeserters (armed forces)first world warsecond world warsoldierworld war oneworld war two - Deaths in the First and Second World Wars
Keywords: casualties of wardeathsfirst world warsecond world warworld war oneworld war two - Disability and dependents’ pensions in the First World War
Keywords: disability pensionsfirst world warpensionsworld war one - Environmental pollution and damage
Keywords: contaminated landenvironmental pollutionlandland ownershippollution - Fleet Air Arm personnel
Keywords: fleet air armnavyroyal navysecond world war personnel - French muster rolls from the Battle of Trafalgar 1805
Keywords: digitised recordshigh court of admiraltyonline collectionstrafalgar (battle of) All records viewable online - German Foreign Ministry and Italian documents 1867-1945 captured by the British
Keywords: german foreign ministrynazi germanysecond world warworld war two - High Court of Admiralty
Keywords: admiraltycoloniescourts of lawhigh court of admiraltyshippingtrials - Home Guard personnel
Keywords: home fronthome guardsecond world warworld war two - Household Cavalry soldiers’ service records 1799-1920
Keywords: digitised recordsonline collections All records viewable online - Indian Army personnel
Keywords: armyfirst world warindian armysecond world warworld war oneworld war two - Intelligence and security services
Keywords: espionageintelligence and security servicesmi5 and mi6security servicesspecial operations executive - Internees
Keywords: aliens (foreign nationals)first world warimmigrationinterneesmigrationprisoners of warsecond world war - Land and property requisitioned for war in the 20th century
Keywords: first world warlandland ownershiprequisitioned landsecond world warworld war oneworld war two - Logs and journals of ships of exploration 1757-1904
Keywords: admiraltydigitised recordslog books (ships)navyonline collectionsroyal navyshipping All records viewable online - Maritime history records held by other archives
Keywords: merchant navynavyroyal navyshipping - Medieval and early modern soldiers
Keywords: armybritish armyearly modern periodmedieval periodofficers (army)soldier - Merchant Navy medals and honours
Keywords: awardscampaign medalsgallantry medalshonoursmedalsmerchant navy - Merchant Navy officers
Keywords: crew listsmerchant navyofficers merchant navy - Merchant Navy seamen in service before 1914
Keywords: apprenticeshipcrew listsmerchant navy - Merchant Navy seamen in service since 1918
Keywords: crew listsmerchant navysecond world warsecond world war personnelworld war two - Merchant Navy seamen of the First World War
Keywords: apprenticeshipcrew listsfirst world warmerchant navyworld war one - Merchant Navy ships’ records: movement cards 1939-1945
Keywords: digitised recordsmerchant navyonline collectionssecond world warshippingworld war two All records viewable online - Merchant Navy ships’ records: registration of merchant ships
Keywords: merchant navynavyshipping - Merchant Navy ships’ records: crew lists, musters and log books
Keywords: crew listslog books (ships)merchant navyshipping - Merchant trade records: port books 1565-1799
Keywords: customs (tax)port bookstaxation - Military maps of the First World War
Keywords: first world warmapsworld war one - Military maps of the Second World War
Keywords: mapssecond world warworld war two - Military nursing
Keywords: armybritish armynavynursesrafroyal air forceroyal navywomen's military service - Militia
Keywords: armybritish armymedalsmilitiapensionssoldiervolunteer soldiers - Napoleonic wars and the war of 1812 – an overview
Keywords: napoleonic warswars - Ordnance Survey
Keywords: mapsordnance survey - Photographs
Keywords: photographs - Prisoners of war in British hands
Keywords: boer warcrimean warfirst world warpowsprisoners of warsecond world warworld war two - Research and development in the British Army
Keywords: armybritish armyordnance (military supplies) - Research and development in the Royal Air Force
Keywords: air transportaviationrafroyal air force - Research and development in the Royal Navy
Keywords: navyordnance (military supplies)royal navyshipping - Royal Air Force nurses
Keywords: nursesrafroyal air forcesecond world war personnelwomen's military service - Royal Air Force operations
