Royal Navy WW2 Service Records: Who Holds Them and How to Apply

Royal Navy WW2 service records are still held by the Ministry of Defence, not The National Archives. Apply to the MOD through GOV.UK. It is free. You need his full name and date of birth, and his service number if you have it. Expect a long wait: GOV.UK says the search can take up to a year.

Key facts

Who holds them: The Ministry of Defence, until Royal Navy records move to Kew in 2027
Cost: No fee to request records from the MOD
Waiting time: GOV.UK says the search can take up to a year
You need: Full name, date of birth, service number if known
Ship records: Logs in ADM 53, reports in ADM 199, at The National Archives

Checked against GOV.UK and The National Archives on 31 October 2026.

That is the key difference from the Army. Army records for men born before 1940 are now at Kew. Navy records are not, yet.

Where are Royal Navy WW2 service records now?

With the MOD. The National Archives states it plainly: Royal Navy records are not being transferred until 2027, and until they are at Kew, all requests should go to the MOD.

GOV.UK confirms the split. For the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, apply to the MOD for records of personnel who served after the First World War.

So, for now:

Royal Navy rating or officer, WW2: apply to the MOD.
Royal Marines, WW2: apply to the MOD.
He also served in the Army or RAF: each service’s record is separate. Apply for each.

How do you apply for a Royal Navy WW2 record?

Online or by post. GOV.UK sets out the process.

Gather the details. Full name, date of birth, and service number if known.
Find proof of death if you can. Not compulsory, but see below.
Apply online, or download the request form and the Navy search form and post them.
Wait for confirmation. The service acknowledges your application. Records come by post or email.

GOV.UK asks applicants not to submit more than 5 applications a month, because of demand.

Do you need a death certificate?

Not strictly. GOV.UK says you do not have to provide one. But without it, information may be withheld unless the person:

died in service, or
was born more than 116 years ago.

Online applications need the certificate as a PDF, PNG or JPEG. No certificate? Order a copy, or make a declaration of presumed death.

What will the record show?

GOV.UK says a record may include:

rank
dates he joined and left
date of death, if he died in service
good conduct medals
career details, such as the ships and units he served in

Medical and disciplinary details may be withheld. In some cases little or nothing survives. Be ready for that.

No service number? Try these first

A number speeds everything up. Look for it on:

Discharge or release papers kept at home.
His CWGC record, if he died in service. Search CWGC free.
Family photographs and letters, which sometimes carry a number or a ship’s name.

Our guide to finding a WW2 service number covers every source.

What to read while you wait: the ship records

The service record tells you which ships. The National Archives holds what those ships did. Most of it is at Kew and not online.

Ships’ logs (ADM 53)

The National Archives says a ship’s log is mainly a navigational record, concerned only in passing with operations. Search ADM 53 by the ship’s name, without “HMS”, and restrict the dates. Submarine logs are in ADM 173.

HM ships did not keep war diaries. Do not look for one.

Reports of operations (ADM 199)

ADM 199 is the big one. It holds reports, war history cases and the war diaries of commands and stations. Search it with:

the ship’s name
the operation (“Neptune”, for example)
the battle or theatre
the date or month

ADM 1 and ADM 116 also hold wartime files.

Where was the ship?

Pink lists (ADM 187): location in port of HM ships, issued twice weekly. Not positions at sea.
Red lists (ADM 208): minor war vessels in home waters.
Green lists (ADM 210): landing ships and craft in home waters.
Confidential Navy List (ADM 177): officers, ranks and the ships they were appointed to, with details left out of the published wartime edition.

Convoys

Escort duty? Try ADM 217 (Western Approaches reports of proceedings, indexed by convoy and ship) and ADM 237 (convoy packs, searchable by convoy number). The National Archives notes about half of ADM 237 was destroyed. Our Merchant Navy guide covers the civilian side.

Fleet Air Arm

Naval aviators: search ADM 207 and AIR 27 for squadron Operations Record Books, and AIR 50 for combat reports. The National Archives says no aircraft carrier flying log books are known to have survived.

If he died at sea

CWGC records Commonwealth war dead, including those lost at sea with no known grave, who are named on memorials. See how to find a WW2 grave or memorial.
Registers of reports of deaths on ships, 1893 to 1950 (ADM 104): free downloads from The National Archives. They give name, age, rank, ship, and the date, place and cause of death.
Missing personnel enquiries (ADM 358): the Admiralty Casualty Branch’s WW2 files, searchable by name or ship.

Medals and gallantry awards

WW2 campaign stars were issued unnamed. The record and the ribbons are your evidence: see how to identify WW2 medals. Gallantry awards were published in the London Gazette, and naval recommendations are in ADM 1 and ADM 116. Our gallantry awards guide explains how to search.

Medals never issued can still be claimed by next of kin. See how to claim WW2 medals.

Next steps

Apply to the MOD today. While you wait, search ADM 53 and ADM 199 for his ships. If he was in the Army or RAF too, see our WW2 Army service records and RAF service records guides.

FAQ: Royal Navy WW2 service records

Where are Royal Navy WW2 service records held?

With the Ministry of Defence. The National Archives says Royal Navy records are not being transferred until 2027, and until then all requests should go to the MOD.

How much does a Royal Navy service record cost?

Nothing from the MOD. GOV.UK says there is no fee to request records from the MOD. The National Archives charges for the records it holds, so this may change once Navy records reach Kew.

Do I need a death certificate?

Not strictly. GOV.UK says you do not have to provide one, but without it information may be withheld unless the person died in service or was born more than 116 years ago.

Did Royal Navy ships keep war diaries?

No. The National Archives says HM ships did not keep war diaries. Ships' logs in ADM 53 are mainly navigational. Operational reports are in ADM 199.

Are Royal Navy WW2 records online?

The service records are not. Some related records are, including registers of deaths on ships (ADM 104), which The National Archives offers as free downloads.

Where are records of missing sailors?

ADM 358 at The National Archives holds the Admiralty Casualty Branch's enquiries into missing personnel, 1939 to 1945. Search by name or ship.

Sources

Checked 31 October 2026.

The Wartime Attic team

We run Wartime Attic and The Attic Letters on YouTube, which tells untold human stories from history, starting with the Second World War. We write these guides from the official records, and link every fact to its source. More about us.