How to look for records of... Women in the British Army
How can I view the records covered in this guide?
How many are online?
- Some
The National Archives holds various records of women’s service in the British Army, though finding an individual’s record can be difficult. This short guide will outline the records which can be found and explain how to begin searching for them.
What do I need to know before I start?
Many army service records between 1914 and 1920 no longer exist as they were destroyed by German bombing in 1940; only about 7,000 Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps service records survive.
Try to find out:
- the name and rank of the person
- a date range to help focus the search
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.
Online records
Service records (1917-1920)
Search and download £ the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps service records (WO 398) on our website.
First World War campaign medal records
Search and download £ the index cards to First World War campaign medals (WO 372) on our website.
Second World War campaign medals
World War Two army medal cards are available to search and download through Forces War Records (charges apply).
The medal cards are application cards, known as C.S. 20, which soldiers of the British Army and other units administered by the War Office could fill out and send to the War Office after the war to claim the campaign medals that they were entitled to. There are approximately 1.7 million cards for personnel from various army units. Read the blog on Forces War Records for more information.
First World War medical records
A representative selection of several types of medical records relating to the diagnosis and medical treatment of service personnel during the First World War can be found in the series MH 106. The records include women who served in the likes of the Voluntary Aid Detachment and the Queen Mary Army Auxiliary Corps. The first 2078 boxes of the series are admission and discharge registers from military hospitals and casualty clearing stations, field ambulances, an ambulance train and a hospital ship.
Search MH 106 admission and discharge registers by name or regimental number on FindmyPast (charges apply) in the collection British Armed Forces, First World War Soldiers’ Medical Records. Details may include year of birth, service number, rank and hospital admission date.
Records available only at The National Archives in Kew
Selected medical records (1914-1918)
The series MH 106 also contains 306 boxes of medical case sheets and medical cards for individual service personnel. The case sheets were selected to illustrate the diversity of diseases contracted, the type of injuries received and the kinds of treatments prescribed to the war wounded, and the medical cards relate to individuals from selected regiments.
Search within MH 106 by name, regimental number, unit, and condition, injury and disease. These records are only available as original records and cannot be downloaded.
Selected honours (1917-1918)
Consult WO 162/65 for details of women who received honours OBE, CBE, MBE, DBE or Mentioned in Despatches.
Women’s services in East Africa: nurses and other ranks
This collection consists of a selection of service records for those who served in women’s units in East Africa during the Second World War. They include those who served in the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS); East African Military Nursing Service (EAMNS); Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS); Women’s Territorial Service (WTS); and First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY).
Search WO 427 surname, service number, and date of birth for the available records.
ATS Service records (1938-1949)
These records have been transferred to The National Archives as part of the Ministry of Defence service records project.
As they have only very recently been transferred, most of the records are currently unfindable in our catalogue. If you have been unable to find the record in our catalogue, you can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for access to this information using one of the below forms (charges may apply):
Form 1: Request your own record if you were born before or in 1939 (or if you are doing this on behalf of someone)
Form 2: Request military service records for a person born before 1911
Form 3: Request military service records for a person born between 1911 and 1939
Other resources
Websites
Search the London Gazette on The Gazette website for information about British army officers’ commissions and gallantry awards.
Books
Visit The National Archives’ bookshop for a range of publications on tracing your military ancestors. Alternatively, look in The National Archives’ library catalogue to see what is available to consult at Kew.
William Spencer, ‘First World War Army Service Records’ (The National Archives, 2008)
