Many records are available online, sometimes on more than one site. We have listed the main sources but there may be others. Some records are free to view but others are available on either a subscription or pay per view basis (£).
The National Archives (TNA) holds most of the service records for men who served up to the 1920s. The National Museum of the Royal Navy holds some additional records at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The arm of the navy that an individual served with, their rank, ship or shore establishment and dates of service determine which set of records you need. If an individual was commissioned from the ranks or moved between different services you may find service records in more than one set of files.
Royal Navy (RN) ratings:
- The National Archives (TNA) guide to Royal Navy Ratings service records, 1853–1928
- Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's services 1853–1924 (ADM 188) on TNA and Ancestryand for 1899–1924 on FindMyPast (£)
- Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's services 1925–1929 (ADM 362) on TNA (£)
- Royal Navy Seamen's services Continuous Record cards 1925–1939 (ADM 363) on TNA (£)
RN officers commissioned up to 1917, Royal Marines officers commissioned up to 1925 and RN warrant officers who joined up to 1931:
- The National Archives guide to officers' service records
- Service records (ADM 196) on TNA, for 1899 to 1919 on FindMyPast and an index with links to TNA records on Ancestry (£)
RN officers and ratings who served up to 1919, including sailors who served during the First World War and who were awarded pensions after 20 years' service:
RN, Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) officers who served 1880 to 1960:
- The National Archives guide to officers' service record cards
- Officers' Service Record Cards and Files (ADM 340) on TNA (£)
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) officers and ratings:
- The National Archives guide to Royal Naval Reserve service records
- Ratings' Records of Service – mainly men who served during the First World War (BT 377) on TNA and an index with links to TNA on Ancestry (£)
- Ratings' service cards for 140,000 ratings at National Museum of the Royal Navy
- Officers' Service Records (First World War) (ADM 240) at TNA (£)
- Officers and ratings who served up to 1946 – sample of Record of Service cards (BT 164) on TNA (£)
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR):
- The National Archives guide to Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve service records
- Service records for officers who served 1914 to 1922 and ratings who served 1903 to 1919 (ADM 337) on TNA and an index with links to TNA records on Ancestry (£) – not all records have survived
- RN and RNVR ratings who served 1888 to 1923 Engagement and Enrolment Papers at National Museum of the Royal Navy
Royal Marines:
- The National Archives guide to Royal Marines' service records
- Registers of Service 1842 to 1936 (ADM 159) on TNA, FindMyPast (1899–1919) and an index with links to TNA records on Ancestry (£)
- Approximately 60,000 Royal Marine Attestation Packs for Royal Marine Light Infantry (Plymouth, Chatham and Portsmouth Divisions and some other formations) at NMRN
Royal Naval Division (RND) officers and men who served during the First World War:
- The National Archives guide to Royal Naval Division service records
- Service records (ADM 339) on TNA, Lives of the First World War and FindMyPast (£)
- An index with links to TNA records on Ancestry (£)
- Approximately 50,000 original service records at NMRN
The service records of those who served from the 1920s onwards are held by the Ministry of Defence (Naval Disclosure Cell). Full records will be released to proven next of kin. Only very basic information about deceased service personnel will be released to other enquirers, with slight more detail made available 25 years after the date of death. The fee is currently £30. Download the application forms.
The careers of naval officers can be traced through their commissions and promotions listed in the regular official Navy List. These contain seniority lists of all officers, cross-referenced with individual ships. A full set of these publications is held by TNA. IWM holds an almost complete run from 1914 and some of those from 1888–1970 are on Ancestry (£).
The London Gazette also lists commissions and promotions up to the present day.