British Army

The British Army is the land-based forces of the United Kingdom. The British Army was heavily involved in Imperial affairs in India and most regiments (both infantry and cavalry) served in India at some point. Throughout the nineteenth century, and into the twentieth century, a significant number of British troops were stationed at India at any one time. In 1847, for instance, around 20% of British Army regiments were on the sub-continent, while at the outbreak of the First World War, around 30% of the British Army was based in India. The General staff were supported by the Staff Corps and the Office of the Quarter Master General.

Up until the early 1860s, a British man, or man of British descent could also be a soldier/officer in one of the Presidency Armies in India. These were separate from the British Army, instead consisting of regiments formed by the East India Company and under their control. Many men from those Armies then transferred to the British Army, so if you have a reference to a man in the British Army in India in the 1860s, he may well be one of those who transferred. You may be able to locate him in the records of either the Bengal Army, Madras Army, or Bombay Army.

Regiments

Any regiment name prefaced by the initials H.M. (Her or His Majesty's) is a British Army regiment, although the term is not strictly applied, especially amongst the ecclesiastical records. These regiments may be referred to as "Royal Regiments".

Regiments are divided across several arms of the army, these being the Cavalry (who fought mounted on horseback), the Infantry (soldiers who fought on foot) and the support arms such as the Artillery (who used weaponry such as canons and large guns) and the Engineers construction, demolition, surveying etc.) Also see Regiment names terminology below.

The article History of British Army Infantry Regiments is a general history of the origin and development of the infantry regiments and explains some of the reforms that took place.

• To browse the Infantry category, see British Army Infantry Regiments. From 1881, see 1881 Regimental Titles.
• To browse the Cavalry category, see British Army Cavalry Regiments
• To browse the Artillery category, see British Army Artillery Regiments

The cap badges of a few regiments can be found in Cap badge images.

For regiments serving in India, when a regiment was to return to England, the men were given the opportunity to 'volunteer for' (join) another British Army regiment in India. The view seems to have been "A trained soldier in India is worth five recruits, and that soldier, when he is brought home, is not worth anything."As an example, when the 96th Regiment of Foot was ordered home in September 1854, a ‘great number of men’ volunteered for the 32nd foot, thirty volunteered for the 43rd, while twenty-two volunteered for the 74th Highlanders. However, when transferring to another unit, the soldiers were treated as new recruits, and lost any rank they had, reverting to the rank of a private, although it appears likely that in practice they were promoted again reasonably quickly.

Locating a regiment

There are many ways to find out locations at which a regiment was stationed. More labourious methods include tracking through the muster rolls, army lists or station lists published in newspapers. Many of our regiment articles include a timeline of major stations.

• The archived website Regiments.org provides information about regimental deployments, which can range from general to specific. See External Links - Other, below. Additionally individual Fibiwiki regimental pages generally include links to relevant regimental pages from Regiments.org.
• One online source providing incomplete but highly useful information, is:

Indian portion of In Search of the 'Forlorn Hope': A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and their Records (1640-WWI) by John M Kitzmiller - lists the location/year of all British regiments that served in India and related regions. (Regiments, Locations) . From Bob Holland’s Rampais website, archived. Kitzmillers's two volume book is available at the British Library UIN: BLL01010128905

• Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research Library [CARL] (U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth USA) includes an online collection, the Nafziger Collection of Orders of Battle which includes lists of “Stations of British Troops in India” (and a wider list for the whole army) transcribed from the sources such as the Army and Navy Gazette .

To access the contents, there is the Nafziger orders of battle collection : finding aid (link to a pdf download which depending on your browser you may need to locate in your downloads folder) to assist in navigating the titles available for viewing, and the links to those titles.

The finding aid is Searchable. There are title headings such as Stations of British Troops in India (available 1836-1904), British Regiments Serving in India, (available 1816-1835), Distribution of the British Army (available 1836-1868, 1872, 1899-1903) Stations of the British Army (available 1869-1904). The latter two titles include British troops in India. For specific lists from 1862, see

• Stations of British Army troops in India
• Stations of the Royal Artillery in India

Note that for some computers/browsers in the past it was not possible to search the Finding Aid, but this situation may have improved. If this is still the situation, "British Regiments Serving in India" 1816 is located on page 167. "Distribution of the British Army" 1836 is located on page 168. Alternatively use your internet Search engine with terms such as nafziger "Stations of the British Army" and a date.

Note that publications such as Army and Navy Gazette and Naval & Military Gazette used as the source of the Nafziger data, are now available online for some years, see Military periodicals online.

• The publication Monthly Army List, many of which are available as part of Army List for British Army online usually contains information on a monthly basis about regiments and the Royal Artillery, both under individual regiments, but also in a section "Commands of the Army", where the information is listed geographically (example for 1927 September (Archive.org), commencing page 18), for both UK and overseas Commands, including for India, generally listed under East Indies, which may also include Burma and Aden. Ceylon is listed under Dominions, Colonies and Protectorates etc. This information is generally not available during war time and perhaps some other periods, including editions in early years, which also lack Contents pages.

The publications New Annual Army List and New Army List, some of which are available on Army List for British Army online contain details of the regiments in the British Army for each year of publication. The details of each regiment in each volume will usually include where the regiment is garrisoned at that point of time. This is often located at the very top of the page which gives details of the regiment. As an example, (Archive.org) the 2nd Battalion of the 25th Regiment of Foot was stationed at Jubbulpore Bengal page 269 The New Annual Army List for 1873, shown in the top right hand corner.

• Location of British Army Infantry and Cavalry Regiments 1878-1891 Remembering The Past, now archived. Transcriptions from Army Lists. Note, data is spread across the web page, and you may need to widen out the web page.

• Indian Army Lists will generally provide full details of British Cavalry and British Infantry Regiments in India and contain a Distribution of the Royal Artillery in India. Refer to the Content pages to locate the entries. Some earlier publications may also provide similar information. For editions online, see Indian Army List online.
• See Stations of British Army troops in India for a few digitised editions of the quarterly publication Stations of Units of the Regular Forces, Militia, Special, Reserve, and Territorial Force by [Great Britain] War Office published by His Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO) for the years 1910, 1913, 1914. Army stations in Great Britain and the rest of the world. A good run of these publications is available at the University of Oxford.
• The publication Aldershot Military Gazette contained regular entries for "Stations of the British Army", see Military periodicals online.
• The publication The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine, which changed title over time, some of which are available on Military periodicals online also contain details of the regiments in the British Army for at least some periods, perhaps all. Stations of the British Army are generally tabulated within the “Editor’s Portfolio”, but sometimes separately. Examples
  • "Corrected to 15 November 1884" page 669, 1884 and "Corrected to 26 March 1888", page 373 [1888). HathiTrust.
• For those able to visit the National Archives at Kew, there are catalogue entries WO 379/11 Stations of regiments 1859-1900 and WO 379/15 Stations of regiments 1901-1920 Examples of the type of records available are WO 379/11 details for the 52nd Regiment and WO 379/15 details for the 48th Regiment, both now archived webpages, but previously from respective regiments pages from the website maltaramc.com. These records are part of the WO 379 series "Disposition and Movement of Regiment, Returns and Papers (Regimental Records)"

WO 25 records Embarkation Returns and Disembarkation Returns may also be useful. Records are filed in date of sailing sequence. Embarkation records show Officers (named), the number of Other Ranks per unit, and the military cargo carried. As an example, an image of a record from WO 25/3544 shows officers and men from M M Gun No. 22 Battery leaving on the Ship 'Beltana' for India from Devonport on 26th February 1916. Embarkation records can also originate overseas as the WO25 series includes records titled "Abroad for Home" and "Between Stations Abroad". Note: Selected WO 25 records are available as a free download from the National Archives, through TNA's Discovery catalogue, and selected WO 25 records are also available on the Ancestry database "Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900.

WO 97 records Distribution of the Army Monthly Returns include station of each battalion or company. Sample images.

Regiment names terminology

Regiments, especially prior to the twentieth century, were not named in a uniform manner and the historical terminology used can be unfamiliar to a beginning researcher. Some common terms and the regiment types they apply to can be found below.

Term	Regiment type
Dragoons	Cavalry
Foot	Infantry
Fusiliers	Infantry
Grenadier	Infantry
Hussars	Cavalry
Lancers	Cavalry
Life Guards	Cavalry
Rifles	Infantry

Wars and campaigns

The British Army were involved in numerous wars, campaigns and battles in India and the surrounding region. The Fibiwiki has a Chronological list of wars and campaigns.

• To browse wars in the region, see the Wars and Campaigns category.
• To browse battles, see the Battles category.

Enlistment in India

It was possible for a man born in India to enlist in the British Army in India, a fact to be considered when researching. Enlistment was possible for men with European parents, or Eurasian men of fair complexion―those whose looks allowed them to ‘pass’ as white.

There are some early 1800s references to mixed race soldiers, mainly musicians, with 'black' complexions. There is one reference to an Anglo Indian Boy Trumpeter in the Royal Artillery c 1936

Enlistment and birth in other overseas British Empire countries

When researching, keep in mind that similar to the situation in India, it was also possible for men from other countries to enlist when regiments were stationed in their countries. Men whose fathers were in the British Army could be born anywhere in the world the British Army was stationed.

