Nature of Source
Records of those wounded or killed in action. For details of a airman’s death consult the ‘Soldiers Died in the Great War‘ publication. First published in 1921, the 81 volumes lists approximately 635,000 Soldiers and 37,000 Officers who died in WWI. The records also deal with Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force casualties. The publication may contain additional information to that on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register. The entire collection is published by The Naval & Military Press on CD-Rom and also available online. The paper and CD versions are available at The National Archives, Imperial War Museum, Society of Genealogists and specialist and local reference libraries. Also consult the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Debt of Honour Register for details of a death and also consider looking through local newspapers which often carried obituaries for those killed in action.
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was established in 1912 coming under the control of the War Office. The RFC included the Military Wing and Naval Wing, the latter becoming the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in July 1914 under the control of the Admiralty. The Royal Air Force was founded on 1 April 1918 following the amalgamation of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps coming under control of the newly created Air Ministry. The RFC and RNAS and the RAF are and were organised into squadrons (roughly equivalent of an army regiment), wings and groups, although confusingly for RNAS research a number of different squadrons and wings were assigned the same number.
During WWI, the RFC was deployed over the battlefields performing aerial reconnaissance trips and bombing missions whilst the RNAS was also deployed for home defence against enemy attack and overseas.
Service records for all deceased service personnel 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’. You can apply for Royal Air Force (RAF) records online if you’re the person’s immediate next of kin, the person died more than 25 years ago or the person died less than 25 years ago but you only want basic information about them.
Where Found
Royal Air Force Museum Archive & Library (The collection comprises several hundred thousand objects ranging in size from aircraft to lapel badges. The Museum’s library and archives collections include items such as First World War Casualty Cards, fine art, medals and uniforms, film and sound, memoirs, historical studies, ephemera, technical manuals, magazines and periodicals, RAF Historical Society Journals Personal papers, aircrew logbooks, casualty cards and aircraft records. The website has a number of online exhibitions and information leaflets to help researching RAF personnel and RAF units and stations)
General Register Office for England and Wales (Overseas births, marriages and deaths indexes including deaths that occurred in the Boer War and both World Wars. The national indexes can be viewed at various centres across England)
Period Covered
1914 – 1918
Genealogical Value
- Name
- Death date
- Career of airman.
Further References
- Bevan, Amanda. Tracing Your Ancestors in the National Archives: The National Archives, 2006
- Chorley, W.R. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War Vols. 1-9: various publishers and dates
- Fowler, Simon. A Guide to Military History on the Internet: Pen & Sword, 2007
- Fowler, Simon. Tracing Your First World War Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword, 2013
- Franks, Norman L. R. RAF Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War vol 1. Operational Losses Aircraft and Crews 1939-1941: Ian Allan Publishing, 2008
- Franks, Norman L. R. Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War: vol. 2. Operational Losses: Aircraft and Crews 1942-1943: Midland Publishing, 1998
- Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988: Air Britain Historians, 1989
- Hobart, Malcolm. Badges And Uniforms of The RAF: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
- Hobson, Chris. Airmen Died in the Great War, 1914-18: The Roll of Honour of the British and Commonwealth Air Services of the First World War: Hayward, 1995
- Ingham, Mary. Tracing Your Service Women Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books 2012
- McInnes, I & Webb, J. V. A Contemptible Little Flying Corps: Naval and Military Press, 2001 (Includes brief biographies of all non-commissioned airmen who joined the RFC between 1922 and 1914)
- Philpott, Ian, The Birth of the Royal Air Force: Pen and Sword Books 2014
- Spencer, William. Air Force Records: A Guide for Family Historians: The National Archives, 2008
- Spencer, William. Family History in the Wars: The National Archives, 2007
- Spencer, William. Air Force Records: The National Archives, 2008
- Storey, Neil. Military Photographs and How to Date Them: Countryside Books, 2009
- Tomaselli, Phil. Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Books, 2014
- Tomaselli, Phil. Air Force Lives: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen and Sword Books, 2013
- Tracing Your Family History: Royal Air Force: Imperial War Museum, 2006
- Usher, George. Dictionary of British Military History: A&C Black Publishers, 2006
Websites
www.1914-1918.net (The Long, Long Trail – The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918: A resource for military historians, genealogists and others with an interest in the Great War of 1914-1918 with information on the soldiers, units, regiments and battles of the British Army. The site includes a section on ‘Researching a soldier’)
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.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/war-dead-first-second-world-wars.htm (TNA Research Guide: War dead: First and Second World Wars)
www.greatwar.co.uk/research/military-records/ww1-war-dead-records.htm (Records for the War Dead of WW1)
