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How to access military service records

Constituents may contact a Member of Parliament seeking advice on how to access military service records. This may be their own service record, the record of a family member (living or deceased), or they may have a general interest in a particular individual or military unit.

For several years, The National Archives has been the repository for the surviving service records of those who served during the First World War. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently undertaking a project to transfer around 10 million service records to The National Archives for permanent preservation. These records relate to individuals born before, or up to, 1 January 1940 and therefore include many of those who served during the Second World War and the immediate post-war period (up to 1963). The transfer programme is expected to be completed in 2027. Until then, the process for obtaining service records covered by the project may vary depending on whether the records have been transferred to The National Archives or remain with the MOD.

All other records are retained by the MOD.