Tracing Soldiers’ Service Records
Our researchers can assist you in tracing the service details of soldiers and officers of the British Army. The Search box (below) offers low-level access to an illustrative sample of the records that we can access on your behalf. This sample comprises some 15,000 records of soldiers who served with the Royal Irish Rifles and Royal Irish Fusiliers up to 1922. Our databases allow us to investigate almost the entire Army records and we can conduct research into any officer or soldier of any British Army regiment.
You should be aware of a few constraints and limitations. Many of the service records of soldiers who served in the Great War were destroyed during the bombing of London during the Blitz. Information relating to service records is embargoed under General Data Protection Regulations. Thus we cannot currently share details relating to service after 1922 or to those who are still living. The immediate family of those serving after this date can seek their service details from the National Archives, Kew, London at www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel.
Please note that we will not divulge any details of individuals who served in The Royal Irish Rangers, The Ulster Defence Regiment or the enduring Royal Irish Regiment.
In addition to Service records, our researchers have access to war diaries, discipline records, battalion reports, regimental journals and other information which cannot be accessed from any other source. If we are able to assist in your inquiry, you will be provided with a detailed report giving all of the detail that we have available. This is a meticulous process which takes considerable time and for which we must charge a fee.
Please note that if you follow the Surname Search (below) to submission, the cost is £35, and you will receive an automatic invoice through PayPal. This will not always result in our being able to find the appropriate records, which may have been destroyed. It is recommended that you use the contact tab, at the top right of this page, to submit your query. We will ensure that it is forwarded to the most appropriate researcher. You must provide at least a Regimental or Army Number and the full name used by the soldier or officer at enlistment; any other detail will also help our researchers provide you with the most detailed report.
Before continuing, you may wish to widen your research by visiting our Tradition tab and clicking on our Links Page.
A useful site for tracing war dead that will reveal family information and Regimental or Army numbers can be found by clicking on the web link below:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
If you already know the regiment or battalion that your soldier or officer served with you will enjoy discovering where they served by clicking on the EXPLORE tab to the top-left at the head of this page.