Indians in the British Army

There were a limited number of Indians who were part of the British Army. C 1911, there were Indian soldiers serving in the Royal Artillery as drivers, and native gunners in ammunition columns serving as wagon-men. During the First World War, there are Medal Index Card references to Lascars in the Royal Artillery, this rank was also known as a Gun Lascar. In 1924, Indian Mountain/Pack Batteries became Batteries in the Royal Artillery, which was the situation until 1939 when the Indian Mountain Batteries were transferred from the Royal Artillery to the Indian Regiment of Artillery.
During the First World War there are also references to Lascars in the Inland Water Transport, Royal Engineers.
There were Indian and Burmese drivers and artificers in 1023 and 1024 Mechanical Transport Companies ASC, raised in Burma for service in Mesopotamia.
From c 1921, there were Indian Mechanical Transport Companies, which were part of the Royal Army Service Corps, until subsequently transferred to the Indian Army.

Indian Platoon, British Army Infantry Regiment

From early 1922 , shortly after the introduction of the Vickers Machine Guns into Infantry Battalions, an Indian Platoon, or Support Company was attached to each British infantry regiment serving in India up until November 1932. Each such platoon comprised one Indian officer and 42 other ranks, their primary duty being to lead and care for the mule packs upon which guns and ammunition of the Machine-Gun Company were carried. However, these soldiers appear to have been regarded as part of the Indian Army. Note however there was a Lancashire Fusiliers album which included 1934 in the title, which contained a photograph of the Indian Platoon, and a photograph of the Indian Machine Gun Platoon, 1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry Karachi 1938, so at least some regiments contained these Platoons to a date after 1932.

Records

See also - Military reading list and Occupation:Soldier

There are various sources of information for finding out about a man in the British Army.

Army Lists

Army Lists are useful if you are researching an officer. There were Monthly, Quarterly and Annual editions published. Some of these were commercial publications, while some were official War Office publications, The official publications included Quarterly Army Lists from 1880 and Monthly Army Lists from August 1881. At least during the First World War, only the Monthly Lists cover the officers in “battalion order”, but this listing probably appeared in earlier publications also. Quarterly Army Lists only list regular, career officers and not others such as temporary officers and territorial officers who are to be found in the Monthly Army Lists. The Monthly Army Lists are available on the open shelves at the National Archives and major libraries, (but date ranges may be unclear). Based on library catalogues, Bodleian Libraries University of Oxford, and the National Library of Scotland may have the best collections of Monthly Army Lists.

For British Library holdings, including regimental and regional lists, from 1642, see the BL guide "Service Lists for the Army, Navy and Air Force". (This is a download to your computer which you may need to locate in your downloads folder.)

For volumes available online, see the Fibiwiki page Army List for British Army online‎‎ .
The sections are New Annual Army List, New Army List, Quarterly Army List and Monthly Army List.

Mostly free access, but also includes details of pay websites such as findmypast, Ancestry/fold3 and TheGenealogist which include databases containing Army Lists. For details see Army List for British Army online‎‎ - Quarterly Army List.

For at least some war periods a Confidential or "Security Edition" was also published with known Monthly editions for August 1939 (available online) and September 1939, and it seems possible that Monthly Lists may have been continued after May 1940, to 1943, solely on a Confidential basis.

The [London] Gazette

• The [London] Gazette Official Public Record for the U.K. Free Search for officers' commissions and promotions, and gallantry awards for both officers and other soldiers. Note that the Gazette entry could sometimes be much later than the actual event.

Search tips: include full stops after initials, and if the name includes an apostrophe, follow this by a space.

Some data from the London Gazette is available online elsewhere, where the Search facilities may be easier to use (Free Search, pay to view) :

Ancestry includes the database "The London Gazette (London, England), 1825-1962" (located under Newspapers & Periodicals), but notes there are random gaps in this collection.

findmypast includes the database "The London Gazette, Supplements August 1914 - January 1920" (Located under Armed forces & conflict/Medal rolls and honours), which also includes promotions and Battle Despatches

If you have a specific London Gazette reference, you may be able to locate it through the Wikipedia:London Gazette Index

Landed Gentry genealogical sources

Officers were often of high social status/the Landed Gentry class and genealogical resources relating to this social class may provide Army details.

• Burke’s Peerage 1826–2016 A pay website which states “the definitive guide to the genealogy and heraldry of the Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Landed Gentry of the United Kingdom, the historical families of Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations….”

Editions of Burke's Peerage are available at major libraries, and some are online, see following.

• The Peerage. A genealogical survey of the peerage of Britain. A free website. Includes
  • "Custom Indices" with links to "Index for Battles", including First World War, and Second World War.

Historical books online

• See Peerage and landed gentry genealogical books online.

Military records at the National Archives

For advice about the National Archives, both about visiting and your options if you can't visit, see the Fibiwiki page The National Archives

Service and pension records

For a list of abbreviations likely to be found in service records, see Army personnel serving after January 1921, below.

Online records

Genealogy websites such as findmypast and Ancestry, mentioned in the following sections, are pay websites. The basic subscription levels do not provide access to military records. Findmypast requires at least a Plus level of subscription for military records, while Ancestry requires at least a Premium level of subscription for military records, and additionally requires a higher level subscription for access to some military images. Generally these websites provide free access for a limited number of days during the year. Depending where you live you may be able to access such websites for free at a library near you. See Miscellaneous tips - Access some subscription websites with a Library Card. Access to such sites, including fold3, is also available at FamilySearch Centres.

Where a record series appears on both findmypast, and Ancestry there may be differences in transcriptions of names which will affect the Search results. If you cannot initially find a record, it is suggested you try searching on both websites, and in addition on FamilySearch, a free website. Details of some of the military records on the latter site may be found under findmypast, below.

A researcher advised that Army service record images on findmypast are usually much better quality and Ancestry's service records may be poorly indexed, however Ancestry has the advantage that you can scroll to the records immediately before and after, which could be relevant.Another advised that findmypast has a far better search facility. (Comparison of online providers for WW1 records.)

For both findmypast and Ancestry, it is possible to undertake a broad Search by selecting the Military category from the Search tab at the top of the webpages. This will search in all Military databases. However, should you wish to perform a more targeted Search, various databases are described below.

Findmypast

Findmypast, a pay website, contains a database British Army Service Records, located in Armed Forces & Conflict/ Regimental & Service Records, which contains records between 1760 and 1920, for officers and other ranks, mostly from The National Archives.

This database consists of

• WO 22 - Royal Hospital Chelsea: returns of payment of Army and other pensions 1842-1883
• WO 23 - Royal Hospital Chelsea: admission books, registers, and papers 1702-1876
• WO 76 - Regimental records of officers' services 1775-1914
• WO 96 - Militia service records 1806-1915
• WO 97 - Chelsea: pensioners British Army service records 1760-1913
• WO 121 - Chelsea: pensioners' discharge documents 1760-1887
• WO 122 - Chelsea: pensioners' discharge documents, foreign regiments 1816-1817
• WO 128 - Imperial Yeomanry, soldiers' documents, South African War 1899-1902
• WO 131 - Chelsea: documents of soldiers awarded deferred pensions 1838-1896
• WO 339 - Officers' services, First World War, regular army and emergency reserve officers. Transcripts only, not actual files.
• WO 363 - First World War service records 'burnt documents'
• WO 364 - First World War pension claims
• WO 374 - Officers' services, First World War, personal files, Territorial and temporary officers. Index records only, not actual files.
• WO 400 - The Household Cavalry 1801-1919
• 'Scots Guards Enlistment Registers, 1799-1939' and 'Scots Guards Officer Enlistment Registers, 1642-1939'. These records come from the Scots Guards, not from the National Archives. Include images.

Update: Added c 2021/05/14, the database 'Scots Guards Service Records 1799-1939' described as "service records from the Second World War and beyond".

See below for details of records in this database British Army Service Records.

An associated database is British Army Service Records Image Browse, located in Armed forces & conflict/Service Records which contains the above records, excluding the First World War records and the 'Scots Guards Service Records'.

Additional separate databases:

• British Army, Coldstream Guards 1800-1947, located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. Originally introduced as part of the database British Army Service Records above, but c 27 Nov. 2020 became a separate database. Comprises "many different regimental history records including Discharge Books, Courts Martial Book, Decorations and Rewards and Officers' Statements of Services". Also includes post WW1 enlistment registers.

British Army, Coldstream Guards 1800-1947 Image Browse located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records, introduced 23 April 2021.

• British Army Officers' Widows' Pension Forms 1755-1908, located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. These records are from the National Archives series WO 42: War Office: Officers’ Birth Certificates, Wills and Personal Papers, containing applications for a pension or a child’s compassionate allowance where an officer died on service or on half pay. Note, this record series may be downloaded free through TNA website.
• British Army Pensioners - Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Ireland, 1783-1822, located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. These records are from the National Archives WO 119 records.
• Surrey Recruitment Registers 1908-1933, located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. Transcripts of original records from The Surrey History Centre.
• British Army, Royal Engineers 1900-1949 located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. These records are Tracer cards which plot a soldier’s movements within and between regiments and most are for the years 1939-1945.
• British Army, Royal Engineers Other Ranks: Casualty Cards located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. These cards cover casualties during and after World War 2. An example card shows hospital admissions. Elsewhere Casualty records may list those missing, wounded, taken prisoner, killed in action or who died, but it is not clear whether these events are included on these cards.

Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription).

For some findmypast blogs about these records, see below.

