Military Records
We have extensive experience in searching these records for family historians, military researchers and authors.
Army Records
The National Archives holds British soldiers' documents from 1660 to 1921 including WW1 officers' records provided the officer left the service before 1922.
All military records include details of Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English Regiments.
RAF
Personnel records since 1918 and many operational records can reveal valuable information.
Royal Marines
These records are fragmented but, with care, valuable details can often be found.
Royal Navy
Comprehensive records of ships, captain's logs, master's logs, musters and victualling are just the tip of the Royal navy records held at TNA.
War Crimes in WW2
We are experienced in researching these complex records.
World War 1 personal records
Only about 50% of WW1 solder's records survived German bombing in WW2. Officer's records fared better. War diaries also sometimes add detail to a search.
Intelligence records
The last 20 years have seen a remarkable increase in the number and types of records released relating to British intelligence in the 20th century including files from MI5 (the Security Service), Special Operations Executive (the WW2 sabotage and propaganda organisation) and Bletchley Park (the codebreaking organisation that later became GCHQ). Though MI6, the foreign intelligence service, does not release files, there is a surprising amount that can be found if you know where to look.
We can also trace surviving records of other secret organisations including Naval, Air and Military Intelligence, the Intelligence Corps, Home Guard Auxiliary Units (the British Resistance), Special Branch, MI9 (the escape organisation for prisoners of war) and several others.
Bob O'Hara spent 35 years at GCHQ and welcomes the amount of material that has been declassified in recent times - some of which he never expected to be able to read in a public forum.
Still not sure where to start? Please read these tips on choosing a researcher and determining your research priorities.
