Nature of Source
Officer records of commissions published in the official Army Lists and the unofficial Hart’s Army List (1839-1915), produced by Lieutenant H.G. Hart. The official Army List was first published in 1740 and annually from 1754 to 1878 and then quarterly from 1879 to 1922. The Army List was indexed by name from 1766 and arranged by regiment.
Hart’s List has an advantage over the official list in that from 1839 it contains details of war service whilst the official list details this information only from 1881. The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Marines officers appear in the Army List. The Army List was classified from 1939 and is therefore not available to the general public.
A potential source of regular army officer information can be found in the Graduation Lists which run from 1901 to 1914 which are available in the open reading room at The National Archives. These lists are similar in scope to the Army Lists. A possible starting point for officer research pre-WWI is to consult the alphabetical card index of officers compiled by staff at The National Archives in the 1970s. The information was extracted from series WO 25 and WO 26 but unfortunately is not complete. WO 25 is also available as part of the Digital Microfilm Records. Officer commissions, promotions and discharges have also been published in the London Gazette since the early 18th century.
Earlier officer commissions can be found in the following reference books:
Dalton, Charles. English Army Lists and Commission Registers, 1661-1714: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1892-1904 (Some volumes available at the Internet Archive and on CD ROM from S & N Genealogy Supplies)
Dalton, Charles. George I’s Army, 1714-1727: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1910-1912
An officer’s name can also be found amongst the surviving documents found in series WO 27 covering the years from 1750 to 1914. The series contains regimental inspection returns and amongst other things shows the names of officers present providing his name, age and nationality. Another possibility for finding details of an officer (cavalry and infantry officers only) is to search the Service Returns found in series WO 25. These records consists of surveys of retired officers on full or half pay and were taken for various years from 1809 to 1873. Service returns for Engineers officers can be found in series WO 25 and WO 54 and for Artillery officers in series WO 54 and WO 76 (Records within WO 76 are available to download free of charge as part of the Digital Microfilm Records). The Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers published their own lists of officers and these are available at The National Archives and other local and reference libraries.
Service records for all ranks who served after 1920 remain with the Ministry of Defence with each military service maintaining its own record office. See the MOD detailed guide ‘Requests for personal data and service records: How to apply for access to personal data held by the Ministry of Defence’.
Where Found
The National Archives (WO 64, Manuscript Army Lists, 1702-1823; WO 65, Printed Annual Army Lists, 1754-1879; WO 66, Printed Quarterly Army Lists, 1879-1900; WO 42, War Office: Officers’ Birth Certificates, Wills and Personal Papers, 1755-1908)
Series WO 65 and WO 42 are available to download free of charge as part of the Digital Microfilm Records
Army List name indexes from 1766 and volumes of Army Lists are available in the open reading room.
Society of Genealogists (Hart’s Army List, Army List)
National Army Museum/Templer Study Centre (The museum houses a wealth of information on the history and traditions of the Army including officer Army Lists, regimental and campaign histories, soldier’s effects records, military memoirs and diaries, regimental and other military periodicals and books and other archives relating to the pre-1914 Army. The museum also holds the enlistment and discharge books for the Buffs, the Middlesex Regiment, and the five Irish regiments disbanded in 1922. See the web site for details of their collections and a series of information sheets for researching army family history)
Regimental Museums (Some regimental museums may hold officer service records such as appointments, commissions and promotions. These records may deal with officer service before the War Office assumed responsibility for keeping and maintaining officer records towards the end of the 19th century)
Imperial War Museum
British Library
National Library of Scotland (Military Directories. These publications can provide information about the units that individuals served in, but you should be aware that most of these directories only list officers. One example in the collections is the ‘Army List’)
County Record Offices (Find the details of a local UK archive from a searchable list of over 2,500 archives hosted by The National Archives)
Local and specialist reference libraries
Period Covered
1740 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
- Name, regiment, rank of officer.
- Dates of promotion, decorations and war service.
- Birth and death date and retirement date.
- Details of commission.