FamilySearch includes two collections of index records, with the data created by findmypast:
United Kingdom, Chelsea Pensioners' Service Records, 1760-1913. The database description states that it includes index records from WO 97, WO 119, WO 121, WO 122, WO 131, but the associated browse images linked from the webpage appear to be for WO97 only. The index records include name, place of birth and estimated date of birth.
United Kingdom, Royal Hospital Chelsea: Discharge Documents of Pensioners 1760-1887 (WO 122). Note that the latter title is inaccurate, as WO 122 records are for the period 1816-1817 only. The index records include name, birth and place, and date of discharge.
To view related images, you can search on findmypast, and view the images on findmypast. This will be the most convenient option for most people. Alternatively you can access the images as digitised microfilm at a FamilySearch Family History Centre, see FamilySearch Centres.
These record images are also available through the FamilySearch catalogue, where the individual digitised microfilms may be described: United Kingdom, Chelsea pensioners' service records, 1760-1913 [WO 97]; United Kingdom, Royal Hospital Chelsea: discharge documents of pensioners 1760-1887 (WO 122) and in addition WO 119, WO 121, WO 131 records; Probably WO 119, although not stated). From these catalogue entries, it is clear that the FamilySearch databases of Index records cover less records than the digital microfilms available through the FamilySearch catalogue. Note however, the digitised microfilms may be selected records only from the particular record series, not the entire National Archives record series.

FamilySearch also contains the collection United Kingdom, World War I service records, 1914-1920 consisting of WO 363 and WO 364 index records and images. These images are now available on your home computer (since c 2019/03; previously only viewable at a FamilySearch Centre or Affiliate Library). A researcher commented that an image of interest for a 'burnt document' record from WO 363 was clearer, and more of the record could be read, on FamilySearch than on Ancestry (see item below).

Ancestry

Ancestry is a pay website.

• British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 are WO 363 records.
• British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 are WO 364 records.
• "Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900". Selected regiments only, from the National Archives series WO 25 War Office Registers. See Miscellaneous online sources below, for more about these records. WO 25 records are also available as a free download from The National Archives website, refer below.

Ancestry search tip: if you are unable to locate a record, it is possible to search by spouse name, as the search does look for next of kin.

Ancestry/Fold3
Fold3 is an Ancestry owned company. For the following Military records Ancestry has released transcribed index records on the main Ancestry site, with the images only available on Fold3, which requires an Ancestry All Access subscription, or a separate Fold3 subscription.

• UK, Officer Service Records, 1764-1932 These records are WO 76: War Office: Records of Officers' Services. Released 9 December 2019. The fold3 database with images is UK, War Office: Records of Officers' Services WO 76, Pieces 1-554 (appears to be all records).
• UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, 1760-1920 "WO 97, Pieces 1278-4287 (various pieces within range)" records. Released November 2016.
• UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admissions and Discharges, 1715-1925 Disability and Royal Artillery Out-Pensions, Admission Books WO 116 records. Released November 2016.
• Ireland, Royal Hospital Kilmainham Pensioner Discharge Documents, 1724-1924 WO 119 records. Released November 2016.

Notes: [1] WO 76 images are also available on findmypast, refer above, and as a free download from The National Archives. [2] WO 97 images are also available on findmypast, refer above. Ancestry titles appear inaccurate in regarding dates. [3] The National Archives classifies WO 97 records to 1913, not beyond. [4] The WO 116 records available on Ancestry may possibly be derived from the National Archives microfilms, which do not extend past 1882, or 1893, depending on category, which are available as free downloads from the National Archives website, refer below. [4] WO 119 records are catalogued by the National Archives as "1757-1849".

• UK, Household Cavalry Records of Service, 1799-1920 WO 400 records. Released 19 March 2020. Surviving records of service for non-commissioned officers and other ranks who served in the Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards and the Household Battalion, and whose Army service concluded in these regiments. WO 400 images are also available on findmypast, refer above.

Fold3
Fold3: All Databases and International, which appears to include the British records.
One of the databases is titled "UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Admission And Discharge Records" with constituent records [1] Royal Hospital, Chelsea: Disability and Royal Artillery Out-Pensions. This record set only contains one piece. [2] "WO 116: Disability and Out-Pensions, Admissions", whose index records are available on Ancestry, refer above. Records to piece 165 (TNA last record WO 116/252); [3] 'WO 117: Length of Service Pensions, Admission Books. Records to piece 77 ; [4] WO 121: Discharge Documents of Pensioners. Records to piece 257; [5] WO 122: Discharge Documents, Foreigners' Regiments" Records to piece 14. The latter record series do not appear to be indexed on Ancestry. Note, not all pieces may be included.
The fold3 database "Ireland, Royal Hospital Kilmainham Pensioner Discharge Documents" in addition to the WO 119 records indexed by Ancestry, also includes the database "Royal Hospital, Kilmainham: Pension Admissions", thought to be from WO 118.
Note: WO 117 records are available as a free download from the National Archives website, refer below, and at least some WO 119, WO 121 and WO122 records are available on findmypast, refer above.

Fold3 contains a category Military Books (In the Search use the search term "Military Books" (previously located in International, but not at 1 Oct. 2020)) which contains many online Naval & Military Press reprint books relating to both the British Army and the Indian Army. There are also additional titles in the War categories catalogued under the actual title, and International contains a category Australia Military Book Collection, which covers varying periods periods, which appear to be original scans from "Gould Genealogy and History"/"Australian and States Military Collection").

Fold3, an American company, generally provides free access for a limited number of days during the year, as an example 2019-2021 for a few days before and including "Memorial Day", a federal holiday in USA, the last Monday of May. (2021 free access for WW1 and WW2 records, and "Military Books" appears to have extended from c am Friday ET (Eastern Time) (being UTC−05:00; UTC = Greenwich Mean Time) to 11.59 pm ET Monday). 2020 free access for British records, including online books due to VE Day 8 May, with probable free dates 4-10 May (Monday-Sunday). However c October 2020 due to website changes, it is not clear whether Military Books are still considered British records.

Chelsea Pensioners

Discharge papers (WO 97, (to 1913)), usually containing service/attestation information, and pension records (WO 22) may also be found at TNA. Records in WO 97 are usually only for men discharged with a pension (i.e. for long service or having been invalided ) as these were the papers sent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and preserved, but from 1883, most causes of discharge, (apart from death (with a few exceptions)) were included. Note however, the survival rate of discharge papers appears to be low for men discharged overseas [ie not in Britain, and therefore low for India]. If a man went on to serve during World War 1 then his records would normally have been removed from WO97 and placed with his WW1 service records. WO 97 records are also unlikely to include men who immediately went on active service with a Militia unit, (whose discharge papers may have been transferred to the Militia unit). The records often contain a wealth of genealogical information, including birth date and location, physical description, service locations, medical history and medals. Records after 1883 usually contain fuller particulars, such as next of kin and details of marriages, births of children or deaths of family members. Note: There are examples of records to 1913, which are located in the WW1 records, rather than in the WO 97 records, even though the man did not serve in WW1.

For the period 1760-1854 (WO 97/1-1271) a name index has been produced, which may be Searched on the National Archives website. The webpage also advises for the period 1760-1872 the documents are arranged alphabetically by name within regiment.

For details of FamilySearch indexes and digitised microfilms for WO97 records, see above under Findmypast.

Other service records

WO 25 War Office and predecessors Registers With a Search. Click on “browse by … reference” for the various records. Includes some records of service, embarkation, disembarkation information etc. Download some, but not all, records for free through the record references in the National Archives Discovery catalogue.

Note a selection of WO 25 records is available on Ancestry, (pay website), in the dataset "Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900"

FamilySearch has a selection of WO 25 indexed records, (free), see FamilySearch catalogue entry where the magnifying glass icon indicates the records which have been indexed and are now searchable - click further near the red text. These appear to be mainly pre 1850 records. The digitised microfilms, (which are only a selection of WO 25 records, in the range WO 25/266 to WO 25/805), including those from which the index records are derived, are available to members of the public with restrictions, being viewable at FS Centres and FS Affiliate Libraries, see FamilySearch Centres.

Kilmainham Pensioners

The records online at findmypast now include those men discharged through the Kilmainham Hospital in Ireland, as "British Army Pensioners - Kilmainham, Ireland 1783-1822". These records are held under TNA reference WO 119, and are similar to the Chelsea Pensioner records WO 97, above.

There are other records for Kilmainham , not digitised by findmypast, under WO 118 “Registers of in- and out- pensioners of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham”. In-pensioners were admitted until 1922.

These two record series may be searched by name on the National Archives website: WO 118 Search, WO 119 Search

FamilySearch has digitised microfilms for these records, with catalogue entries:
Registers of out-pensioners of the Army and of the Militia, 1759-1863 (W. O. 118) This appears to be a selection of WO 118 records, not the complete series.
For WO 119, see above under Findmypast.
These digitised microfilms are viewable at FamilySearch Centres. In addition the WO 118 records may be viewed at a Family Search Affiliate Library.

Other Pension Records

Another useful TNA source is the now available online WO 22 subseries "Army and other pensions paid out locally in India, Ceylon and China" detailing names and payments made, including WO 22/228-230 Bengal, WO 22/237-238 Bombay and WO 22/266-270, mainly Madras.

WO 120 and WO 121 records may be helpful. Catalogue references are:

• WO 120 "From about 1812 dates of death have been noted and in the last series these dates extend to 1877" The WO 120 records do not appear to be available online but are available on FamilySearch digitised microfilm, catalogue entry. See FamilySearch Centres for details.
  • The book British Army Pensioners Abroad, 1772-1899 by Norman K. Crowder includes all British Army pensioners who retired to any place outside of Great Britain for which records are available (1772-1899). There are 8,934 entries, transcribed from WO 120/35 and WO 120/69-70. Each entry has one line, in the form "51st Regiment of Foot; Josh ABBOTT; pension awarded 27 Sept 1842; residence - Hobart Town, Australia; died 22 Apr 1871. Source WO120 Volume 69 page 206". Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01008881220, including open access shelves.
• WO 121 records. These records are available online on findmypast , refer above. The records include "Register of men discharged without pension", 1884 to 1887. Although the catalogue does not mention this, there are many records of men leaving the army in India under the heading "Nominal list of men discharged by the Commander-in-Chief in India." As the register provides name, regimental number, rank, corps, date and cause of discharge, attestation date (and a few other administration details) it is an invaluable resource for those not able to find these details elsewhere.

