Army Service Records (ASR)
Service records are the official army
file on a soldier. These files will include the attestation
papers, discipline records, postings , medals and any
correspondence which make them the most important records for
people trying to find out about army ancestors.
Records of the old Regiments of Line
have often been destroyed but most are available from 1881 with
the formation of the new County Regiments.
Sadly during World War Two a German
bombing raid hit the storage facility for the records and
started a fire which destroyed most archived records which makes
life difficult for people researching the Great War.
Service records of Soldiers up to
1920 are held by the National Archives and available online some
of the paid records such as Ancestry and FindMyPast.
Records relating to soldiers who
served after this are held by the Ministry of Defence Historic
Disclosure Unit.
Due to UK Data Protection Law the
consent of the next of kin is required before full
information can be released on soldiers who served after 1920
which includes World War Two service. Those records are well
preserved and will give a good picture of the soldiers army
career.
The army will usually disclose the
below details even if consent of the next of kin is not
available :-
Up to 25 years following the death of the serviceman
Forename and Surname
Rank and Service Number
Regiment and Corps
Age, Place and Date of Birth
Date of death if this occurred during service
Date of enlistment and leaving
Good Conduct and Gallantry Medals awarded
Over 25 years following the death of the serviceman
The above plus
Units in which he/she served
Dates and location of service
Ranks in which the service was carried out
Details of Campaign Medals
A fee ( Currently £30) is payable for any application
Click here to visit the MOD Request records of deceased service personnel page
