If you're looking to trace a WW1 soldier from the UK, one of the most important clues in your research is the regiment they served with. Knowing a soldier’s regiment can open the door to a wealth of military records — including service documents, medal cards, and regimental war diaries.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the most common British Army regiments in World War I, where they served, and how you can use this information to trace your British military ancestors.
Whether you’re just starting to build your military family tree or diving deeper into your genealogy, this article will help you understand regimental history and locate the best records to support your research.
Why Regiments Matter in Military Genealogy
Each British soldier in WW1 served in a specific regiment or corps, which influenced where they trained, fought, and were stationed. To understand how to trace WW1 soldier UK by regiment:
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Find UK military family history records
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Locate regimental war diaries
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Access service records and medal index cards
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Trace WW1 soldiers by regiment and service number
1. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
The Royal Fusiliers raised multiple battalions during WW1, including “Pals Battalions” made up of men from the same workplace or community.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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The Western Front: Somme, Ypres, and Arras
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Gallipoli
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Macedonia
📜 Records to Look For:
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Medal index cards
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British Army service records
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Regimental war diaries (National Archives)
To understand your British army ancestry records for Royal Fusiliers click here.
2. The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI)
This regiment recruited heavily in Yorkshire and served throughout the war in several key theatres. To trace Yorkshire WW1 ancestors military records it is helpful to realise:
🪖 Where They Fought:
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France and Flanders
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Italy in 1917–18
3. The Lancashire Fusiliers
This Northern regiment became famous for its role in the Gallipoli campaign.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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Gallipoli (notably at Cape Helles)
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France and Belgium (Somme and Passchendaele)
📌 Notable: Six Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the regiment in a single day at Gallipoli.
4. The Highland Light Infantry (HLI)
A key Scottish regiment, the HLI recruited from Glasgow and surrounding areas.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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Western Front
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Mesopotamia
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Salonika
🎯 We can help tracing soldiers from Scotland in WW1 across all of the Scottish regiments.
5. The Durham Light Infantry
This regiment formed multiple battalions during the war and saw action on multiple fronts.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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Western Front
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Egypt and Palestine
📜 Research tip: Use service numbers and battalion numbers to narrow down dates of service.
6. The Middlesex Regiment
Known as the “Die-Hards,” this regiment was heavily involved in WW1.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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France and Flanders
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Salonika
7. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Recruited across Wales, this regiment is especially well-documented, partly due to famous literary figures like Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves.
🪖 Where They Fought:
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France and Belgium
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Gallipoli
📜 Look for:
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War diaries
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Letters and memoirs (useful for storytelling in your military family tree)
We can help trace your military family history Wales WW1 across all regiments.
How to Trace WW1 Soldier Records by Regiment
Once you’ve identified your ancestor’s regiment, you can start gathering records. Here are key types of British military records you should search for:
✅ Medal Index Cards
✅ British Army Service Records
✅ Regimental War Diaries
✅ Pension Records
✅ Commonwealth War Graves Commission listings (if applicable)
For further help to find British army WW1 records have a look through our helpful guides section.
Tips for Researching Regiments Effectively
🧠 Use a soldier’s service number to determine which battalion they were in.
🗺 Check where the battalion was deployed during the war — this will guide you to the right war diaries.
📂 Visit The National Archives or use professional military genealogy services for deeper research.
We offer professional military ancestry research UK to make the task far easier, and cheaper!
Final Thoughts: Why Regimental Research Matters
Understanding which regiment your ancestor served in is one of the most powerful ways to unlock their military story. Each regiment had its own path through the war, and by following it, you can:
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Discover the battles your ancestor likely fought in
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Understand the conditions they experienced
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Build a detailed and respectful military family tree
Whether you’re tracing WW1 ancestors from Yorkshire, Scotland, Manchester, or Wales, start with the regiment — and the rest will follow.
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📌 Looking for help tracing your WW1 ancestor’s regiment or service history? Our British military ancestry research service can guide you every step of the way.