From a genealogical perspective, military records can provide insights into ancestors who served at an important time in their lives. Military service frequently exposed participants to intense fighting in unfamiliar environments and confronting life-changing situations, with long-term consequences for them.[1] Yet at the same time military service was, for many, a time of travel to faraway lands when that was much less common than today; of experiencing deep comradeship with their fellow soldiers; and of personal pride in their contribution to a critical national cause[2].
Military records typically cover basic details of rank and service history. But they can sometimes also provide a surprisingly diverse range of information, from physical descriptions and medical data, embarkation details for overseas theatres and to honours and awards they may have received. Individual Personnel Files, if accessible, may also include official and even personal correspondence between military authorities, the serviceman or woman and their family and friends allowing for a better understanding of these relationships.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
Other Wiki guides to researching military records
Complementing the general guidance provided below this wiki contains a series of country-specific articles on researching military records, including:
- United States - How to research US military ancestors
- United States - U.S. WW1 military records
- United States - U.S. WW2 military records
- United Kingdom - UK military records
- Canada - Canadian military records
- Australia - Australian military records
- France - French military records
- Germany - German military records
- Austria - Austrian military records
- Italy - Italian military records
These country guides provide detailed guidance on matters such as:
- Where military records are stored and are accessible
- The information typically included in that country's military records
- Cost and processing time to obtain the records
- Ideas for further country-specific research
There is also a seperate Wiki article on Death and Burial Practices in World Wars I & II.
First steps to researching military records
As in many other areas of family research, records of military service can be scattered across many sources. Moreover with databases containing the names and details of literally millions of servicemen and women, many with common names, finding your ancestor can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
So, before you start, here's some preparatory steps you can take to make your search more productive:
- Gather as much information as you can about the person you are researching. This includes their full name, date of birth, and any other information you know about when, where, and in what branch of the military they served. Ideally, you might even find their discharge certificate or military service number among their personal papers if you can get access to these.
- If a photograph of the person in uniform is available it may show an insignia that identifies their military unit.
- Identify the specific records you are looking for. There are many different types of military records, so it is important to know what you are looking for before you start your search. Usually, it's best to confirm the basic details of their service before hunting for more detailed or obscure information.
- Consider multiple sources, not just one. Researching multiple sources will increase your chances of finding the records you are looking for. This also helps to validate the information you've discovered.
- When considering alternate sources think outside the box. For example, the U.S. National Archive and Records Administration holds significant German military records, captured by American forces at the end of the Second World War[3]. Similarly, the Archive of the International Committee of the Red Cross includes information on prisoners of war held during the Spanish Civil War or Second World War[4].
- Be persistent. If you don't find the records you are looking for the first time, don't become discouraged. Further searching may eventually lead to success.
- Confirm you are eligible to access the records you're interested in, noting that eligibility requirements vary from country to country and the type of record you are seeking.
- Be prepared to pay to access some military records, especially those that require the holding institution to first create a digital copy for you.
Further general research
The MyHeritage website currently contains 667 military collections with 83,639,972 records. The range of military collections, the number of countries covered, and number of individual records available are constantly expanding. The collections include powerful options allowing you to refine your search across many different criteria.
Other MyHeritage resources which can provide general guidance on researching military-related information include:
- The MyHeritage newspaper collection which includes relevant articles such as military obituaries and articles recounting individual or group military exploits.
- A webinar, "Ask The Expert – Military Records on MyHeritage" in the Knowledge Base
- An article, "Military Records: Search by Name on MyHeritage" in the Knowledge Base
- A blog post on "Top 10 Tips for Researching Your Ancestors’ Military Service".
Cyndi's List, a free resource, has a range of historical military collections from multiple countries.
An article appearing in the May 2023 edition of the Who Do You Think You Are magazine includes a useful list of additional websites for those family historians seeking to trace their ancestor's service records from the First World War. This includes some specialist sites, for example those that hold records of soldiers from the Punjab (divided between modern-day India and Pakistan), those from Ireland, and British Jewish soldiers.
If the data is important to you, and your extended efforts to locate it have proved fruitless, consider engaging a professional researcher specialising in military records.
Explore more about How to research military records
- Military rocords collection at MyHeritage
- Ask The Expert – Military Records on MyHeritage on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- Military Records: Search by Name on MyHeritage on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- American Overseas Military Burials: Researching U.S. Soldier Ancestors Buried Abroad on MyHeritage on the MyHeritage Knowledge Base
- After 80 Years, WWII-Era Love Letters Found in Old Home Returned to Couple’s Daughter from the MyHeritage blog
References
- ↑ Chretien, J.-P., Chretien, K. C., & Pavlin, J. A. (2016, November). Long-term health consequences of military service: A proposal to strengthen surveillance and research. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974).
- ↑ Department of Veterans’ Affairs. (2023, June 14). Comradeship: Stories of friendship and recreation in wartime. Anzac Portal.
- ↑ National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Captured german and related records on microfilm. National Archives and Records Administration.
- ↑ International Committee of the Red Cross. (2023, May 22). Requests for information about people held during Spanish Civil War or Second World War: Quarterly limit reached. International Committee of the Red Cross.