French military records document personnel who served in one of the branches of the armed forces of France. French Armed Forces today are the largest in the European Union and consist of four branches: Army, Navy, Air & Space Force and the National Gendarmerie. Each branch has several subdivisions and special units[1]. Most famously this includes the French Foreign Legion, comprising tough and loyal foreign volunteers who have fought for France in various overseas conflicts since the Legion's founding in 1831[2].
Bastille Day Parade, Paris 2017
The French military suffered enormous casualties in both world wars. Between them the France lost around 1.6 million personnel, including those who served in the resistance or were forced to fight for France's enemies[3][4]. These losses were devastating for France's demography and its economic and social development due to the death of so many young men, the massive damage to the country's infrastructure and the loss of its overseas colonies.
There were also political and psychological impacts, especially after the Second World War, such as national soul-searching on the extent of German collaboration. This contributed to social unrest and the emergence of new political movements as well as the forces of pacifism and nationalism[5]. Then in the mid-20th century France was engaged in further bloody conflicts in Vietnam (1946-1954) and Algeria (1954-1962). All in all its military experience has profoundly shaped modern France and its people.
The article How to Research Military Records on the MyHeritage Wiki is a good starting point for family historians interested in exploring ancestors who served in France's military forces, or French nationals who were otherwise impacted by major wars. The article provides general guidance on issues such as preparatory steps you can take to make your search for military records more productive as well as pointing to other potential sources of French military records beyond those made available by various national authorities.
Accessing French military records
Before you begin your research, you should confirm you are eligible to access the records you're interested in. The restrictions on access to records in France are based on privacy concerns, and mean it is possible to generally only access records older than[6]:
120 years for military personnel records
150 years for former combatants’ records
100 years for military justice records after the file was closed
150 years for medical records from the respective person’s date of birth
150 years for military service records (also known as matricule registre)
Where French military records are stored
Searching for French military records depends on factors such as the relevant dates, the war or conflict involved, the military branch of service and which commune or department (French administrative division) the person of interest may have first registered.
The main sources for historical French military records include:
French Navy in the Mediterranean, 1914-1918The Service Historique de la Défense (SHD) is the official archive of the French Ministry of Defence. It has a vast collection of records dating back to the 17th century, including personnel files, unit histories, war diaries, maps, photos and more. SHD has limited open access online databases and catalogues (English version available), but others require registration. To access the original records, you may need to visit the SHD archive in person or request a copy by mail or email. There are several SHD offices across France but the main branch is located at the Château de Vincennes, near Paris. It holds individual files on officers of all four branches of the military, dating from the 18th Century. The centre in Châtellerault houses civilian files dating from the end of the 19th Century, including files on resistance networks or registers from concentration camps. Generally, you need to make an appointment, request the documents in advance of visiting and hold a reader card[7].
The Departmental Archives (Archives départementales) have online enlistment records (matricule registre) for each French department. Some matricule registre date back almost 200 years and are available on the website of the specific Archives départementales, corresponding to the person's original military registration.
Military census records (les recensements militaires) are 19th century conscription records which were used to register and evaluate for service young men as they reached adulthood, typically at 20 years old. These records are extensive but you must know the specific details of where (at least down to the district, arrondissement) where the individual was living when he was of age to serve in the military and when the person was born as well as the correct Department for place of birth[8].
The French Foreign Legioninformation website includes details of the whole history of the Legion. It includes units, battles and campaigns. However, according to various blogs involving people who have tried, it appears that it is almost impossible to obtain individual military records for personnel who served in the Legion[9].
The information included in French military records
Foreign Legion on the march, Homs (Syria), 1940
The information contained in historic French military records varies considerably depending on the type of record, the time period and the physical condition of the records. However, some common pieces of information that may be found include:
Online enlistment records (matricule registre) held by the Archives départementales can provide information such as name, date and place of birth, physical description, military service, campaigns, medals and injuries.
For other French military records the information varies:
Some personal information, such as name, date and place of birth, parents' names, residence, occupation, physical description, marital status and family members.
Some military service details such as military muster roll number, unit, rank, promotions, campaigns, battles, medals, injuries, pensions, conduct and discharge.
Some historical information such as unit histories, war diaries, maps, photos and other documents that provide context and details about the military events and operations.
Cost and processing time for French military records
Access to SHD's online databases and catalogues is free. Matricule registre not bound by privacy restrictions are also usually available for free online on the websites of the various Archives départementales. There may be fees payable, either pay-per-view or subscription-based for some records. Costs are based on the format and quantity of the records and include both administrative (processing) fees and postage. The processing time for military records requests can vary. For those records not available online, it can take weeks to months to receive copies of requested records. For military records still restricted due to privacy concerns, the researcher will probably need to wait until the restriction periods described above have been met.
MyHeritage includes 8 collections with over 9.3 million French military records. Among the most useful are:
France, Military Death Index, 1914-1961: an index of death records of individuals who died fighting in the French armed forces, members of foreign armed forces who died fighting in France, and civilians who were killed in France. Note: the majority of the records cover World War I.
Multiple collections of enlistment records of and conscription of soldiers in various French departments, including Nord, Seine, Calvados,Saône-et-Loire, Rhone, etc.
World War II Prisoners of War: lists of French prisoners of war captured by German forces following France’s defeat in the Battle of France, May-June 1940. Records typically contain the soldier’s name, date and place of birth, rank, and unit.
MyHeritage also includes a further 110 collections with over 1.3 billion records relating to France. The MyHeritage Knowledge Base includes a 2022 webinar, "An overview of the massive new record collection from France", that will assist you in exploring these collections. Some that may be especially useful in relation to researching military records and history include:
France Newspapers & Periodicals: a compendium of periodicals, primarily newspapers, published in various cities and towns of France covering the years 1644-2000.
France, Legion of Honour: The National Order of the Legion of Honour is the highest civilian and military order of merit in France. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. This list includes contains information on individuals accepted into the Legion of Honour since 1802 and who died before 1977.
Because many French military records are not available online, it might be advisable to consider contacting a professional genealogist or experienced military researcher fluent in French for help in locating specific records or visiting specific archives on behalf of the researcher.
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