On this page we provide some signposts to resources which we have found helpful in the research for the DTI War Memorials Project.  It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide and we recommend that anyone interested in starting research for the first time should visit the websites of record offices, military museums and other organisations connected with naval and military research, of which we name just a few below. 

For men and women who served in the forces in WW1, there are many sources available at the Public Record Office www.pro.gov.uk, eg campaign medal index cards and medal rolls, individual records of service, unit war diaries and operational records, trench maps, etc, etc.  The PRO’s project to film the ‘burnt records’ (in series WO 363) was completed in summer 2002.  Please note that we have so far exploited these sources for only a very small proportion of the men listed on the WW1 index of this memorial website.  (See full list of Sources Used in the Project.)  The PRO website provides links to other archives on the web: http://www.pro.gov.uk/research/links/wwwarchives.htm

The PRO also publishes leaflets and more substantial guides to the records it holds, eg Public Record Office Readers’ Guide No.19, Army Service Records of the First World War by William Spencer, 3^rd edition, 2001.  There are equivalent guides available for Naval and Air Force records.  

For the whereabouts of service records for men and women who served in the forces in WW2, see the pages on the Ministry of Defence website relating to the three services: 

http://www.mod.uk/contacts/army_records.htm

http://www.mod.uk/contacts/raf_records.htm

http://www.mod.uk/contacts/rn_records.htm

Some other useful links

National Army Museum www.national-army-museum.ac.uk

Imperial War Museum www.iwm.org.uk

Historical Manuscripts Commission www.hmc.gov.uk

Friends of War Memorials www.war-memorials.com

Ministry of Defence www.army.mod.uk

List of army museums http://www.army.mod.uk/ceremonialandheritage/museums_main.htm

Commonwealth War Graves Commission www.cwgc.org

War Graves in Britain http://www.wargraves.info/

Naval and Maritime Libraries and Archives Group http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/library/naval_and_maritime_libraries.htm

The Second World War Experience Centre http://www.war-experience.org/

The website of the Western Front Association www.westernfront.co.uk has links to sites offering research guidance.

Click here for how to contact DTI War Memorials Project by post or email.