These records are included in the National Archives catalogue entry Records of the Royal Chelsea and Kilmainham Hospitals. The latter hospital was in Ireland. This category of records also includes

• WO 116 Disability and all Royal Artillery pensions and
• WO 117 Pensions awarded to soldiers for length of service.

Some of these records, in particular WO 116 (for what appears to be WO 116/1-165 being Cavalry and Infantry Disability October 1715 to 1882 (when the records cease) and Royal Artillery 1 November 1833 to 1893) (when the records continue but are not digitised) and WO 117 ( October 1823 to 1913) are available to download free of cost from the National Archives website, though the Discovery catalogue, or the links above. Note, some records within this series have been seen subject to a fee, if so it is suggested you query.
Elsewhere, it is stated these are large pdfs, which need a broadband internet connection. An Ancestry.com British Army Message Board post details some of the information found.

An interesting series of selected records is PIN 71: Selected War Pensions Award Files for Service Prior to 1914. This series consists of personal case files on disablement pensions arising from service in the Army or Navy before the First World War and case files concerning widows of such servicemen. The files contain medical records and details of place of birth, age, names of parents and siblings, religion, physical attributes, marital and parental status. The series appears to consist of approximately 6,300 individual files which are searchable by name online on the Discovery catalogue. The actual files however are not available online.

Service and pension records from World War 1 from the National Archives are available on the pay sites findmypast and Ancestry, refer above. They do contain some papers for men who did not serve in WW1, so it is suggested you check these records for men with service prior to the War years. The World War 1 records include

• WO 363 records also known as the ‘Burnt Documents.’ These are the records which survived a fire, about one third of the total documents.
• WO 364 records

Muster rolls

Unlike those of the presidency armies, muster rolls for British Army regiments stationed in India are not at the British Library but are instead at The National Archives at Kew in London.

Refer National Archives Guides, below, in particular the linked webinar "Army Musters".

The majority of the Muster records up to 1878 are in WO 12, including Cavalry and Infantry, with Royal Artillery muster records in WO 10. The catalogue describes the records as:

"...a comprehensive means of establishing dates of enlistment, movements throughout the world, and of discharge or death. The first entry may show age on enlistment. An entry on the form "Men becoming non-effective", sometimes to be found at the end of each quarter's musters, shows the birthplace, trade, and date of enlistment of any soldier discharged or dead during the quarter. From about 1868, at the end of each muster, may be found a Marriage Roll, which enumerates wives and children for whom married quarters were provided."

Detail from a 1877 Married Roll

An 1877 example of data from a Marriage Roll can be seen in the image on the right.

From 1878 to 1898, all muster rolls are in WO 16. The majority of the records for the years 1878 to 1888 contain detailed pay lists with names. From 1888 onwards (WO 16/2917-3049) the series consists of company muster rolls only, and these do not contain pay lists. From about 1890, the muster rolls generally are only for men at Depots, and recruits, and do not generally include Battalions overseas.

The Muster Rolls for the 63rd Regiment of Foot in the period 1819-1840 are known to contain Officers names, but generally the rolls are of enlisted men.

Muster roll records are unfortunately NOT available on LDS microfilms. If you are a FIBIS member and are unable to visit Kew, the FIBIS Research team should be able to assist.

Please note that muster roll records may be missing for some Regiments and periods, in India and generally. For example, there are virtually no muster roll records for the Royal Artillery in India.

Online records

• Ancestry (pay site with a free search) has the collections
  • UK, British Army Muster Books and Pay Lists, 1812-1817. In addition there are some rolls outside this date range, from 1779 and also up to 1821. Comprises selected WO 12 muster books and pay lists of the Cavalry, Foot Guards and regular infantry regiments of the line. Also included are special regiments or corps, colonial troops, various foreign legions and troops, garrison battalions, veteran battalions and depots.
  • Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls and Recruitment Registers, 1914-1947 from records at the Surrey History Centre, consisting of records from the Queen's Royal West Surrey and East Surrey Regiments, together with some from 21st-24th Battalions, the London Regiment. Details of some records found, and the London Regiment.
• Findmypast has the records, (located in Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records) British Army, Worldwide Index 1861 extracted from the National Archives April-June quarter Paylists held in WO 10 (Royal Artillery), WO 11 (Royal Engineers) and WO 12 (Cavalry, Guards, Infantry and other units) series War Office records, including men serving overseas. Note, one record seen is based on an 1862, not 1861, muster record. Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription). Also on Findmypast is the database British Army, Worldwide Index 1871, with census day 2 April 1871 and generally covering much of the June Quarter 1871, extracted from War Office army pay lists. Further databases in this series are: British Army, Worldwide Index 1841, created from muster rolls and pay lists between April and June 1841 (released (2016/1) and British Army, Worldwide Index 1851(released 2016/9), which contains records from regiments listed in this regimental list.

As advised in the section above, there will be no records for Royal Artillery soldiers in India.

Medal Rolls

See Medal Rolls. Includes information about those medal rolls available online.

Military Nurses

See the Fibiwiki page Nurse.

Army Orders etc

There are record series at the National Archives concerning Army Orders and Instructions etc. Army Council Instructions (ACIs), were issued 'For Official Use Only' and, unlike Army Orders (AOs), were not public documents. ACIs were effectively legal directions and had the weight of law. Army Orders were the means by which they were carried out.
TNA catalogue references:

• WO 123 1711-1992. Ministry of Defence and predecessors: Army Circulars, Memoranda, Orders and Regulations. Includes Army Orders. Army Orders are also available at the British Library UIN: BLL01001093463 , with an additional series of records IOR/L/MIL/17/1/1886-1890 (British Army: General Orders and Circular Memoranda (1861-1866)) and IOR/L/MIL/17/1/1891-1967 (British Army: General Orders ‎ (1867-1945)).

Example image of 2 pages.

For online editions to December 1917 (broken range), see Military periodicals online - Army Orders.

• WO 293 1914-1964 War Office: Army Council: Instructions. This series contains a complete set of the formal orders known as Army Council Instructions, from January 1916 to March 1964, when they were superseded by Defence Council Instructions (Army). The series also contains the final years of the preceding War Office Instructions from August 1914 to December 1915. Also available at the British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/1/2031-2062 1916-1947. Example image of 2 pages.
• War Establishments WO 24/894 1888-1891 to WO 24/999 1955.

War Diaries

• For WW1 War Diaries, see First World War - War Diaries.

Research guides

National Archives Guides

• The National Archives have the following research guides:
  • Looking for records of a British Army officer up to 1913
    • Regarding records mentioned in this link, note that WO 76 records are now available on findmypast, refer above, and are also available to download free as pdf files from the National Archives' Discovery catalogue. See "Free online records: digital microfilm" (link follows later in this section). For Army Lists, see Military periodicals online-New Annual Army List
    • British Army officers up to 1913: further research
  • Looking for records of a British Army officer after 1913
  • Looking for records of a British Army soldier up to 1913
    • British Army: Muster Rolls and Pay Lists, c1730-1898
      • Webinar: "Army musters – more than just accounts" by William Spencer 13 February 2014.
  • Looking for records of a British Army soldier after 1913
  • Additional guides may be located in Military and maritime. including
    • Courts martial and desertion in the British Army 17th-20th centuries (More on desertion).
  • Free online records: digital microfilm. Includes a number of records in the WO series, including WO 25, War Office and predecessors Registers; WO 42 War Office: Officers’ Birth Certificates, Wills and Personal Papers; WO65 War Office: Printed Annual Army Lists; WO 76 War Office: Records of Officers’ Services, etc. Download through the record references in the National Archives' Discovery catalogue. Note, only selected records in a series may be available to download. (Note, some of these records may be available online on commercial sites such as Ancestry. For example, a selection of WO 25 records is available on Ancestry, in the dataset "Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900").
• "The Army: an overview" Chapter 18 page 181 Tracing your ancestors in the Public Record Office by Amanda Bevan, Sixth Edition 2002, published by the (now) National Archives. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. There was a 7th edition published in 2006 Tracing your ancestors in the National Archives.
• The National Archives has published the book Army Records: A Guide for Family Historians by William Spencer 2008. 160 pages. It is mainly about records in the National Archives and the India Office at the British Library. It contains a chapter "The British Army in India and the Indian Army", in addition to over twenty chapters about British Army records.

British Library Guides

• British Library Guide to Service Lists for the [British] Army, Navy and Air Force, now an archived webpage.

India Office military records at the British Library

For a comprehensive description of sources available in the India Office Records, see Peter Bailey's article in FIBIS Journal 13.

There is a small collection of India Office records at the British Library called British Army Records IOR/L/MIL/15 1806-1930 (catalogue entry which includes links to subgroups including British Army: British troops embarked for India IOR/L/MIL/15/42-46 1871-1889).
Update: The latter records are available on Findmypast (pay website), located in Military, Armed Forces & Conflict/Other Wars & Conflicts, (added 9 July 2021).

There are also reference books from the Military Department Library relating to the British Army IOR/L/MIL/17/1 (catalogue entry), including Army Lists for the British Army, apart from publications specifically relating to the British Army in India.

