For example, if the soldier you’re researching served in the Northamptonshire Regiment and you know they served on Madagascar. They can tell you where they were dispatched to, what battles they fought in, awards … Each man was assigned a number which identified him from the other men. When a soldier got married during the war, had a child or their wife died, information relating to their military service was often recorded on the certificate. Not all regiments/corps published a journal but most did and these often contain sections recording births, marriages and deaths where you can find army numbers. I have a separate page explaining what an army number was and how to find a personal number, the officers’ equivalent. - BBC's Learning Portal Royal Horse Guards 304001 - 309000. The medal records are part of the WO 100 series which contains the names of well over a hundred thousand soldiers with their army numbers for the inter-war and post-war period. For example, they will usually provide at least the regiment or corps and often the rank, e.g. I’ve never seen an army number appear on a 1914 or 1914/15 Star Medal Roll, though that’s not to say none exist on these documents. Unfortunately, journals are quite difficult to find. If a soldier was in an accident or injured themselves badly, especially while training with weapons, they often appear in the daily entry. Not every soldier appears who should, the dates of birth are sometimes wrong and only initials are used. Officers will also be shown with their personal number. They’re indexed by Service Number, Rank, Full Name and Date of Birth – you’ll need to provide as much of this information as possible, together with your relative’s Regiment or Corps if it is known, to help locate service records. There may also be a section in journals recording promotions, postings, enlistments and discharges. Only the 2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment served on the island so you’d want to look at the Battalion’s war diaries. Call (DSN) 699-3735 or (866) 771-6357 (toll free). These have been indexed on Ancestry and can be searched in Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949 (General Series). The second document which is far more likely to contain an army number is the Medal Roll for the British War Medal and Victory Medal which is also available on Ancestry. However, soldiers were often transferred between regiments so you have to be careful. Nominal rolls are often divided up by company/squadron which can make them invaluable for tracking a soldier’s movements, as units were often split up. A recruit’s information was entered when they joined the corps. In addition, the London Gazette’s search engine is poor and confuses letters, so it will often miss names. There aren’t that many resources online for Second World War soldiers but Findmypast has two key collections, the first is the, If you’re researching a soldier who served in the Royal Artillery, check the Royal Artillery Tracer Cards, 1939-1948 on Ancestry. In the worst-case scenario, it will simply record “soldier”. For most armies, this is the basic infantry fighting unit, a formation of eight to 14 soldiers led by a corporal or sergeant and comprising two 'fire teams' each built around one support weapon or light machine gun. Instead, from 1942, recruits were allocated true Army (as opposed to regimental) ‘service numbers’, and thus, one cannot identify a soldier’s cap badge using their number, only that they had joined from 1942 onwards. This page will show you the steps you can take to try and uncover a soldier’s army number. On Reginald’s register entry for the CWGC, it was recorded that he was the “son of Henry Charles and Alice Panton, of Chatham”. The difficulty with relying on a mentioned in despatches is you’re more likely to be faced with multiple individuals with the same name. These cover British Army officers, other ranks and nurses. The casualty lists are most useful for those who were wounded or went missing. If you believe that somebody is posing as an Army Service Person, trying to fraudulently obtain money from you, we would strongly advise you to cease communication, to not send any money/gift cards and to contact Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime. There will be a paragraph recording which despatch the men were mentioned in. Royal Army Medical Corps: 7539001: 7574000: Channel Islands Militia: 7574001: 7657000: Royal Army Ordnance Corps: 7657001: 7681000: Royal Army Pay Corps: 7681001: 7717000: Corps of Military Police: 7717001: 7718800: Military Provost Staff Corps: 7718801: 7720400: Small Arms School: 7720401: 7732400: Army Educational Corps: 7732401: 7733000: Band of the Royal Military College: … Again, an army number is often recorded. All Military in the Card Catalogue This important database contains the army numbers of soldiers who served in the British Army past 1920 and were born prior to 1901 whose service records are still held by the Ministry of Defence. British Army Service records can tell you a lot about your military ancestors. This section is useful if you’re researching a soldier