www.forces-war-records.co.uk/free-tutorials (Forces War Records Research Guides: These guides will help you understand how you can find as much out about your ancestors past as possible and include: ‘Getting Started Guide: Your complete guide to researching your military ancestor’ and ‘Understanding your ancestor’s military record’)
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)
www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html (Veterans UK)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/?research-category=military-and-maritime (TNA Research Guide Military and Maritime)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-subject (TNA guide: Looking for records of a Royal Air Force squadron)
www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/squadrons (Royal Air Force Squadrons. Active squadrons are the full and part-time units of personnel and equipment that carry out the RAF’s mission)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_aircraft_squadrons (From Wikipedia: List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons)
www.historyofwar.org/subject_RAF_units.html (Military History Encyclopedia on the Web: RAF Squadrons, Second World War)
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.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.militaryarchiveresearch.com (Military Archive Research, by Dr Stuart C Blank)
www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/our-history (Royal Air Force. Our History)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/research-enquiries (Royal Air Force Museum Information Leaflets including Researching First World War personnel, Researching Royal Air Force unit records and Researching Royal Air Force stations)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/research-enquiries/history-of-aviation-timeline (Royal Air Force Museum: History of Aviation Timeline)
www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/lest-we-forget (Royal Air Force Museum Online Exhibition: Lest We Forget)
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.waafassociation.org.uk (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force Association. In dedication to all past and serving airwomen of the RAF who served at home and abroad, we pledge our friendship; and to those who lost their lives, remembrance)
www.associations.rafinfo.org.uk/acronyms.htm (Royal Air Force Acronyms and Abbreviations)
www.raf-ff.org.uk (RAF Families Federation: Service personnel: Abbreviations & Acronyms)
www.rafaberporth.org.uk/page25.html (Royal Air Force Aberporth. RAF Slang and Acronyms)
https://war.web.ox.ac.uk/great-war-archive (Oxford University: The Great War Archive: 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 share First World War objects on the The Great War Archive Flickr Group)
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.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 a section on Pension Records with articles providing help and guidance for your research into The Great War)
Online Databases
Debt of Honour Register – Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findmypast.co.uk (Armed forces & conflict records, including Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 and War deaths from the Boer War, WWI and WW2)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Airmen Died In The Great War, 1914-1919. Search indexes of airmen who died during the First World War. Discover your relative’s name, birth and death years, cause of death and rank. The records come from the Naval & Military Press)
www.findmypast.co.uk (Wiltshire WW1 Hospital Records. Search admissions to the Old Sarum Isolation Hospital, the Harnham Red Cross Hospital at East Harnham and the Salisbury Infirmary on Fisherton Street. The records cover the army and royal air force as well as Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)
www.thegenealogist.co.uk/ww1-wounded (Over 1.3 million records from daily and weekly First World War casualty lists from British and Commonwealth forces covering soldiers, sailors and airmen from all ranks. The collection covers both those who died of their wounds and those who recovered and returned to the front)
www.nmarchive.com (Naval & Military Archive: Military Genealogy: Datasets include Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919; De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour 1914-1924; Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945; National Roll of the Great War; Ireland’s Memorial Records 1914-1918)
www.ancestry.co.uk (Web: UK and Allied Countries, Index of International Bomber Command Losses, 1936-1966. This is a web-based index of Royal Air Force Bomber Command casualties between 1936 and 1966. During World War II, more than a million men and women from 60 nations across the world served or supported the Bomber Command)
RAF Museum Storyvault
The site is a digital archive dedicated to preserving and sharing the history and stories of the Royal Air Force. The site hosts a searchable digital archive consisting of:
- Muster Roll, 1918. The Muster Roll lists NCOs and men who were serving in the ranks who were transferred to the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918. Officers are not included.
- Casualty Cards. The Royal Flying Corps and from April 1918 the Royal Air Force kept detailed records of men who were killed, wounded or reported missing. The collection of casualty cards starts around 1915 and runs into the 1920s. They deal primarily with officers, although there are some cards for Non-Commissioned Officers and Men.
- Air Force List. Search the names of officers of the Army and Navy. List corrected to 1st February 1918.
- Roll of Honour 1911-1918.
www.familyrelatives.com (Military Records including Soldiers who died in the Great War 1914-1918)
www.genesreunited.co.uk (WW1 death Records including Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919)
www.ancestry.co.uk (WWI British Army Service Records including Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919)
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)
CD Roms
Naval & Military Press (CDs include Airmen Died in The Great War 1914-1918 The Roll of Honour of the British and Commonwealth Air Services)
