Digging Up Your Roots Top Tips: finding military ancestors

If someone died in a war they will be commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They look after more than 20,000 cemeteries and have details of the graves or memorials of over 2 million servicemen and women and civilians who died in conflict. There will be details of where and when someone died with any inscription, the cemetery,with a plot number, map and instructions on visiting - and in many cases next of kin information.

The next thing is to find some record of service.

Start at The National Archives, whose website has lots of useful guides on finding military ancestors. Then see what records are online - many are - or see whether you would need to visit. A useful starting point is the WW1 Medal Cards index, which will give regiment, medals won and sometimes a home address. There may also be a service record, or a pension record for those wounded or injured - but many of these WW1 records were lost during the blitz in WW2. TNA also has Prisoner of War records.

The services themselves can provide records from about 1920, available to next of kin and others under certain conditions. There is information at www.veterans-uk.info and click on Service Records, Medals & Badges. They can also help to get medals reissued if these have been lost or were never collected.

Any Scottish soldier who died in conflict will be listed in The Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. You will need to visit, but they can be contacted via their website and do check with the National Archives of Scotland for Scottish soldier's wills, NAS also offer good guides on researching military history.

Finally, contact or visit the Regimental Museum. There are a list of these on the Ogilby Trust - www.armymuseums.org.uk website and do remember that these museums are not funded by the services or the government and need your support.

The more you know, regiment or unit, with service number if possible, dates of service and where you ancestor may have served the more likely you are to find the information you want.