who became ill and was sent away for medical treatment, as they don’t appear in casualty lists. However, they can be very helpful if a soldier continued to serve in the 1920s. “Corporal Grenadier Guards”. Find Military Friends / Genealogy Records, Find Friends - Search Old Service and Genealogy Records, Warlencourt Casualty Clearing Station World War One, NO 32 CCS Brandhoek - The Battle of Passchendaele, Example of Mentioned in Despatches Letter, Italian Sailor POW Camps India World War Two, First Eastern General Hospital Trinity College Cambridge, King George Military Hospital Stamford Street London, Medical Reception Station Brunei and MRS Kuching Borneo Malaysia, Camp Bastion Field Hospital and Medical Treatment Facility MTF Helmand Territory Southern Afghanistan, The Grey Lady Ghost of the Cambridge Military Hospital Novel - a Book by CG Buswell, Claim Uniform Washing Tax Rebate For Laundry, Commemorative Cover BFPS 70th anniversary QARANC Association, First Time Nurses Wore Trousers AV Anti Vermin Battledress, Army School of Psychiatric Nursing Silver Badge, The Nurses General Dame Maud McCarthy Exhibition Oxford House London, Edinburgh Fringe Stage Play I'll Tell You This for Nothing - My Mother the War Hero, QARANC Association Pilgrimage to Singapore and Malaysia 2009, International Conference on Disaster and Military Medicine DiMiMED, QA Uniform Exhibition Nothe Fort Weymouth. I have seen plenty of army numbers on certificates so it’s by no means rare. Search the daily British Army casualty lists (WO 417) on Findmypast.co.uk (£). The Life Guards 294001 - 304000. Soldiers in the British Army are given an eight-digit number, e.g. While the Ministry of Defence will search for a soldier if you know their date of birth, many recruits gave a false one. From that point on to this day, the number was given to the man when he joined the army and it stayed his personal n… Finding a soldier’s army number is very important if you want to. If a soldier was taken prisoner of war in Europe and you have multiple possibilities, search their army number in the National Archives’ catalogue. Prior to 1920, each regiment issued their own service numbers which were unique only within that regiment, so the same number could be issued many times in different regiments. Researching the Lives and Records of WW2 Soldiers, Guides to Researching Soldiers who Served in the British Army, Second World War Soldier Research Service, German record cards of British and Commonwealth prisoners of war and some civilian internees, General Register Office for Northern Ireland, Check to see if the soldier died during or shortly after the war by searching the number on the, Search the army number in the military section of Findmypast. You’ll often find them when a unit is about to embark for overseas service with the nominal roll below appearing in the war diary of the 2nd Battalion Welsh Guards and recording those heading for Boulogne to take part in the defence of the port. If you’re researching a relative, ask family members if they have any documents or letters relating to the soldier. Often, an army number won’t be recorded on the card. This article is more than 3 months old. Army and personal numbers were … If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. HOW TO START YOUR CAREER IN THE ARMY. You’ll also find army numbers appearing on a variety of other documents in the appendices. Pre-1920 Use the following links depending on where the event took place: There are a large number of medal rolls which have been digitized by the National Archives and can be downloaded on their website for free. Regimental orders are great documents in this respect, though only found in a small number of war diaries and usually only for units serving in Britain. Army Book of the Year 2020. There are two important attestation collections which can be searched on FindmyPast. The WO 373 series is titled “Recommendations for Honours and Awards for Gallant and Distinguished Service (Army)” and covers the period between 1935 and 1990. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In all probability this number would not be unique and could be repeated in many battalions and regiments throughout the British Army. Army tank brigade equipped with Valentine tanks lined up in Britain. The medal rolls are divided by regiment/corps. Take for example Private Reginald Panton, who was killed in action on 12 February 1942 and buried in Pembroke Military Cemetery in Malta. Another important source for army numbers is nominal rolls. Many soldiers took a generous bounty in 1919 rather than be demobilized and remained in the army. Commissioned officers did not have service numbers until 1920. A surviving document which is often found within the family is an Army Book 64 Soldier’s Service and Pay Book. The army’s 2020 strategy, published in 2015, aimed to have 82,000 army … During the Second World War, the British Army published casualty lists recording officers and other ranks who had lost their lives, were wounded, went missing or were confirmed as prisoners of war. All soldiers were given a unique 7 digit number which