Service Records

Where WW2 service records are held now, what they cost, and how to read the forms, abbreviations and war diaries that follow.

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5 min read
How to find which battalion grandad served in
How to find which battalion grandad served in during WW2: his service record first, then casualty lists, CWGC, Absent Voter Lists, photos and family papers.
5 min read
How to find a WW2 service number
How to find a WW2 service number: family papers, CWGC, casualty lists, Absent Voter Lists, medal cards and more, for Army, RAF and Royal Navy servicemen.
5 min read
Free WW2 records online
Free WW2 records online and offline: CWGC war dead, the London Gazette, Discovery, the POW name search, Navy death registers and free Ancestry access.
5 min read
Home Guard records: how to find a WW2 Home Guard member
Home Guard records explained: Durham enrolment forms are online now, the rest of England and Wales follow on Ancestry by March 2028. How to request one today.
6 min read
Merchant Navy WW2 records: how to trace a merchant seaman
Merchant Navy WW2 records explained: the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen, seamen's pouches, crew lists, BT 395 medal records and unclaimed medals.
5 min read
RAF WW2 service records: how to find an airman or officer
RAF WW2 service records are moving to The National Archives. Search AIR 85 for airmen and AIR 84 for officers, then read squadron ORBs and combat reports.
5 min read
Royal Navy WW2 service records: how to get them
Royal Navy WW2 service records are still with the MOD until they move to Kew in 2027. How to apply free, what you need, and the ship records to read next.
5 min read
How to trace a WW2 prisoner of war
How to trace a WW2 prisoner of war held by Germany, Italy or Japan: liberation questionnaires, POW lists, escape reports, camp records and where to search.
9 min read
WW2 Army service records: how to get one and read it
WW2 Army service records explained: how to order one from The National Archives in 2026, what it costs, proof of death, waiting times and how to read it.
5 min read
WW2 casualty records: killed, wounded or missing
Where to find WW2 casualty records for the Army, Navy, RAF and Merchant Navy: daily casualty lists, rolls of honour, missing airmen files and death registers.
6 min read
WW2 service record abbreviations: the full glossary
WW2 service record abbreviations decoded: ranks, units, postings, casualties and theatres from British Army records, with tips for reading cramped entries.
5 min read
How to find and read a WW2 battalion war diary
How to find a WW2 battalion war diary at The National Archives: the WO 166 to WO 179 series by theatre, search tips, online copies and how to read the entries.

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