Up until the early 1860s, a British man, or man of British descent could be a soldier/officer in one of the Presidency Armies in India. These were separate from the British Army, instead consisting of regiments formed by the East India Company and under their control. Many men from those Armies then transferred to the British Army, so if you have a reference to a man in the British Army in India in the 1860s, he may well be one of those who transferred. You may be able to locate him in the records of one of the Presidency Armies, which are to be found at the British Library, see Presidency Armies for an overview, and Bengal Army, Madras Army, or Bombay Army for details.

Ecclesiastical returns

If the man married, had children or died out on the Sub-continent then records of these occurences can often be found in the India Office Church records. However, some regimental chaplains only filed their BMDs with the General Register Office in London. The British Army Overseas Indexes can be found in genealogical libraries, the National Archives and searched on various websites including findmypast.com and familyrelatives.com. Certificates of these army returns can then be obtained from the GRO by ordering them online. For more details refer Chaplains Returns.

Note that if a record is available both in the Church records and in the General Register Office records, the latter may contain more information, at least for some time periods. By way of example, in 1903 the additional information available for a marriage record was the nationalities of the groom and bride, and the occupations of the fathers of the groom and bride.

Cemetery records

• See Cemeteries including details about Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

Courts martial and desertion

• See Courts-martial

Other sources

Additional sources include:

Soldiers’ wills

Online search Find a soldier's will Search for the will of a soldier who died while serving in the British armed forces between 1850 and 1986. UK Government Probate Service. Free to search, (but first you must register) and then pay for a record.

No further details are given, but previously this link advised that 300,000 wills of soldiers killed in action were to become available online. They do not include officers. These wills date from the Crimea period onwards, and appear to be wills completed by soldiers in their paybooks. It appears the majority are from WW1. The article "Wills of English soldiers killed in the Great War" by David Tattersfield 25 September 2013 (“The Western Front Association”, now an archived webpage) has more details.

Update. What appears to be the same database of Index records only in respect of privates and non-commissioned officers, is now available on the pay website Findmypast, added c 20 November 2020, at which time located in Civil Deaths & Burials/Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records. Full records from UK Government Probate Service, see above.

The index to some soldiers’ wills, perhaps more likely to be officers' wills, are also available in the Probate Calendars Of England & Wales 1858-1996, in an additional section on the UK Government website, mentioned above. Also see Wills, Administrations, Probate and Inventories.

For soldiers with a Scottish domicile, Soldiers’ Wills are available on ScotlandsPeople. scotlandspeople.gov.uk. Free to search, but pay to view. Most are from WW1, then WW2, with very limited data for other dates.

Soldiers Wills 1914-1918 National Archives of Ireland. Search online. The National Archives of Ireland holds over 9,000 wills of enlisted and non-commissioned soldiers domiciled in Ireland, from the thirty-two counties of Ireland, who fought in the British Army in the World War I and in the South African war of 1899-1902. The collection does not include wills of commissioned officers.

Soldiers’ effects records at the National Army Museum

These records relate to monies paid to the named relatives of deceased soldiers and those discharged insane. The records include officers. They do not give details of the personal possessions of dead personnel, but provide next of kin details. Transcripts of records between 1901 and 1960 are available, at a charge. They are not viewable at the Museum as they are stored off site. Further details are provided in an archived National Army Museum link

Update January 2015. Some of these records are now available on the pay website Ancestry, record category Military, with the dataset titled UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929. For entries involving the India and Mesopotamia theatres in WW1, there will generally be two separate records for each death.

WW1 pension records

WFA WW1 pension record cards

• "The Western Front Association preserves a major Great War archive of 6.5 million records" by David G Henderson 08 November 2012, now an archived webpage. "Great War Pension Record Cards and Ledgers: deeper understanding" 31 March 2013, now an archived webpage. More details from WFA, now an archived webpage.

Updates:2018/10/03. Ancestry has released the first stage of the records in the database "UK, WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923", (located in Military), which are index records, with the images available on the Ancestry owned pay website fold3, (which requires an Ancestry All Access subscription, or a separate fold3 subscription). The first released records relate to Naval and Mercantile Marine explained in the WFA article "Release of Naval and Mercantile Marine Pension Records by Ancestry" October 2018. Manual look ups have been suspended and are unlikely to be available in the future.

2018/11. Release of Ledgers. British Army and Royal Air Force. Record cards will be released in 2019. "Further sets of Pension Records saved by The Western Front Association available on Ancestry" c 9 November 2018. "A Further Release of First World War Pension Records by Ancestry" c 10 November 2018. "The Western Front Association's Pension Record Card and Ledger Archive" c 10 November 2018. WFA

Currently (2018/11/19) there are problems with the fold3 Search, and it is better to search on Ancestry.

2018/12. WFA members can access these records for free through the WFA's members' area.

Added 2019/09/26 Pension Record Cards - claims for soldiers who were killed written c 1 July 2019. WFA. A card should exist for every soldier, sailor or airman who died in the war provided his next of kin claimed a pension.

More records to be released in 2020. Article 1, Article 2, written c 2020/02. Article 3 2020/03/17. WFA

Added 2021/01/30 Announcing the publication of 2.9 million pension cards. Other Ranks Survived: The final release of Pension Records WFA.

Note 2021/05/11. The database appears to contain men who were not in the British Army. A card was seen for a claim by the widow, living in South Africa, of John Henry Doyle, No 1372, Gunner 2nd Rhodesian Regiment, died in South Africa, after discharge.

Scottish pension records

Scottish WW1 Pension Appeals Tribunal records, National Records of Scotland catalogue reference PT6, are to have indexed records produced and digitised, funded by the Wellcome Trust, and should be available by the end of 2019, free of charge, possibly through the ScotlandsPeople website.

WW1 Casualty Lists

In its military sense, the term "casualty" includes all those who are killed in action or who die of wounds, as well as those who are wounded, listed as missing, or taken prisoner of war.

WW1 Casualty Lists were initially published on a daily basis in newspapers, but WO original lists no longer appear to exist. They were then published weekly by HMSO, as War Office Weekly Casualty List no.1-48 (7 Aug.1917 - 2 July 1918), and later as Weekly Casualty List (War Office & Air Ministry) no.49-83 (9 July 1918 - 4 March 1919), available at some libraries.

Daily lists may be found in online newspaper databases such as The [London] Times Digital Archive, for access see Miscellaneous tips, and The Scotsman in Scotland, the latter initially all casualties but later limited to Scots related. TheGenealogist, a pay website, as part of its Diamond premium subscription, includes a database "Military and Casualty Lists", which appears to consist of Daily Lists transcribed from newspapers, together with Weekly Lists transcribed and with images, from British Library held original publications, with data to April 1918, (Weekly List No. 36 April 9th 1918) but with some gaps in the data, and Officers seem to be listed to 1920. Added July 2017, with later 1919 additions, findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive, under Weekly Casualty List (War Office & Air Ministry) contain Lists from 7 Aug. 1917 to 4 Mar. 1919 (currently (2019/01/06) missing publications between 1 Jan. and 23 Apr. 1918), and not all editions may be complete. These websites may also contain newspapers with Daily Lists. On findmypast, the Weekly Lists may be located either in the category Newspapers and periodicals, or in the category Armed Forces & Conflict/First World War in the databases "British Army, First World War Casualty Lists", and the related Browse database,which have different viewing formats, the latter much easier to view/browse than the Newspapers format. Note, however, the Armed Forces category does not contain any 1919 publications.
Update 17 July 2019, National Library of Scotland released a free database of all weekly Casualty Lists, except one, and currently (2021/09/28) the NLS database is still missing List No. 63, 15 October 1918. Note, some missing names were noted in the NLS pages, due to cropping at the margins during the filming (an example), so it is worthwhile trying different sources of databases for comparison if you cannot find a name of interest.

Weekly Casualty List No. 78, January 28th, 1919 is known to contain names of "Released Prisoners of War from Germany, arrived in England". It is possible that names of released POWs are similarly contained in other editions, particularly those issued after 11 December 1918.

Note, online searching may be unsuccessful due to the underlying poor quality OCR text caused by the tiny font used in the original lists.

Note, the above Casualty Lists include British personnel serving in the Indian Army.

WW1 British Red Cross & Order Of St John Enquiry Lists For Wounded And Missing

Naval & Military Press has published a number of facsimile reprints, in total 14 (9 for 1915, 2 for 1916, 1 for 1917, 2 for 1918) catalogued as British Red Cross & Order Of St John Enquiry List For Wounded And Missing, however the titles on the book covers do not contain the word for. N&MP states the originals are held by the Department of Printed Books, The Imperial War Museum, “who hold the largest collection of these titles known to exist”. The IWM catalogue reference is "Enquiry list... : wounded and missing", part of Books, First World War, catalogue number LBY S. 6/767, and the holding details are 1915 (July-September), 1916 (February, September), 1917 (up to and including July 20th 1917, reprint), 1918 (October, December). Note: the IWM catalogue, when re-searching, often did not locate the item. In addition, elsewhere it is advised that a publication available at IWM catalogued as The British Red Cross Society. Summary of Work for the week ending… includes a “report by the Enquiry Department for Wounded and Missing”, which possibly may include a List of names. These reports are catalogued by IWM as LBY BRCS B69- LBY BRCS B76 1914- 21 Oct.-4, 11, 24 Nov.-1, 5, 12, 19 Dec; LBY BRCS B77- LBY BRCS B87 1915- 2, 9, 16, 23 Jan.-6, 13, 20, 27 Feb.-6, 13, 27 Mar.; LBY BRCS B88- LBY BRCS B97 1915- 10, 17 Apr.-1, 8, 15, 29 May-5, 12, 19, 26 June; LBY BRCS B98- LBY BRCS B103 1915-3, 10, 17, 24? July-7, 21 Aug. LBY BRCS B104 Summaries of Work 11 September 1915 - March 1919. It is possible there may be additional IWM catalogue entries.