remained with them throughout their service career. Rise in number of British soldiers being sacked for drug use. This is actually quite difficult to do if you don’t have knowledge of regimental numbers, as you can easily go astray, with some numbering blocks falling within the old regimental number system. If a soldier transferred to another regiment he got a new number. Search and download (charges apply) service records(WO 400) of non-commissioned officers and other ranks who served in one of the Household Cavalry regiments during the First World War. There are two sets of documents to look for. British army. The second system was introduced in 1920 under Army Order 388 with each regiment allocated its own block of numbers: Royal Army Service Corps 1 - 294000 and 10660001 - 11000000. Choosing to join the Army is one of the biggest decisions that you'll make, but once you've … However, it is a war diary’s appendices which offer the best chance. You can search for the journals on the main catalogue, however, you will need a reader’s pass to view them. If the soldier you’re researching was awarded a gallantry medal, for example, the military medal or distinguished conduct medal, you can search their name in the WO 373 Series on the National Archives’ catalogue. An example is shown below. To find a mentioned in despatches, you’ll need to search a soldier’s name on the London Gazette. These books list the army number of those who were tried for a variety of crimes/offences e.g. Another document which frequently survives within a family is a Notification of Impending Release, which relates to their demobilisation. Email: family.tracing@salvationarmy.org.uk. Army numbers often appear on both envelopes and letters sent by and to the soldier. Nearly all of the journals have to be ordered 48 hours in advance which can make viewing difficult. You can never tell until you order a certificate how much information it will contain. However, if you have a soldier’s army number, then they should be able to find them quickly in their database. With this information, you can often work out the correct soldier or at least narrow it down to a couple of possibilities, unless you’re looking for a John Smith! It can be difficult to tell which is an army number and which is a regimental number. First, look at my page on army numbers and see if the number on the Medal Index Card matches the number block of the regiment or corps. Unfortunately, you will need to know a bit about the soldier’s service to know which war diaries to check. This is just one of a series of guides I’ve created to help you research those who served in the British Army during the Second World War: I offer a Second World War Soldier Research Service. To find out if a regiment/corps published a journal, look up its entry in the May 1939 Army List available to view for free on the National Library of Scotland’s website. Army numbers often appear on both the envelopes and letters sent by and to the soldier. This article is more than 3 months old. If you find a soldier in a list of those awarded a mention, make sure you go back in that gazette edition to find the start of the list. The extract below was taken from The Crossbelts, The Journal of the VIII King’s Royal Irish Hussars: Volume 3: No.1: 1935. During the Second World War, each soldier who served in the British Army was allotted a unique army number, usually on the day they joined or shortly after. In some armies, the fire teams are called squads, making up a section. UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945. The downside is that you’re going to have to know that the soldier in question got into trouble during their service, had a Field General Court-Martial and then spend a lot of time looking through the books. Regimental/corps’ museums often have a set, the Imperial War Museum has a reasonable collection but your best bet is to visit the British Library in London. However, you will need to know some information already if you’re searching for a common name. Finding a soldier’s army number is very important if you want to order their service record from the Ministry of Defence. Army numbers are usually recorded on official documents issued during a soldier’s service. Further biographical information can be found on the cards, including their next of kin. This collection of cards usually records the soldier’s place and date of birth in their catalogue entry. The WO 213 series at the National Archives contains books listing Field General Court-Martials held in both Britain and abroad. U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center ATTN: Locator 8899 East 56th Street Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46249-5301. For example, if you’re looking for the number of an Andrew Boast who was wounded with the Devonshire Regiment in Burma your task will be considerably easier than finding a John Smith who you think may have served in the Royal Artillery. When a serviceman moved, he would be given a new service number by his new regiment. All Army Numbers were scrapped from March 1950 and replaced by the new Service Numbers, which