Military Research Tools & Tips: How to Trace Your British Army Ancestor

If you have a surname, regiment, or WWI/WWII service number but don’t know how to proceed, this hub will help. Learn how to trace your British Army ancestor, decode service numbers and abbreviations, navigate medal cards, war diaries, casualty lists—and find those hard-to-locate record sources.

How to Decode WWI / WWII Service Numbers & Military Abbreviations

Soldiers posed indoors, ideal for illustrating military service number research and understanding regimental structure

What That Army Number Really Means

Understanding a soldier’s service number is often the key to unlocking their entire military history.

👉 How to Use a Soldier’s Service Number to Unlock Military Records

👉 Which Regiment did my ancestor serve with?

👉Common Regiments in WWI

Want an expert to trace your ancestor? Explore our research services.

How to Find & Interpret British Army Service Records

Drawer of archival military documents, ideal for illustrating a guide to finding WWI and WWII service records

Reading Between the Lines

WWI and WWII service records are filled with abbreviations, stamps, and codes. These tools will help make sense of them.

⏳ A Beginner’s Guide to Army Service Papers

⏳ How to Understand British Medal Index Cards and Rolls

Using War Diaries, Medal Rolls & Casualty Lists to Trace a Soldier

Modern workspace with notebook, laptop and open journal, representing how to use war diaries, medal rolls and casualty lists in military research

Dig Deeper with Unit Records

Once you know the unit or battalion, war diaries, medal rolls and casualty lists can reveal a remarkable amount of detail.

⏳ How to Use British War Diaries in Family Research

⏳ Tracing a soldier using Casualty Records

Your FREE downloadable guide to understanding British Army service papers is available here:

Less Obvious Ways to Trace a British Army Ancestor (Hidden Gems, Sources & Archives)

Clear and gold jewels representing rare tips and lesser-known military record collections worth exploring

When the Obvious Places Fail You

Not all military records are at the National Archives or MoD. These posts help you find lesser-known archives and online gems.

👉 Overlooked Sources for British Military Genealogy

👉Using the Commonwealth War Graves website

👉 Regimental Museums and County Archives

👉 Or, have you considered just a basic Google search?

You should now be ready to start your military family tree!

Want help research your ancestor’s service records?

Contact us today for expert searches using the MoD, National Archives, regimental museums, and more.

If you’d prefer expert help, explore our affordable research packages:

🧾 View Research Packages

💌 Gift Packages

Researching British Army ancestors takes time and patience — but the right tools make all the difference. Use the guides above or contact us for expert help.

 

Or, return to start tracing

FAQ: Tracing Your British Army Ancestor

How do I trace my British Army ancestor with only a service number?

Start with Medal Index Cards, casualty lists, and Absent Voter Listings. These often include full names, regiments, and service numbers—even when service files are missing.

Can service numbers tell you what regiment my ancestor served in?

Yes. Many service number prefixes and ranges are tied to specific regiments or battalion formations. Decoding the number can help narrow your ancestor’s unit.

Where can I find war diaries and casualty lists?

UK National Archives (WO 95, WWI and WO 166/171, WWII) is the main source. The CWGC database and digitized indexes often provide searchable casualty info.