Reconstruct Your Ancestor’s Wartime Service

If you have identified a regiment, battalion or service number, the next step is understanding what those details reveal about your ancestor’s wartime service.

History Recon specialises in archival research into British Army service during WWI and WWII.

British Military Research Services

Who Was This Soldier?

£30

  • Identify the regiment or corps
  • Explain surviving military records
  • Check medal entitlement where possible
  • Advise on further research opportunities

A simple way to turn an old number, medal or photograph into the beginning of a military story.

Discover Their Story

£99

  • Discover where they served
  • Trace their wartime journey
  • Understand what their unit experienced
  • Receive a detailed written narrative

Bring your relative's military story to life and understand the experiences that shaped their service.

Looking for post-WWII or modern service records? We also offer a managed MOD Service Record Application Service for eligible applicants. Click here to enquire.

Need something more specialised? Bespoke military research services are also available on request. Click here to enquire.

What Professional Military Research Can Reveal

Many soldiers left only fragmentary records. By combining multiple historical sources it is often possible to reconstruct their unit history and wartime experience.

Identify the Battalion

Identify the battalion your ancestor served with and the period of their service.

Trace Campaigns and Battles

Understand the campaigns and battles experienced by your soldier’s unit.

Place Service in Historical Context

Place your ancestor’s service within the wider history of the regiment and war.

Research Based on Original Military Records

British Army Medal Index Card from the First World War showing regiment number and medal entitlement

Our investigations draw on a wide range of historical records used by military historians and genealogists.

Typical sources include:

• Service records
• Medal Index Cards
• Battalion war diaries
• Casualty lists
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission records
• Regimental histories

Why Families Choose History Recon

Specialist Military Research

Focused exclusively on British Army service during the World Wars.

 

Archive-Based Investigation

Research built from original historical documents and regimental records.

 

Clear Historical Narrative

Transform fragmented records into a coherent story of wartime service.

Trusted by Families Around the UK

“Thank you for the research. It has most certainly caused an emotional response. Also, thank you for your dedication to this. I cannot express what this means to me and my family to hear more about our hero. Your efforts are truly appreciated and will be long remembered by our family”
– Karen B., Cheltenham

"Before this research we knew almost nothing about our ancestor’s military life. The report helped us understand the battles he experienced and the hardships he endured, bringing us closer to him than ever before. His story is now something our whole family can remember and share."

- Charlotte J., Durham

FAQs About Our British Military Research Services

How can I trace a British Army soldier from the First or Second World War?

Tracing a British Army soldier usually begins by identifying key details such as their name, regiment, or service number.

Once these are known, researchers can examine surviving military records including service records, medal rolls, casualty lists, and battalion war diaries to reconstruct the soldier’s wartime service.

Professional research can combine these sources to build a clearer picture of a soldier’s unit, campaigns and wartime experience.

What records exist for British Army soldiers in WW1 and WW2?

Several different records can help trace British soldiers who served in the World Wars. These may include:

  • Service records

  • Medal Index Cards

  • Medal rolls

  • Battalion war diaries

  • Casualty lists

  • Commonwealth War Graves Commission records

Although some records were lost during the war, many soldiers can still be researched using these surviving historical sources.

Can you trace a soldier if I only know their name?

In many cases it is possible to begin researching a soldier using just a name and approximate dates of service.

Additional details such as a regiment, service number, photograph or medal record can help narrow the search and identify the correct soldier more quickly.

Even with limited information, historical research can often reveal useful clues about a soldier’s unit and wartime service.

What can military research reveal about my ancestor’s wartime service?

Archival military research can often identify:

  • the battalion or unit a soldier served with

  • the campaigns and battles their unit experienced

  • the movements of their battalion during the war

  • surviving historical records relating to their service

By combining multiple historical sources, it is often possible to place a soldier’s service within the wider history of the regiment and war.

What is the difference between the £30 and £99 service?

Our £30 service is an entry-level check to establish key facts like regiment and surviving records.

Our £99 service delivers a comprehensive, written narrative detailing your ancestor's entire wartime journey, movements, and campaigns.

Ready to Discover Your Ancestor’s Wartime Story?

If surviving records exist, professional research can often identify the battalion, movements and campaigns experienced by your ancestor during the war.

or if you'd like to try researching your own soldier, head to our helpful tracing page