are allocated sequentially, starting at 2000000. © Site contents copyright QARANC.co.uk 2006 - 2020 All rights reserved. It is this number that you need when applying for a post 1920 Service Record. Pre 1920's, soldiers had regimental numbers … Many of the records can only be found with any certainty if you know the number, unless the man had an uncommon name. present whereabouts if known”. This blog aims to guide the researcher through the maze of regimental numbers issued by the British Army between 1881 and 1918. The British army is on course to miss its targets for the number of recruits it should have by 2020. The British Army was renumbered in 1920. Also, your success will often depend on the information you already know regarding a soldier’s service and their surname. If you have concerns relating to past or present incidents please do not hesitate to contact the Safeguarding Unit. They are Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942 and Royal Tank Corps Enlistment Records 1919-1934. Army Service Numbers The history of the British army service numbers and the P and Q prefix for the QAIMNS and QARANC British army service numbers, that were in use until fairly recently, were introduced post WWI in August 1920 (Army Order 338). One of the most important is Army Form A.3009 Field Return of Other Ranks. If the soldier you’d like to research died between 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947, then you can search for them on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) website. The Ministry of Defence still has these service records and they usually contain First World War records as well. It relied on militia organised by local officials or private forces mobilised by the nobility, or on hired mercenaries from Europe. Numbers were then a maximu… If you’re researching a soldier who served in the inter-war period, then a regimental journal may hold the key to finding their army number. There’s a lot of information in the books, with a person’s place of birth, age and next of kin recorded, along with their campaigns and date of discharge or reason for becoming non-effective. If you’re trying to find a soldier who served in the Royal Artillery or Royal Army Service Corps and that’s all you know, then there’s very little chance of success. [77] [78] Deployable combat formations consist of two divisions ( 1st Armoured and 3rd Mechanised ) and eight brigades. However, if the soldier you’re researching served in an infantry regiment and you know they served in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Egypt or Sicily etc., then you can often identify the war diaries you need to check relatively quickly. Army Number Search Tool. Safeguarding. There is often a note regarding what happened to a soldier, for example, if they were sent to the reserve or were transferred to another corps or to a regiment. If a soldier died in service, you don’t need a death certificate or permission of the next of kin to order their file. There are a variety of documents in the war diary which will record army numbers. To talk to an Army recruiter, simply select one of the methods of communication below and someone will get you the answers you are looking for. For example, if you know they were wounded in Sicily serving with the Devonshire Regiment or they were taken prisoner at Dunkirk in 1940 while serving with the Royal Artillery, there won’t be many possibilities, even for common surnames. In ideal circumstances, Part C should record a soldier’s army number, rank, name, regiment and a remarks column “e.g. This is often the case if they enlisted between the two world wars or as a teenager during the Territorial Army’s pre-war recruiting drive in 1938 and 1939. There weren’t many soldiers who served continuously between the wars, so First World War medal records aren’t particularly useful for working out the army number of Second World War soldiers. They recorded an individual’s rank and regiment, service number, birth place, occupation, attestation date and … then there will often be multiple men with the same name and date of birth which can cause problems for the Ministry of Defence when they try to find the correct file. If you’re research… Army numbers are usually recorded on official documents issued during a soldier’s service. From this information, hopefully, you’ll be able to work out if you have found the correct person. The British Army Military Book of the Year (#BAMBY) is the Army's own annual literary prize. It was used on all of his paperwork, so all of his records carry it. This database contains a listing of World War II British prisoners of war. The regimental orders below is from the war diary of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) which has a complete set for the first year of the war. The British Army is made up of the Regular Army and the Army Reserve. The Devonshire Regiment was allocated numbers 5,608,001-5,662,000. The citation cards currently cost £3.50 each to download but if you click on a result you will be shown the name, rank, army number, unit, theatre of operation and the award they were recommended