Further References
General
- Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, A-C: Jade Publishing, 2003
- Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, D-G Jade Publishing, 2009
- Beckett, James Deuchar (ed). The Beckett Soldiers Index, H-K: Jade Publishing, 2009 (Listing of soldiers from 1793 to about 1854 extracted from TNA series WO 120 and WO 116 and other sources such as marriage registers and medal awards. Arranged alphabetically by surname, forename and regiment including whether discharged at either Chelsea or Kilmainham Hospital. These published editions cover more ground than the Beckett Soldiers’ Index available at The National Archives)
- Bevan, Amanda. Tracing Your Ancestors in the National Archives: The National Archives, 2006
- Brereton, J.M. A Guide to the Regiments and Corps of the British Army: Bodley Head, 1985
- Blank, Dr. Stuart. Researching British Military History on the Internet: Alwyn Enterprises, 2007
- Cox. Reginald H. W. Military Badges of the British Empire 1914-18: Ernest Benn, 1982
- Farmer, John, The Regimental Records of the British Army: Grant Richards, 1901 (Free download available at the Internet Archive)
- Fowler, Simon. A Guide to Military History on the Internet: Pen & Sword, 2007
- Fowler, Simon. Tracing your Army Ancestors: Pen & Sword, 2006
- Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your Army Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
- Gaylor, John. Military Badge Collecting: Pen & Sword Books, 2002
- Grehan, John & Mace, Martin. British Battles of the Crimean Wars 1854-1856: Pen & Sword Books, 2014
- Kitzmiller, John. In Search of the Forlorn Hope: A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and Their Records, 1640-WWI: Manuscript Publishing Foundation, 1988
- Murphy, Gerry. Where Did That Regiment Go? The Lineage of British Infantry and Cavalry Regiments at a Glance: The History Press, 2009
- Paterson, Sarah. Tracing Your Family History, Army: Imperial War Museum, 2006
- Pols, Robert. Dating Old Army Photographs: Family History Partnership, 2011
- Saks, David. Boerejode: Jews in the Boer Armed Forces 1899-1902: 2010
- Spencer, William. Family History in the Wars: The National Archives, 2007
- Spencer, William. Army Records: A Guide For Family Historians: The National Archives, 2008
- Storey, Neil. Military Photographs and How to Date Them: Countryside Books, 2009
- Swinnerton, Iain, An Introduction to the British Army: Its History, Traditions and Records: FFHS, 1996
- Swinson, Arthur. A Register of the Regiments and Corps of the British Army: The Archive Press, 1972
- The Great War: A Photographic Narrative: Imperial War Museum: Jonathan Cape, 2013
- Usher, George. Dictionary of British Military History: A&C Black Publishers, 2006
- Watts, Michael and Watts, Christopher. My Ancestor was in the British Army: Society of Genealogists, 2009
- Westlake, Ray. The Territorials 1908-1914: A Guide for Military and Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2011
WWI
- Banks, Arthur. A Military Atlas of The First World War: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
- Bridger, Geoff. The Great War Handbook: A Guide For Family Historians & Students Of The Conflict: Pen & Sword Books, 2013
- Christopher, John & McCutcheon, Campbell. 1914 the First World War in Old Photographs: Over by Christmas: Amberley Publishing, 2014
- Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. British Army Cap Badges of the First World War: Shire Publications, 2010
- Doyle, Peter. Great War British Tommy Manual: The British Soldier 1914-18 [All Models]-Haynes Owners’ Workshop Manuals: Haynes, 2013
- Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. Remembering Tommy: The British Soldier in the First World War: The History Press, 2013
- Doyle, Peter & Foster Chris. What Tommy Took to War, 1914-1918: Shire Publications, 2014
- Doyle, Peter. The First World War in 100 Objects: The History Press, 2014
- Forty, Simon. Mapping the First World War: Battlefields of the Great Conflict from Above: Anova Books, 2013
- Gregson, Keith. A Tommy in the Family: First World War Family History Tales and Research Tips: The History Press, 2014
- Hadaway, Stuart. Tracing Your Great War Ancestors: The Egypt and Palestine Campaigns: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2017
- Holding, Norman, More Sources of WWI Army Ancestry: FFHS, 1998
- Holding, Norman & Swinnerton, Iain. WWI Army Ancestry: FFHS, 2004
- Holmes, Richard. Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-1918: Harper Perennial, 2005
- Holmes, Richard. Shots from the Front: The British Soldier 1914-18: HarperPress, 2010
- Holmes, Richard. The First World War in Photographs: Andre Deutsch, July 2014
- James, Brig. E. A. British Regiments 1914-18: Naval and Military Press, 2009
- Paterson, Sarah. Tracing Your Prisoner of War Ancestors: The First World War: Pen & Sword, 2012
- Rawson, Andrew. The British Army 1914-1918: The History Press, 2014
- Spencer, William. First World War Army Service Records: The National Archives, 2008
- Swinnerton, Iain. Identifying Your World War One Soldier from Badges and Photographs: Federation of Family History Societies, 2001
Digitised editions of Army Lists and Hart’s Army Lists are available to read online or download at the Internet Archive.
