Official unit war diaries, reports and records - daily accounts of units on active service
- British Army War Diaries 1914-1922 (WO 95). Held at The National Archives, there is an on-going programme of digitisation - on The National Archives (£), and for France, Belgium and Germany 1914-1920 on Ancestry and Naval & Military Press (£) and for Gallipoli and Dardanelles 1914-1916 on Ancestry (£)
Accompanying trench maps (WO 153) at The National Archives - British Army War Diaries 1939-1945 (WO 165-179, 215, 218) at The National Archives
- British Army Quarterly Historical reports 1946-1950 and Unit Historical Records 1951-1967 (WO 261-271 and 288) at The National Archives
Unit Histories
Search for books including Regimental histories on The Army Museums Ogilby Trust or in A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army compiled by Arthur S White (Uckfield, East Sussex; Naval and Military Press, 2001).
IWM has an extensive collection of regimental, divisional and operational histories
Search our online catalogue
Nominal Rolls naming those who served at specific times, died or received awards may occasionally be included. Some examples available online:
- Birmingham Pals 1914-1918 (Birmingham City Battalions) on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Bradford Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Edinburgh Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£)
- Glasgow Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£)
- Honourable Artillery Company collection focused on 1908 to 1922- a selection of rare photographs of the HAC from the First World War, full admission and regimental records 1848 to 1922 on Find My Past (£)
- Liverpool Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- London Volunteer Soldiers 1859-1955 – men who served with 11th and 20th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps; 3rd Volunteer Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 3rd (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers); 10th (3rd City of London) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (69th Searchlight Regiment); 625th London Anti-Aircraft Regiment on Find My Past (£)
- Manchester Pals 1914-1916, 16th (Service), 23rd (Service) Battalions, the Manchester Regiment on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Northumberland Fusiliers 1881-1920: an index to over 70 sources for the ‘Fighting Fifth’ on Find My Past (£)
- Oldham Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- 80th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, Second World War on Find My Past (£)
- Salford Pals 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Southdown Pals, Royal Sussex Regiment during the First World War on Find My Past (£)
- 1st Sportsman's Battalion, 23rd (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 1914-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Stockbrokers' Battalion 1914-1918, 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers on Find My Past (£)
- Surrey Recruitment Registers 1908-1933 cover a variety of Surrey regiments on Find My Past (£)
- Swansea Pals, 4th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment initial recruits on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
- Welsh Guards 1915-1918 on Find My Past (£) and at IWM
Other things to look for:
Download a copy of our guide to tracing your British Army ancestry