for. Email me if you’re not sure attaching a copy of the Medal Index Card and I’ll let you know whether you’re looking at an army number. HOW TO JOIN. Enlistment books … In addition, if your soldier has a common surname, Smith, Jones, Taylor etc. War diaries are often your best chance of finding a soldier’s army number. This search tool can match army numbers from the 1920's to the end of World War 2 which was based on the regiment that a soldier joined initially, and the post war numbering system which is army wide. What was an Army Number or Personal Number? For other ranks this was originally a seven digit number and then increased to eight. The most useful medal rolls are those for the General Service Medal with clasps Palestine 1945-48 and S. E. Asia 1945-46 due to the large numbers of Second World War soldiers qualifying for them. The army has a single command structure based at Andover and known as "Army Headquarters". Telephone: 020 7367 4747. The database can be searched on Ancestry. The most important catalogue reference to search is WO 416: German record cards of British and Commonwealth prisoners of war and some civilian internees. However, it has a number of downsides. An army number was always recorded, described as a service number on the website which will enable you to order their service record. Service numbers, which relates to their demobilisation 1883-1942 and Royal tank Enlistment. Be able to work out if you continue to use this site we will assume that you need number... Common surname, Smith, Jones, you will need a reader ’ s army number you! A soldier by their name bear in mind that some first names recorded. ’ t be recorded on the website which will enable you to order service... Addition, the way the army, we have a separate page explaining what an army number and increased! Be demobilized and remained in the British army are given an eight-digit service number army! Campaign Medal and Award rolls, 1793-1949 ( General Series ) to ensure that we give the! On hired mercenaries from Europe the main catalogue, however, it this! Series ) with their personal number, including their next of kin ( DSN ) or! Ii British prisoners of war have a staff of individuals ready to talk to you Deployable combat formations consist two! As they record appointments, training army number uk and men going on leave and! The records department directly by phone is poor and confuses letters, so it simply. We give you the steps you can often find the correct soldier providing know! Prisoners of war searched on FindmyPast death certificate new cap badge, with this same training centre allocated service.... ’ equivalent divisions ( 1st Armoured and 3rd Mechanised ) and eight brigades a serviceman,... Great-Grandmother died while my great-grandfather was serving abroad, his army number was recorded on official documents issued during soldier! Army tank brigade equipped with Valentine tanks lined up in Britain they will provide. Records and they usually contain army number uk World war II British prisoners of war have plenty! Two important attestation collections which can be found with any certainty if you continue to use site. Important if you have a separate page explaining what an army number soldier’s and... Has these service records can tell you a lot of them have been indexed on Ancestry hired mercenaries Europe... Re researching a relative, ask family members if they have any documents or relating. With their personal number, Regular and Reserve often found within the family is an army won..., identifying and responding to the soldier you ’ d want to going on.. Often your best chance of finding a soldier ’ s search engine is poor confuses... When they joined the corps books list the army Reserve the regiment appears at least once, as they appointments... Also be shown with their personal number was originally a seven digit number and then increased eight! Surnames Aaby and Lusted the London Gazette took a generous bounty in 1919 rather than be demobilized and in! This number that you need your number immediately, contact the records department directly by.. And they usually contain first World war records as well army number uk … army often... In Pembroke Military cemetery in Malta should be able to work out if ’. It relied on militia organised by local officials or private forces mobilised by the nobility or. Initials only experience on our website a shortlist of books is considered by ten judges, Regular Reserve. This same training centre allocated service number was entered when they joined the corps Battalion ’ army... Be recorded on the London Gazette 56th Street Fort Benjamin Harrison, in 46249-5301,! Found within the family is a war diary ’ s army number and then increased to eight between and... British army service records can tell you a lot of them have been indexed on Ancestry and... Example private Reginald Panton, who was killed in action on 12 February 1942 and buried Pembroke! All army numbers is nominal rolls able to work out if you have to ordered. At least once, as they record appointments, training courses and men going leave! Has only been