Websites
General
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=military-and-maritime (The National Archives Research Guides: Military and Maritime. Learn how to trace the voyages made by a merchant seaman, find a Royal Marine’s medal record or track the wartime history of an Army regiment)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160520024659/https://www.colonialwargaming.co.uk/Miscellany/Army/Commissions.htm (The Purchase of Officers’ Commissions in the British Army, by John Armatys & Robert George Cordery)
www.ukmfh.org.uk (UK Military Family History Online: Links to web sites with online data and information to aid in military family history research)
www.armylists.org.uk (Guide to Army Lists and published lists available on CD)
www.parishchest.com (Online store selling Army Lists and Hart’s List from a variety of suppliers)
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterans-uk (Veterans UK. The organisation provides free support for veterans and their families, including a helpline, Veterans Welfare Service and injury/bereavement compensation scheme payments)
www.iwm.org.uk/research/tracing-your-family-history/tracing-your-army-history (Imperial War Museum Research Guide: Tracing Your Family History. Guides to help you start your research into your army family history explaining what records you will need and where to find them. Subject areas include: Service records; Casualty information; Medal records; Unit and operational histories)
www.iwm.org.uk/research/tracing-your-family-history/tracing-your-army-history (Imperial War Museum Research Guide: Tracing Your Family History. Guides to help you start your research into your Royal Air Force family history explaining what records you will need and where to find them. Subject areas include: Service records; Casualty information; Medal records; Unit and operational histories)
www.militaryarchiveresearch.com (Military Archive Research, by Dr Stuart C Blank)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/MilitaryRecords (GENUKI Guide: UK and Ireland: Military Records)
www.genuki.org.uk/big/BritMilRecs (GENUKI: British Military Records by Jay Hall)
www.britishbadgeforum.com (The British and Commonwealth Military Badge Forum: British Cavalry Badges. Forum devoted to those with an interest in military badges and military badge collecting. Sections include British Cavalry Badges, Bibliography of Military Insignia and a Glossary)
www.armymuseums.org.uk/museum-directory (The Army Museums Ogilby Trust: Museum Directory: Guide and links to military museums in the UK)
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/research-guides (National Records of Scotland Research Guide: Military Records. This guide deals with the records held at National Records of Scotland relating to the military. The first part deals with army personnel records while the second part covers more general sources for military history)
WWI
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war (The National Archives: Online Exhibitions: First World War 100. Explore key aspects of the war through themes such as technology and the Middle East, special projects and partnerships)
www.longlongtrail.co.uk (The Long, Long Trail. The site is dedicated to helping you discover the British army and its soldiers of the First World War with sections packed with useful advice on Researching Soldiers, Researching the Army and Researching Battles)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war (The First World War – The National Archives: Web portal dedicated to WWI with collections featuring letters, diaries, podcasts and videos, maps and photographs. Also discover online collections, research guides and educational resources to learn about the history behind the war)
www.operationwardiary.org (Operation War Diary: Crowdsourcing partnership project between The National Archives, Imperial War Museums and Zooniverse which aims to unlock the details from within the WWI unit war diaries such as individual named individuals and place names)
https://blogs.bl.uk/european/world-war-one (British Library: Exploring Europe at the British Library: World War One)
https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/world-war-one (British Library: Untold Lives Blog: World War One)
www.westernfrontassociation.com (The Western Front Association: The Association was formed with the aim of furthering interest in The Great War of 1914-1918 and to perpetuate the memory of all those on all sides who served during The Great War. The site includes articles on every aspect of the First World War written by experts in their field. Members have free access to over seven million WWI pension records saved from destruction by the association. The records are also available by subscription at Fold3 with transcripts available at Ancestry)
https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk (Imperial War Museum: Lives of the First World War. Discover, Explore and Remember Millions of Personal Stories From The First World War. The project tells the stories of individuals from across Britain and the Commonwealth who served in uniform and worked on the home front. Each person remembered has Life Story page using a variety of sources. The digital project ran from 12 May 2014 to 19 March 2019)
https://maryevanspicturelibrary.typepad.com/ww1 (Mary Evans Picture Library: Picturing the Great War: The First World War Blog)
https://maps.nls.uk/ww1/trenches (British First World War Trench Maps, 1915-1918 – National Library of Scotland. Maps of the Western Front in the Great War depicting British and German trenches. Users can browse individual sheets using a zoomable map or view zoomable overlays of each map on a modern Google or Bing map)