The Red Cross Archive in London is stated to hold additional lists to those reprinted by Naval and Military Press, but details could not be located in the Red Cross Archive online catalogue, so it is unclear under what title they are catalogued. The British Library catalogue details one list Enquiry List, No. 21, 1918. Wounded and missing... up to November 20th, 1918 (UIN: BLL01001129921). The Australian War Memorial Library holds copies, probably four, catalogued as Enquiry list : wounded and missing by British Red Cross and Order of St. John. (More details of these records.). The reprints are available at The National Archives Library.

Fold3, an Ancestry related pay website has a database "British WWI Wounded And Missing", which is stated to be sourced from the Naval & Military Press, but which reprint(s) is/are included is not stated, or otherwise known. (Total records 158,041). The records are stated to be a "List of wounded and missing British, Australian, Canadian, South African personnel in all theatres of war about whom enquiries have been made". Forces War Records, a pay website, contains a database consisting of the 1 August 1917 List (List No. 14, 1917).
Update, c 20 November 2020. Findmypast, a pay website, has added a database (seemingly almost identical to that on Fold3), "British Red Cross..." located in Military, Armed Forces & Conflict/First World War, total records 158,035.
The data may possibly include regimental details not generally available elsewhere, such as Battery number for Royal Artillery soldiers, and Company details for Infantry soldiers.

Prisoners of War

ICRC Archives

• Prisoners of the First World War - ICRC Archives, including Glossary of abbreviations and acronyms in the lists. Free online records of the International Committee of the Red Cross. These records may be quite complex to search, and there are many helpful hints about searching on the Great War Forum. There is also some information on the Long, Long Trail website - "Records of British prisoners of war 1914-1918" and "Making the most of the Red Cross prisoner of war records". The records include soldiers of the Indian Army taken as POWs on the Western Front and sent to Germany.

• From 24 May 2019, some of the records (details unknown) are available on findmypast, see next section.
• Forces War Records, a pay website, includes a transcribed database WWI Prisoner of War Records based on ICRC records of British soldiers. However, there is no information about the number of transcribed records available.
• Reports by ICRC about Prisoner of War Camps, WW1 French language. ICRC on scribd.com. Also available through the ICRC website, click on individual camps in list of camps.

• ICRC Archives in Geneva has records for the Second World War. There is a quarterly "quota" for enquires, due to staff numbers but if the quota has been exceeded, you can apply at the beginning of the next quarter. Details are linked from the page Researching victims of conflict. It appears that the demand for this service is very great, and elsewhere it was stated that as the quota may be filled within two hours of opening, it was suggested to check from 7am UK time on the day the quota opens.

Other

• Findmypast includes a database "Prisoners Of War 1715-1945" and also a similar "Browse" database (both located in Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records) which contains records from The National Archives , including selected FO 383 records, including some for Indian Army soldiers. The records included are detailed in this Findmypast link which indicates there is also a category "Transcript only material". However, records added subsequently, such as the ICRC records next mentioned, although included in this database, do not appear to have been included in the description of the database.

Update 24 May 2019. A group of records from First World War ICRC records (see above) has been added to Findmypast, although exact details were not provided. It appears possible to search by regiment, which isn't possible in the original ICRC records. Some names have been transcribed incorrectly. As the original records were mainly typed, it has been suggested that inaccurate transcription may be due to automatic transcription by OCR (optical character recognition).

Helpful hints about searching in this Findmypast dataset.

• Ancestry (pay website) contains the database "UK, British Officer Prisoners of War, 1914-1918" (located in category Military) consisting of data transcribed from the 1919 publication List of British Officers Taken Prisoner in the Various Theatres of War Aug 1914 to Nov 1918 , compiled from records kept by Messrs Cox & Co.'s Enquiry Office. Transcribed records from this source are also available in the findmypast database above "Prisoners Of War 1715-1945", (sub category "Transcript only material").
• Also see WW1 Casualty Lists, above.

Censuses

1911 England and Wales Census

British Army personnel in India, together with their families appeared for the first time in an England and Wales Census in 1911. The 1911 Census is available on the pay websites findmypast, Ancestry and perhaps other pay sites. This National Archives catalogue entry shows the regiments that were included in the 1911 Census. The items (17 in total) are RG 14/34978-34992, 34995, 34997. However, it is probable there were other regiments in India at this time. The census was taken on the night of Sunday 2 April, 1911. Note however, there are is at least one known instance of a soldier and his family known to be in the British Army in India at the time of the census, whose names do not appeat in the census, another indication that the data may not be complete. The 1911 Census also includes similar information for other British Army overseas bases, and returns from ships of the Royal Navy at sea and in ports abroad.

For those with access to Ancestry, for a helpful finding aid to locate regimental information, consisting of all overseas including India, and in addition England, Wales and Ireland see Stations of British Army troops in India - 1911 England and Wales Census. Also includes Royal Navy, overseas and England and Wales.

1911 Scotland Census

• In Scotland, the Census was also taken on the night of Sunday 2 April 1911 and records are available online on the pay website ScotlandsPeople. Records for previous censuses in Scotland are available on findmypast, Ancestry, etc.

1911 and 1901 Ireland Census

• Census of Ireland 1901/1911 The National Archives of Ireland. Free online records. The 1901 census was taken on 31st March 1901 and the 1911 census was taken on 2 April 1911.

1921 England and Wales Census

The 1921 England and Wales Census, taken on Sunday 19 June 1921, (initially scheduled for April 1921, but delayed) is available on Findmypast on a pay per view record basis, released 6 January 2022. At release date, and for an extended period up to three years, Findmypast has exclusive rights. The overseas coverage is similar to the 1911 census, and also includes RAF bases overseas, including British military personnel in Ireland, plus the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

1921 Scotland Census

The census in Scotland is expected to be available on ScotlandsPeople (pay website) in the second half of 2022. Includes military personnel.

1921 Ireland

There was no census in Ireland in 1921. Censuses in Ireland and Northern Ireland were conducted in 1926. However, members of the British military (British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy), together with H.M. Coastguard Service, across Ireland appear in the 1921 England and Wales Census, part of the category British armed forces overseas.

1939 England and Wales Register

The survey taken on 29th September 1939 was for civilians only, and does not include service personnel who were either in army, naval and air force establishments on the 29th September, or even members of the forces who were resident or visiting their own home at the time.

National Army Museum

The National Army Museum's previous website included the following Information Sheets (archived versions shown) which also refer to sources at other institutions.

• Information Sheet No 2: Soldiers’ Records 1660-1913
• Information Sheet No 3: Soldiers’ Records 1914-c1920
• Information Sheet No 4: Soldiers’ Records 1920–present
• Information Sheet No 5: Researching Family History at the National Army Museum

Absent Voters Lists(UK): 1918- c 1923, a few later

Generally arranged by Electoral District. Mainly contain military personnel, but also men and women who were engaged in war-related work who were still living away from home. Sources are major libraries and record offices nearest to the place in question. Some of these records are available online. The London Metropolitan Archives holds some AVLs to 1939., however it appears that information such as a serviceman’s rank, unit and number, only appeared initially for a few years. Note however these lists appear to have contained some errors when first compiled.

• Absent Voter Lists. Guide by Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society. May 2015
• Finding soldiers through the 1918 Absent Voters Lists longlongtrail.co.uk

In October 2015, findmypast introduced a database "Britain, Absent Voters Lists 1918-1921" (located in Census, Land & Surveys/Electoral Rolls), based on records from the British Library. The coverage is set out in Britain, Absent Voters Constituency List. Data additional to the initial release is expected to be added. (Guide to BL holdings). There is also a stand alone "Kent, Bromley Absent Voters List 1918". In July 2016 an associated dataset "Britain, Absent Voters Lists 1918-1921 Browse" was introduced to enable browsing through the records. Additionally there appear to be some Absent Voters Lists within the findmypast database “England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1832-1932” (located in Census, Land & Surveys/Electoral Rolls) as a researcher here found a 1931 AVL record which showed a soldier’s unit and number. 2018/09/14 a separate database "England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1920-1932" was introduced, expanded to "1910-1932" (from 2021/09/24) stated by findmypast able to be searched with greater accuracy.

In November 2017, Ancestry introduced a database "UK, Absent Voter Lists, 1918-1925, 1939" located in Census & Electoral Rolls, and also in Military/Soldier, Veteran & Prisoner Rolls & Lists, the source being “Absent Voter Lists taken from various Electoral Register collections”, but otherwise unspecified. To see the coverage, look under “Browse this collection” on the Ancestry webpage for the collection. Includes some areas of England and Scotland. It is believed the London records are from the London Metropolitan Archives. There is an additional Ancestry database “Midlands, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1955” (located in Census & Electoral Rolls) which specifically includes AVLs (Birmingham and some of north Warwickshire). Other Electoral Registers, details of which may be found by entering the keyword electoral in the Card Catalogue Search, (accessible from the Search tab at the top of Ancestry webpages) perhaps may also contain unspecified AVLs.

Other online Lists, additional to those mentioned in the guides above: Glasgow 1920 glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk; FamilySearch images for Swansea West Division (Wales, West Glamorgan).

Details of some AVLs for Wales, (not online).

