Military
Military and army records, history, research and family history
Second World War Army records: Where to find them
If someone in your family history served in the Army during the Second World War, here's how to track down their records
How to find Royal Navy service records
Simon Wills reveals how family historians can find their ancestors’ Royal Navy service records – from the Napoleonic Wars to the First and Second World Wars
The National Archives seeks bidders to digitise Home Guard records
The National Archives has published a notice seeking expressions of interest in digitising Second World War Home Guard records
When is VJ Day?
What was VJ Day? When did it take place? And how did people celebrate? Kevin Telfer looks back at the end of the Second World War
Battle of Britain pilots: How many pilots were killed, are any still alive and how can you trace them?
Jonathan Scott surveys the best websites for researching Battle of Britain pilots and ground crew
What is shell shock?
What is shell shock, and how was it treated? We explain the facts behind this devastating mental illness that affected thousands of First World War soldiers
How to find First World War nurses' records
How you can use free online records from The National Archives to trace the pioneering women who served as nurses in the First World War
How to find WW2 POW records
If your family member was a prisoner of war in the Second World War, there are a good number of surviving records to help you find out more
Victorian wars: What wars took place during the Victorian era, and how can you research them?
Jonathan Scott reveals how to trace ancestors who fought in Victorian wars
The Royal Naval Division: What was it, when was it founded and where can you find service records?
Discover how to trace a serviceman in the Royal Naval Division with our guide
British Army records: Where to find them online
From the roots of the British Empire to the First and Second World Wars, discover what British Army records survive and how to find them with our guide for family historians
My relative was a sporting hero who was killed on the Somme
James Buckman shares how he found the letters of his great great uncle Herbert Roswell, who was killed in the First World War
Christmas in the trenches in the soldiers' own words
Jacqueline Wadsworth explains how soldiers during the First World War celebrated the Christmas Truce of 1914 and found festive cheer
WW2 War Diaries: What are they, and where can you find them?
Find out how you can find WW2 War Diaries at The National Archives and use them to find out what your family did in WW2
What happened at Dunkirk?
Many of us can trace a family history connection to the British Army's mythic retreat from Dunkirk in the Second World War. Janet Dempsey looks at the facts behind the legend
Chelsea Pensioners’ service records: How to find them online
You may have seen 'Chelsea Pensioner' on a family history record - but who were the Chelsea Pensioners? And where can you find Chelsea Pensioners' service records?
Military | What do these photographs reveal about my grandfather's service in WW1?
Phil Tomaselli analyses some old family photographs dating back to the First World War
British military medals and medal ribbons
There are a wealth of websites that can help you identify and research military medals and medal ribbons. We select the best.
"I found three brothers' letters from the First World War"
Gethin Matthews reveals how he found the letters of three Welsh brothers who fought in the First World War
How were conscientious objectors treated in WW1?
Who were the conscientious objectors? Karyn Burnham looks at the fate of the men who refused to fight in the First World War on moral grounds
Who were the WW2 Wrens, and what did they do?
In WW2, the Women's Royal Navy Service, or Wrens, played a vital role in supporting the war effort
How to find First World War records
Discover how to trace your ancestor's service record from the First World War on these websites
How to find Merchant Navy records
Did your ancestor serve in the Merchant Navy? Find out how to trace him with our guide to the best websites
When were the Napoleonic Wars?
Jonathan Scott explains how to find family history records from the Napoleonic Wars