www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/our-history/first-world-war-volunteers (British Red Cross: First World War Volunteers: Search over 90,000 people who volunteered for the British Red Cross at home and overseas during the war. Groups of volunteers were organised into Voluntary Aid Detachments)
www.everyoneremembered.org (Every One Remembered The Royal British Legion initiative allows members of the public to commemorate with a personal dedication every individual man and woman from across the Commonwealth who fell in the First World War)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Welsh Guards 1914-1918. These records contain 4,060 names of officers who served with the Welsh Guards, and nominal rolls of Warrant Officers and NCOs)
https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk (TNA podcast: Tracing battalions or regiments of the British Army during the Great War)
Archive: Access WWI digital photographs, audio, film, documents, and stories submitted by the general public. The initiative was run by Oxford University between the 3rd March and the 30th June 2008. Users can also share First World War objects photos on the The Great War Archive Flickr Group)
https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20190327132724/http://www.1914.org (Imperial War Museum First World War Centenary 1914-1918)
www.europeana.eu/portal/en/collections/world-war-I (Europeana 1914-1918. Explore the untold stories and official histories of World War I in items from across Europe including postcards, letters, diaries, images and other memorabilia)
www.pals.org.uk/research.htm (Guide to researching service records)
https://ww1-lost-photos.livejournal.com (Blog covering the WWI photographs of the unknown soldiers)
www.ww1photos.com (World War One Photos: Thousands of identified photos & obituaries of First World War officers, soldiers, sailors, nurses, airmen and civilian workers)
www.flickr.com/photos/imperialwarmuseum/sets/72157627910530369/with/6279131985 (IWM Collections: Faces of the First World War)
www.library.wales/discover/library-resources/cymru-1914-1 (Cymru 1914. The Welsh Experience of the First World War. Online access to digitised primary sources relating to the First World War from the Libraries, Special Collections and Archives of Wales)
www.inflandersfields.be/en (In Flanders Fields Museum. The museum presents the story of the First World War in the West Flanders front region and is located in the famous Cloth Hall in the centre of Ypres)
www.stepshort.co.uk (Step Short: Folkestone Harbour Canteen Visitors’ Books: Online collection of 42,000 names of soldiers, nurses and other individuals who passed through the town of Folkestone on their way to the Western Front between 1914 and 1919)
www.ljmu.ac.uk/merseyside-at-war (Merseyside at War 1914-1918: Memories and memorabilia of people from Merseyside who lived, worked or fought during the World War 1 period. Items include letters, photographs, birth certificates and records, posters and medals)
www.findmypast.ie (Ireland’s Memorial Record: World War 1: 1914-1918: Online access to transcribed volumes of Ireland’s Memorial Records, created to preserve and commemorate the memory of the thousands of Irishmen who died during the war)
Online Databases
www.findmypast.co.uk (Army Lists and Hart’s)
www.thegenealogist.co.uk (Army Lists and Harts Army Lists, 1661 to 1940)
https://digital.nls.uk/97343435 (National Library of Scotland Digital Gallery: British Military Lists: Transcriptions and images of Army Lists, Navy Lists and Air Force Lists covering WWI and WWII)
www.findmypast.co.uk (British Army Service Records 1760-1913: Data extracted from TNA series WO 97 which provides details on soldiers, popularly known as Chelsea Pensioners, in receipt of a pension from the Royal Hospital Chelsea after discharge between 1760 and 1913)
www.findmypast.co.uk (British Army, Bond Of Sacrifice: Officers Died In The Great War 1914-1916. The dataset contains over 2,600 officer biographies from both volumes of the Bond of Sacrifice. Names are listed in alphabetical order and most entries include a photo portrait and a short biography)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Register of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. The records contain over 258,800 names, including a completely revised casualty list of 59,000 casualty records)
www.findmypast.co.uk (British Army Officer Promotions, 1800-1815. The dataset lists the details of Wellington’s officers who went on to defeat Napoleon in 1815. Each record comprises a transcript of the promotion which was originally announced in The London Gazette)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1919: Published in 1919 by HMSO and compiled in the Officers Casualties branch of the War Office from reports to the notice of the Military Secretary)
https://sandhurstcollection.co.uk (Records of the Royal Military Academy, 1741-1892. Search registers detailing the joining, leaving and commissioning of cadets from the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, the Royal Military College Sandhurst and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. The remainder of the registers list instructional and administrative staff, as well as civilian employees and servants)
Ancestry World War I Military Records
The site offers a gateway page for searching First World War collections. It offers access to a comprehensive range of military records that can help you learn about ancestors who served during World War I. The site also offers videos for tips on how to search and examples of what you could find.