Attestation, or Enlistment books (Army Book 358) from 1920

Following the restructure of the Army in 1920, new Attestation, or Enlistment books (Army Book 358) were introduced, the originals of which were sent to various Regimental Museums in the early 2000s Some of these records are now in regional Record Offices and Archives. The National Army Museum holds these records for some regiments, including the five Irish Regiments disbanded in 1922 - the latter may be Searched online, and images viewed, on the NAM website for free (released online c 2016/9). The index records from the NAM also are in a findmypast dataset "British Army, Irish Regimental Enlistment Registers 1877-1924", (released 2017/11) but the images are only on the NAM website.

The enlistment records for the Royal Artillery and the Tank Corpsare available from 1919 online on the pay website Findmypast, located in the category Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records. Records for the Coldstream Guards and the Scots Guards are also on Findmypast as part of the database "British Army Service Records", see above.

Ancestry (pay website) contains the database "Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls and Recruitment Registers, 1914-1947" from records at the Surrey History Centre, consisting of records from the Queen's Royal West Surrey and East Surrey Regiments, together with some from 21st-24th Battalions, the London Regiment. Details of some records found, and the London Regiment.

Enlistment book records for the Royal Army Service Corps and Royal Army Ordnance Corps are available on the pay website RLC Digital Library, see Royal Army Service Corps

As a consequence of the 1920 restructure, a new seven-digit number was issued in 1920 to all men then serving in regular or Territorial units. For details, see External links, below. These new numbers will be found in the enlistment book records.

Regimental histories

Regimental histories which have been published, may be found in many libraries, including the British Library, the National Army Museum, the Imperial War Museums, Oxford University Library, the Prince Consort's Library and libraries of Regimental Museums and Archives.

Bibliographies

• A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army compiled by Arthur S. White. First published 1965 by Society for Army Historical Research in conjunction with the Army Museums Ogilby Trust, reprinted 1988 and 1992. The 1988 and 1992 editions are available at the British Library UIN: BLL01009540097 and UIN: BLL01012358760 respectively. The 1965 and 1988 editions are Searchable but not viewable on the HathiTrust Digital Library. Also currently available in a reprint 1992 edition, which in turn is available online on the Ancestry owned pay website fold3.com, see Historical books online below. Some sample pages from Google Books for the 1992 reprint edition are also available online.
• Regiments : Regiments and Corps of the British Empire and Commonwealth, 1758-1993 : a critical bibliography of their published histories by Roger Perkins. 1994. Available at the BL UIN: BLL01009529783. Also Searchable, but not viewable on the HathiTrust Digital Library. Originally published 1989 as Regiments of the Empire: A Bibliography of their published histories.

These two publications are available on one CD-ROM which is searchable.

• "Regiments" page 371 A Bibliography of British History 1914-1989 by Keith Robbins 1996 Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

Regimental Journals

Some regiments published a regular regimental journal which can be a valuable source of information. Examples are St George’s Gazette, journal of the Northumberland Fusiliers,(previously 5th Regiment of Foot) published from 1883 to 1968, and The Highland Light Infantry Chronicle, journal of the Highland Light Infantry (previously 71st Regiment of Foot), published quarterly from 1893 to 1958.
Whether a journal existed may be included in the regimental information available on the website Regiments.org (refer below).
For possible library sources, see Regimental histories, above.
A limited number of journals are available online, including a broken range of editions of The Rifle Brigade Chronicle for the years 1890 to 1905 on Archive.org, and additional editions to 1920 on the pay website Findmypast, and some editions of the Highland Light Infantry Chronicle. The King’s Royal Rifle Corps Chronicle 1900-1920 is also available on Findmypast.

Newspapers

• The London Gazette online is a useful source of information about officers’ appointments and promotions. For more information about this resource, see Newspapers & magazines reading list
• Two Research guides by British Library Newspapers, both now archived webpages:
  • Family History Research and British Military History, 1801-1945
  • Scope of the Collections for British Military History, 1801-1945 Details specialist, non-newspaper publications of particular interest to military history researchers held by British Library Newspapers such as the Army and Navy Gazette, published from 1860.

  Some of these publications are now available online, including on the pay websites findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive.

• Also see
  • Military periodicals online. Includes reference to military publications available on the pay websites findmypast and the British Newspaper Archive.
  • Newspapers
  • Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories

A number of newspapers in the United Kingdom from 1824 into the 1860s contained a Monthly Military Obituary, being a list of names of officers. Includes deaths overseas or in transit (for example on board ship). Available in online newspaper collections including findmypast.

Miscellaneous online sources

Many online sources are mentioned in other sections. Other miscellaneous sources may be found by searching the database information of websites such as findmypast and Ancestry.

• See findmypast. Under the tab "Search records" is a category "A-Z of record sets" which is a listing of all the record databases.
  • Includes the category Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records which includes the databases
    • "Prisoners Of War 1715-1945" which appears to contain some records from the National Archives records FO 383, including some for Indian Army soldiers.
    • "British Army, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps 1917-1920". These records are only a small percentage of the originals due to later war damage in September 1940. From a FMP article, the records are from The National Archives' WO 162 and WO 368 series, including WO 162/54, WO 162/58, WO 162/62, WO 162/65. (Introduced c 2020/03/06).
  • Includes the category Armed forces & conflict/First World War which includes the databases
    • "Silver War Badge Roll 1914-1920" Transcriptions only, no images. Images are available on Ancestry, see Medal Rolls.
    • "British Armed Forces, First World War Soldiers' Medical Records", and a related Browse database. Images. This collection comprises The National Archives’ series, MH 106, War Office: First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen. Due to data protection, Findmypast has only published records where the admission year is dated back 100 years. For this reason, more records will be released in the coming years. Transcriptions of this record series are available on Forces War Records, see details below. Currently (2018/12/23) findmypast appears to have more records. List of Classification of wounds used in MH 106 records. longlongtrail.co.uk. Some RAMC medical abbreviations.
    • "British Armed Forces, First World War Disability & Retirement Payments For Officers & Nurses". The National Archives record series Ministry of Pensions PMG 42- 47 (six series). (Introduced c 2020/03/06).
    • "Royal Naval Division Records 1914-1919" and "Royal Naval Division Service Records 1914-1920". The Royal Naval Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29 April 1916.
    • Databases based on the publications The Bond of Sacrifice: a Biographical Record of all British officers who fell in the Great War (2 Volumes); Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19 (80 Volumes, HMSO, see titles of the Volumes) and Officers Died in the Great War 1914-19 (the latter two, one database); The Roll of Honour. A biographical record of all members of His Majesty's naval and military forces who have fallen in the war by the Marquis De Ruvigny (5 Volumes). Databases 2 and 3 are also available on Ancestry.
    • Database based on the publication The National Roll of the Great War, 1914-1918, (14 Volumes), published c 1920. The vast majority of entries refer to combatants who survived the Great War, but also covers support staff and people such as nurses, war workers and other civilians. Entries were compliled by subscription, submitted by individuals or families. This database is available on Ancestry as "England, The National Roll of the Great War, 1914-1918" which however contains only 11 of the 14 volumes.
    • Database based on the publication Ireland's Memorial Records, 1914-1918: being the names of Irishmen who fell in the Great European War (8 Volumes). The findmypast database is "Ireland's Memorial Record: World War 1: 1914-1918", and there is a similar database on Ancestry "Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922".

    Database "Irish Officers Died In The Great War, 1914-1919" based on the book Our Heroes which covered the period August 1914 to July 1916. (Introduced 2018/08/10). This database is also available for free from Our Heros southdublinlibraries.ie.

    • "British Jewry Book Of Honour, 1914-1920", a database from the book British Jewry Book Of Honour published in 1922, with individual images, (but seemingly not the entire book) available. There is similar database on Ancestry (released 2016/10), consisting of index records only, with the book available on the associated pay site Fold3, located in World War I. Also available to search or read online for free at jewsfww.uk.
    • "British In Argentina 1914-1919". Both transcripts and images of the original publication, Activities of the British Community in Argentina During the Great War 1914-1919, published in 1920, also available for those in areas such as North America on Google Books, and for photos ukphotoarchive.org.uk.
    • "British Army, Deserters and Absentees In Police Gazette 1914-1919". Selected dates only, not a complete range., Note that Findmypast/category Newspapers, and British Newspaper Archive include a database "Police Gazette" with available years (at 10 January 2021) 1773-1776, 1829, 1858, 1880, 1898, 1916-1918 with details on a BNA page. Appears to be selected dates only, not a complete range.
  • Includes the category Armed forces & conflict/Second World War which includes the database
    • "Royal Artillery Other Ranks: Casualty Cards 1939-1947". These casualty cards (Form RH) were used to record deaths.
  • Includes a database "British Army Schoolchildren and Schoolmasters 1803-1932" (located in Education & work/Schools & education)
  • Includes a database "Britain, Royal and Imperial Calendars 1767-1973" (located in Directories & Social History/Directories & Almanacs) which includes at least some military records. See Findmypast.
• Ancestry Card Catalogue of all Record Databases (located as an option under the Search tab). Select the Military filter on the left hand side of the page. Some datasets may unexpectedly provide information relating to India. A researcher, who found some relevant records, found the title of "Canada, British Regimental Registers of Service, 1756-1900", to be misleading, as they are actually records of enlistment and any subsequent notable events, based on WO 25 records for a selection of regiments. The databases Include "UK, British Army Lists, 1882-1962" (released 2016/10) consisting of a broken range of unspecified Lists, but these are index records only. However images of most of the pages are available on the associated website Fold3.

Also see Ancestry databases mentioned under findmypast above (in this section).

Ancestry includes databases for Medal Rolls, see Medal Rolls.

Another database is "UK, Naval and Military Courts Martial Registers, 1806-1930", index records only with images on Fold3 under the title UK, Courts Martial Registers.

