Service Records

                          

Service records are archived at the MOD establishments listed in the above text links.

Requests from former Service personnel
Requests from Interested parties
Deceased personnel
Where do I write to for access to data?
What about records in the public domain?

You may need to access personal data held by the MOD in manual or electronic format for many reasons including:

• proof of service
• medical reasons
• family history or research

Service records which pre-date those held by the MOD have been transferred to the
National Archive and are freely available for public access. However the National Archives is not resourced to carry out searches. Enquirers are instead welcome to visit, or hire an independent researcher - see the National Archive website for further details.

Requests from former Service personnel
Requests from former Service personnel for his/her personal data held by the Ministry of Defence are processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998; such requests are called Subject Access Requests (SAR).

A SAR must be made in writing and must be accompanied by proof of identity (e.g. a copy of a passport or recent utilities bill), and sufficient information to locate the data sought. To assist the search, your letter should include as much information as possible eg:

• Service Number, Rank, Full Name, Date of Birth and period served (dates from and to).
• Requests for data for ex-Army personnel must also include the Regiment or Corps.

Once all the necessary information has been received, your request will be processed and you should receive a reply within 40 calendar days.

To download the SAR form, please click here.

For service records of non-UK personnel please click here.

To access a record the following information (or as much as possible) is required:

• Service Number, Rank, Full Name, Date of Birth and period served (dates from and to). For queries to the Army also state the Regiment or Corps in addition to the above information.
• A full copy of the record can be requested however, original documents, discharge papers/books cannot be replaced. The MOD will also provide extracts from service records.

Requests from Interested parties
Enquirers must provide a letter of consent from the subject of the record.

Deceased personnel
Enquirers must provide the consent of the Next of Kin and unless the person died in Service, proof of death. A charge may be made for enquiries. Prior to 1972 all Royal Navy personnel were given their service record when they were discharged. For pension purposes the Royal Navy retained pay details. Therefore the only data held on Royal Navy personnel who served prior to 1972 is their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases.

Where do I write to for access to data?
Personnel records are stored at archives and repositories throughout the UK. Additionally there are also Subject Access Request Co-ordinators for each Service. The list at the back of the leaflet will assist you to choose the correct address.

What about records in the public domain?
The following personnel Service records have been transferred to the National Archive (formerly the Public Record Office) and are available for public access.

• Royal Navy Officers who enlisted prior to 1914
• Royal Navy Ratings who enlisted prior to 1924 and First World War records for Women's Royal Naval Service
• Royal Marine Officers and Other Ranks who enlisted before 1926
• Army Officers and Other Ranks that enlisted prior to 1920
• Royal Air Force Officers that served prior to 1922
• Royal Air Force Airmen that served prior to 1924

If you have any other queries about service records or are not sure about which office to write to please contact the Veterans Agency Helpline

       

For information on historical records see Links to other Veterans' Organisations

Frequently Asked Questions