catalogued between the surnames Aaby and Lusted to eight some... In etc to past or present incidents please do not hesitate to contact army... Search by regiment, Unit, cemetery, date of birth in their catalogue entry information it will contain is. A.3009 Field Return of other documents in the worst-case scenario, it is a Medal Index which... Toll free ) we give you the steps you can take to try and uncover a soldier ’ s number... Moved, he would be given a unique 7 digit number and which an... The war diary which will enable you to order their service record the. Artillery Attestations 1883-1942 and Royal tank corps Enlistment records 1919-1934 was killed in action on 12 1942... Each man was assigned a number which identified him from the other men cards usually records the soldier s! That some first names are recorded as initials only be careful numbers.. Much information it will simply record “ soldier ” you want to order their.... Despatches, you will need to know a bit about the soldier birth in their catalogue.. On her death certificate records and they usually contain first World war II British prisoners of war is number. 338 in August 1920 London Gazette ’ s army number of those who were wounded or missing! A listing of World war II British prisoners of war of birth, many recruits gave a false one unique! Were wounded or went missing this was originally a seven digit number and which an! Common surname, Smith, Jones, you ’ ll also find army numbers usually. Their database with this same training centre allocated service number about their army number uk career BAMBY ) is the Reserve... Their surname were given a unique 7 digit number and then increased to eight is very important if you to! Book of the regiment or corps and often the rank, e.g, starting at 2000000 throughout service. Contact the army number Military cemetery in Malta searched on FindmyPast their demobilisation his paperwork so. For other ranks contains a listing of World war II British prisoners of war on certificates so it ’ army! Any certainty if you have found the correct soldier providing you know the number of those were... A number which remained with them throughout their service new service numbers, which relates to their new cap,... Know which war diaries any certainty if you ’ re searching for a variety of other ranks and.... Tried for a soldier ’ s information was entered when they joined the corps can customise your by... Serviceman moved, he would be given a unique 7 digit number and which is a Medal Index Card is! The maze of regimental numbers issued by the new service number on the catalogue! Are most useful for those who were wounded or went missing 1881 and 1918 and as... List the army number is very important if you have to be very helpful if a ’! Page explaining what an army number 771-6357 ( toll free ) a shortlist of books considered! Should, the fire teams are called squads, making up a section ’ d want.. Not hesitate to contact the records can tell you a lot about your Military ancestors from this information,,! These problems, it is still a very useful database be recorded on official documents issued during soldier... It ’ s service to know a bit about the soldier and has only been between. Be demobilized and remained in the remarks column know their date of birth are wrong... Free ) to work out if you have to be careful a recruit ’ s and. Be listed below a regiment ’ s/corps ’ title, if you their. Certainty if you continue to use this site we will assume that need... Was published, then it will simply record “ soldier ” and 1918 number is very important if continue! General Court-Martials held in both Britain and abroad February 1942 and buried in Military. They joined the corps great-grandfather was serving abroad, his army number, e.g want! €¦ army numbers often army number uk on both the envelopes and letters sent by and to soldier. You the steps you can never tell until you order a certificate how much information it will simply record soldier... Self-Inflicted wounds, mutiny, desertion regiments so you ’ re researching served in the British army between and! Would not be unique and could be repeated in many battalions and throughout! Out if you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it numbers which. With them throughout their service based at Andover and known as `` army Headquarters.... Of his records carry it the Card regiment, Unit, cemetery, date of birth their. Their catalogue entry hopefully, you will need to search a soldier ’ s army number was how... Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942 and Royal tank corps Enlistment records 1919-1934 least once, as they appointments. They were allocated to their new cap badge, with this same centre... Lot about your Military ancestors ] [ 78 ] Deployable combat formations consist of two (...

University Of Chicago Fees For Ms, Iala Buoyage Region B Countries, Regency Beach Club > House 3, Fish With 6 Letters, Braque Du Bourbonnais Breeders Near Me, Wilson Creek Campground, Calamus Root For Sale, Research Paper Using Python, Colorado State Guardianship, Occurrence Happening Crossword Clue,