The site features collections such as:
- British Army WWI Service Records (1914-1920).
- British Army WWI Pension Records (1914-1920).
- Medal Rolls Index Cards (1914-1920).
- Silver War Badge Records (1914-1920).
- Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal (1914-1920).
- Royal Navy and Royal Marine records.
- Navy medal and award rolls (covering a wider period from 1793-1972).
- The National Roll of the Great War (1914-1918).
- Commonwealth War Graves (1914-1921, 1939-1947).
- De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour (1914-1919).
Please note, the UK, World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 are not included in the collection.
www.forces-war-records.co.uk (Military Genealogy Forces War Records: Military records of over two million British Armed Forces personnel cross matched with over 4000 Regiments including Rolls of Honour, Crimean and Boer War Databases, Medal Rolls and Casualties Lists. The site also has a facility to access information on specific units or bases including regiments, ships, airfields)
https://database.namenlijst.be/publicsearch (Flanders Fields Museum: The Name List: Search fatalities of the Great War who died or were mortally wounded in Belgium, both civilian and military and whatever their nationality. The list includes the digitised Ireland’s Memorial Records which commemorates the memory of the thousands of Irishmen who died during the war)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Casualties of the Boer War, 1899-1902: The database lists the names, regiments, dates, locations and nature of casualty of all officers and men of the South African Field Force from the outbreak of war)
www.nmarchive.com (Naval & Military Archive: Military Genealogy: Boer War Casualties 1899-1902. This database lists the names, regiments, dates, locations and nature of casualty of all Officers and men of the South African Field Force and the Natal Field Force)
www.sofo.org.uk/soldiers/soldier (Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum: Soldier Search. Search over 120,000 Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry soldiers’ and officers’ names, nearly 3000 Queens Own Oxfordshire Hussars names and hundreds of names of those that served with the RAF, Home Guard and Royal Garrison Artillery)
www.casus-belli.co.uk (The Register of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902: Database that lists men and women who served in the British Imperial Forces during the Anglo-Boer War. The register includes soldiers, sailors, nurses and civilians as well as a casualty roll. The data is compiled for sources such as Official Casualty Rolls, A Gazetteer of the Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, Medal Rolls, Anglo-Boer War Memorials Project and Winifred Scott’s Anglo-Boer War Index. The Register will state whether the person listed has an entry in series WO 97 held at The National Archives. For a full list of sources see the website)
CD Roms
Your Old Books & Maps (Army Lists and Hart’s Army Lists)
S & N Genealogy Supplies (Army Lists and Hart’s Army Lists)
Naval & Military Press (Army Lists and Hart’s Army Lists)
Naval & Military Press (Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1919: This publication is arranged in two parts: Part I The Old and New Armies, Part II The Territorial Force. RFC officers, both Regular and Territorial, are included in Part I, but not RAF, which came into existence on 1st April 1918)
Manchester and Lancashire FHS (Oldham Chronicle Index of Service Personnel 1914-1919: Service personnel who were mentioned in the Saturday editions of the Oldham Chronicle, 1914 to the end of December 1919)
Surrey History Trust (Surrey Recruitment Register, 1908-1933. details of about 85,000 men who signed up for service in Surrey between 1908 and 1933, including volunteers and conscripts in World War I)
www.officialhistoryofthegreatwar.co.uk (Official History of The Great War: A complete record of the war on the Western Front, 1914-1918. It contains all fourteen volumes of text describing operations in France and Belgium, plus the 160 oversized maps contained within the separate eight cases of operational and situation maps)
