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Every soldier left clues — and sometimes, the first clue you find isn’t a service record or photograph, but a small rectangle of card covered in abbreviations and numbers.
That humble Medal Index Card (MIC) is often the first surviving trace of a soldier’s First World War story, and it can tell you far more than you might expect.
What’s in a Medal Index Card?
Medal Index Cards were created by the Army Medal Office to record who qualified for campaign medals during WW1. Over five million were produced — one for almost every man and woman who served.
Each card includes the soldier’s name, regimental number, rank, and unit, plus shorthand codes for the medals earned: usually the 1914 or 1914–15 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
You’ll often see theatres of war (like “France” or “Balkans”), dates of entry, and sometimes even notes about discharge, death, or gallantry awards. In other words, a Medal Index Card is the administrative DNA of a soldier’s wartime service.
Decoding the Abbreviations
The shorthand on these cards can be baffling — but it’s also the key to unlocking where and when a soldier served.
Common medal abbreviations include:
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“BWM” for the British War Medal
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“VM” for the Victory Medal
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“14” or “15 Star” for early war volunteers
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“TFWM” for Territorial Force War Medal
The regimental number next to a medal entry can be just as important. A low 4-digit number may indicate a pre-war Territorial, while a six-digit number usually belongs to someone renumbered in 1917.
Those tiny digits can reveal which battalion the soldier fought with — and that, in turn, opens the door to their campaign history.
From Medal Record to Battalion
Once you’ve found a regimental number on a medal card, you’re halfway to identifying your ancestor’s battalion.
Different battalions used distinct numbering systems — meaning that, with the right data, you can estimate where and when your soldier enlisted.
Even if you only have a medal card, that number can connect your family’s story to a regiment’s movements — from Gallipoli to the Somme and beyond.
Where to Find WW1 Medal Records
The original Medal Index Cards are held at The National Archives (WO 372) and digitised on Ancestry and FindMyPast.
You can also view the corresponding Medal Rolls, which sometimes list the soldier’s battalion — a vital detail for narrowing down service.
You can also contact your local military museum or county archives who may well be able to provide more information.
Final Thoughts
A Medal Index Card may look unremarkable, but it’s a key to an entire military life — a man’s regiment, his comrades, his journey through the war.
Deciphering it is the first step toward telling his story properly.
And if you’ve got a service number but no battalion?
That’s where we come in.
Or discover more about tracing your British Army ancestor here