Home > Start Tracing > Trace Your British Army Ancestor Hub > What Every Military Family Tree Should Include
Creating a military family tree is one of the most rewarding ways to honour and preserve your British ancestors’ military history. Whether your relative served in the First World War, the Second World War, or earlier conflicts like the Boer War or Crimean War, a detailed military family tree can help you better understand their service and legacy.
In this guide, we’ll show you exactly what every military family tree should include — from service numbers and regimental records to medals and war diaries. This article is ideal for anyone looking to trace British military ancestors, find UK army service records, or learn more about their family’s role in military history.
Your FREE downloadable guide to understanding British Army service papers is available here:
1. Full Name and Dates of Birth & Death
Start with the basics. Trace British army ancestors by name and birth date. Each individual in your military family tree should have their:
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Full name (including middle names and known aliases)
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Date and place of birth
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Date and place of death (if known)
This information is vital when searching British army service records or using online archives like The National Archives (UK).
2. Rank and Regiment
Once you have personal details, identify the person’s military role:
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Rank at enlistment and at discharge
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Regiment or corps they served in (e.g., Royal Artillery, Manchester Regiment, Highland Light Infantry)
This is one of the most important pieces of data when trying to find regimental war diaries, medal cards, or pension records.
Understanding British army ranks WW1 can be very helpful. See our useful guides here.
3. Service Number
A soldier’s service number is like a fingerprint in military research. It helps distinguish your ancestor from others with similar names and unlocks military records faster.
Service numbers are especially important when tracing WW1 and WW2 British army service records.
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4. Enlistment and Discharge Details
Record:
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Enlistment date and location
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Duration of service
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Discharge date and reason (e.g., end of war, wounds, age)
This timeline can help you find additional records, such as campaign medals or pension records for British soldiers.
5. Conflicts and Campaigns Served In
Note which war(s) or campaigns your ancestor served in:
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World War I
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World War II
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Boer War
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Napoleonic Wars
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Crimean War
If they served abroad, check for movement or deployment records.
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6. Medals, Honours, and Awards
Did your ancestor receive any military medals?
Common WW1 medals include:
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British War Medal
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Victory Medal
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1914–15 Star
You can often find this information through medal index cards, which are a great starting point for WW1 military ancestry research.
For help on how to find WW1 ancestor’s medal card click here.
7. Military Documents and Service Records
Include copies of:
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Service records (if available)
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Medal index cards
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Pension files
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Regimental war diaries
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Attestation papers
These documents add rich detail to your military family tree and help confirm timelines and ranks.
To understand how to read army service records UK click here.
8. Photographs and Personal Stories
If possible, add photographs in uniform or letters sent from the front. Personal artefacts bring your military family tree to life and preserve your ancestor’s story beyond the records.
Consider scanning or digitising old photos and attaching them to digital family trees.
9. Burial or Memorial Information
If your ancestor died in service, include burial details or war memorial listings, such as those found in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database.
This helps complete the military record and honours their sacrifice.
10. Related Family Members in Service
Did brothers, cousins, or sons also serve? Tracing multiple family members can reveal patterns — such as service in the same regiment — and help you construct a broader view of your family’s military legacy.
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Final Thoughts: Building a Legacy
By including these key elements in your military family tree, we can create more than a genealogical record — we build your legacy. With the help of British army ancestry research, pension records, and regimental diaries, we can bring to light the lives of those who served, fought, and often gave all for their country.
Whether you're just starting out or refining existing research, we are sure to use resources that allow you to:
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Trace WW1 soldier UK records by name and regiment
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Decode military abbreviations and ranks
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Find British army service records and medal cards
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Explore regimental war diaries for historical context
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