Keywords: combat reports (raf)first world warrafroyal air forceroyal flying corpsroyal naval air servicesecond world warsquadrons (royal air force)world war oneworld war two - Royal Air Force personnel
Keywords: campaign medalscourts martialprisoners of warrafroyal air forcesecond world war personnel - Royal Air Force squadrons
Keywords: rafroyal air forcesquadrons (royal air force) - Royal Flying Corps airmen
Keywords: royal flying corps - Royal Flying Corps officers
Keywords: officers (air forces)royal flying corps - Royal Marines officers
Keywords: first world warofficers (royal marines)royal marinesworld war one - Royal Marines other ranks
Keywords: first world warroyal marinesworld war one - Royal Naval Air Service officers
Keywords: first world warofficers (air forces)royal naval air serviceworld war one - Royal Naval Air Service ratings
Keywords: first world warroyal naval air serviceworld war one - Royal Naval correspondence using the ADM 12 indexes and digests
Keywords: admiraltyroyal navyshipping - Royal Naval Division personnel
Keywords: first world warroyal naval divisionroyal navyworld war one - Royal Naval dockyard staff
Keywords: dockyardnavyroyal navy - Royal Naval Reserve personnel
Keywords: first world warnavyroyal naval reservesecond world war personnelworld war one - Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel
Keywords: first world warnavyroyal naval volunteer reserveworld war one - Royal Navy commissioned and warrant officers: further research
Keywords: courts martialnavyofficers (royal navy)royal navy - Royal Navy commissioned officers
Keywords: first world warnavyofficers (royal navy)royal navywarrant officersworld war one - Royal Navy nurses and medical officers
Keywords: navynursesroyal navysecond world war personnelwomen's military service - Royal Navy officers’ pensions
Keywords: first world warnavyofficers (royal navy)pensionsroyal navy - Royal Navy operations and correspondence 1660-1914
Keywords: admiraltynavyroyal navy - Royal Navy operations and policy after 1945
Keywords: admiraltyfleet air armnavyroyal navy - Royal Navy operations in the First World War
Keywords: admiraltyfirst world warnavyroyal navyworld war one - Royal Navy operations in the Second World War
Keywords: admiraltynavyroyal navysecond world war - Royal Navy ratings enlisted after 1918
Keywords: campaign medalsmedalsnavyroyal navysecond world warworld war two - Royal Navy ratings of the First World War
Keywords: first world warmedalsnavyroyal navyworld war one - Royal Navy ratings up to 1913
Keywords: medalsnavyroyal navy - Royal Navy ratings’ pensions 17th-20th centuries
Keywords: first world warnavypensionsroyal navyworld war one - Royal Navy ratings: further research
Keywords: navyroyal navysecond world war personnel - Royal Navy ships’ log books
Keywords: admiraltylog books (ships)navyroyal navyshipping - Royal Navy warrant officers
Keywords: navyofficers (royal navy)royal navywarrant officers - Sea charts
Keywords: admiraltycharts (maps)maps - Ships wrecked or sunk
Keywords: merchant navyroyal navyshipping - Soldiers in African forces under British control
Keywords: armybritish armybritish empirecolonieswars - The South African War, 1899-1902 (or Second Boer War) – an overview
Keywords: boer warsouth african warwars - Volunteers and Territorials
Keywords: armybritish armyhome frontmilitiaofficers (army)regiments and corpssoldierterritorial armyvolunteer soldiers - War crimes 1939-1945
Keywords: control commissionnazi germanynuremberg trialssecond world warwar crimes - Wars: an overview
Keywords: wars - Wills of Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel 1786-1882
Keywords: digitised recordsonline collections All records viewable online - Women in the British Army
Keywords: armybritish armyfirst world warsoldierwomen's military service - Women’s Land Army
Keywords: home frontland girlssecond world warsecond world war personnelwomen's land army - Women’s Royal Air Force personnel
Keywords: first world warrafroyal air forcesecond world war personnelwomen's military service - Women’s Royal Naval Service personnel
Keywords: first world warroyal navywomen's military service