• Forces War Records, a pay website, (owned by Ancestry since c May 2021) includes the database "Military Hospitals Admissions and Discharge Registers WW1 Collection",consisting of transcriptions taken from TNA records MH 106: War Office: First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen. It is possible that the FWR database is only a selection of records from MH 106, which in turn is only a sample.. Images from this record series are available on findmypast, refer above, which also appears to have more records (as at 2018/12/23).
• The Museum of Army Chaplaincy contains an online Search facility for Chaplain Interview Record cards for Anglican (Church of England) clergy who applied to become Temporary Chaplains to the Forces (T.C.F.) between late October 1914 and November 1918.

Army personnel serving after January 1921

The Army Personnel Centre Historical Disclosures Section holds Army Service records for officers whose service ended after April 1922 and soldiers whose service ended after January 1921. (Note, some documentation has been seen which gives the holding from April 1922, and from January 1921, respectively.)

Update: 2018, May. Foot Guards Regiments service records are a separate category and all, (including pre 1921 records), were moved from regimental archives to the Ministry of Defence, August 2017-May 2018, except for Scots Guards service records, which remain in the regimental archives. (Pre 1921 Scots Guards service records are thought to eventually be going to National Records of Scotland, in Edinburgh).

Update: In February 2021, the MOD began transferring 9.7 million military records for individuals with a discharge date before 31 December 1963 to The National Archives, so the records may be accessible there in the future. However currently (2021/07/25) there is no mention of this on the gov.uk website mentioned a few paragraphs below.

Update 17 August 2021, The National Archives News release. The records included in this collection cover personnel in all three services, Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, where the individual has a date of birth prior to or up to 1939, and closure will apply until 115 years past the date of birth of the individual. The records will be transferred to Kew in batches over the next 6 years.

Update 5 April 2022. The first MOD Service Records are now available, which are Second World War records in the National Archives series WO 420, aspects are set out in The MOD Service Records Collection (TNA).

Note however that some records may not have survived, such as some records for those who were awarded a disability pension, or due to 'weeding'.

The service records of Army personnel serving after these dates remain closed to the public. To obtain details from such records you will often have to prove kinship. Charges may apply. Application forms should be sent to

The Army Personnel Centre

MS Support Unit, P & D Branch

Historical Disclosures, MP555

Kentigern House,

65 Brown Street, GLASGOW G2 8EX

Telephone 0845 600 9663

Email disc4@apc.army.mod.uk

See the web pages: Requests for personal data and Service records (gov.uk) for forms to download. Previous fact sheet from Veterans-UK : Army Personnel Records And Family Interest Enquiries UK Government Web Archive.

The Ministry of Defence has released an aid for the files they hold for service personnel with a birth date prior to 1901, which contains name, date of birth and service number. Numbers with a P prefix are believed to designate officers. The aid is in the form of a letter of advice and eight attachments in MS Excel Spreadsheet format, which may be found in FOI responses released by MOD: week commencing 1 December 2014.
Update: 2017, April. This MOD database is now available on Ancestry as UK, Military Discharge Indexes, 1920-1971, although Ancestry does not advise the source. (Located in the Military category, and otherwise appears unclassified. If locating through Ancestry Search, use the card catalogue with search term Discharge). Also available on Forces War Records as Pre 1921 MOD retention records, (seen 2018, May).
Note: It appears that this database aid is not 100% accurate, as there is a known instance of a file which the MOD subsequently located, which was not included in the provided database. The release (in January 2022) of the 1921 England and Wales Census has also revealed some discrepancies.

Hints, mainly from WW2Talk Forum. Note however, release of record conditions appear to have changed during 2021, and it is unclear just what currently applies.

• "You want to get next of kin FULL records (make a note on the application for FULL records)"

Note, to receive full records, either 25 years must have elapsed after death, or within 25 years of death, the consent of the immediate next of kin must be been given. Update: It may not be possible to obtain full records (as at 2021/10/19). In July 2021 the MOD advised "Currently under the MOD Publication Scheme all we are releasing is a copy of the AFB200 & attestation papers (if held). These documents meet all our obligations of disclosure".. Comments/complaints have been seen about the small number of pages of records received.

• Generally a death certificate is needed (as at 2021/10/19). Previously it was said "They will accept anything that is proof of death, even a undertakers receipt or a photograph of a post war civilian headstone”. , however this may not currently apply. However, you do not have to supply a death certificate when the date of birth of the individual was more than 116 years ago.
• The next of kin hierarchy is explained on a WW2Talk Forum topic which also advises that “There is currently about a 12 month wait to receive the records once you apply”. Currently 2021/05/28 it appears that very few, if any, applications have been processed since Corona Virus restrictions were introduced, so there is a growing backlog of unprocessed applications.
• Currently (2021/10/19) RAF records may be requested online, using a credit card, but this facility is not available for Army records requests. However, it is understood this facility will become available in the future for Army records.
• For help in interpreting the records, the Ministry of Defence archived webpage, Army Personnel Centre contains a link (on the right hand side of the webpage, towards the top) to a list of Useful Abbreviations. The link is to a Document download, which depending on your browser, you may to locate in your downloads folder. (Note, this download remains accessible, even though it is reached through an archived webpage). Other list of abbreviations, from Armed Forces.co.uk and from cmhs.ca. MOD Acronyms and Abbreviations. Definitions for terms and acronyms used throughout MOD documents. gov.uk. Glossary: awm.gov.au

Died in military service from 1948

• Online Roll of Honour contains the names of members of the Armed Forces who died in military service, on or after 1 January 1948 (and Palestine 1945-47), who are commemorated on the official single service rolls of honour. Ministry of Defence: Veterans UK. Elsewhere it is advised that this a listing of names of servicemen and women killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action, as recorded at the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire.

FIBIS resources

• Margaret Mulvihill, "'Peculiar Circumstances': Catholic Chaplains of the Victorian British Army in India" FIBIS Journal No 24 (Autumn 2010), pages 26-28. For details of how to access this article, see FIBIS Journals.
• Ainslie Sharpe, "Boy Soldier to Lancer: John Arnfield in the Anglo -Sikh Wars" FIBIS Journal No 26 Autumn 2011, pages 31-40. For details of how to access this article, see FIBIS Journals.
  

John Arnfield joined his father's regiment, the 3rd Regiment of Foot, the Buffs in India in 1833, as a Boy soldier, aged 14 years and became a Private on his 18th birthday.

He went on to serve with the 16th Lancers in the Gwalior Campaign and the 1st Sikh War, and with the 9th Lancers in the 2nd Sikh War.

He resigned in 1853 having spent 20 years in the British Army, all in India. However, his years as a Boy were not counted as years of service, so he was not entitled to any pension.

• Sylvia Murphy, "Walter Williams, A Private Soldier in India 1878 to 1888 (Part 1)" FIBIS Journal Number 35 (Spring 2016), pages 31-38. For details of how to access this article, see FIBIS Journals

Conditions and activities

Enlistment term

From the end of the Napoleonic Wars until 1847, men were enlisted for twenty-one years, practically for life. From 1847 enlistment was for ten years, later increased to twelve; with a pension after twenty one years for extended service. From 1870, as part of the Caldwell Reforms, “short service” was introduced, where men enlisted for a period of time in the Army, the balance of time in the reserves (total twelve years). The standard term varied over time, including six and six, seven and five, three and nine, nine and three years, but terms may have been modified for regiments going to India.

Wives and families travelling to India

For soldiers deployed from Britain to overseas garrisons only a proportion of men were allowed to be accompanied by their wives. For most countries the proportion was six wives per one hundred soldiers. However for India, and Australia, the ratio was twelve wives per one hundred men, including NCOs. The number of children was unlimited. These wives and children were provided with food, accomodation and transportation by the Army and were classified as "on the strength". There are thought to be very few soldiers' wives in India who were "off the strength", however, for one marriage in India (76th Regiment) see External links below. An 1870 Cork newspaper advertisement sought a passage to India for a soldier's wife.

Other

• Harrington Prayer Rooms were set up in all the major cantonments for use as a 'Soldiers' Scripture Reading and Prayer Room'.
• Moustaches and beards. An Army Order was issued 6 October 1916 which meant that moustaches were no longer compulsory in the Army.

Circa the WW1 period, beards were forbidden unless you were a Pioneer-Sergeant. Exceptions could be allowed for medical reasons, and the regulation did not apply to chaplains.

• "Why Palm Out? A History of the British Army Hand Salute" by Robert Henderson. militaryheritage.com

See also

• Category:Military Terms
• Category:Military ranks
• Category:Church records
• Category:Organisations has links to a number of military historical societies which publish journals containing articles about India.
• Courts-martial
• Doctor
• Duke of York's Military School
• Hill station cantonments and camps
• Mailing lists
• Medals
• Medal Rolls
• Military periodicals online
• Prince Consort's Library, the military specialist library of the Army Library Service.
• Temperance organisations
• Trooping season including information about Troopships and conditions of troops sailing to India.
• 12th Regiment of Foot and 34th Regiment of Foot for examples of death as a result of a duel with a fellow officer.
• 17th Regiment of Foot - External links for an account of an execution by hanging of a soldier, for the murder of another soldier.

External links

Encyclopedia articles

• History of the British Army Wikipedia
• Recruitment in the British Army Wikipedia
• British Army Regiments 1881 (The Childers Reforms) Wikipedia

Other

• findmypast
• Victorian Wars Forum is now no longer operating, and parts only of the Forum are still available in an archived form: if you have a previously saved URL, check in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine whether that particular URL has been archived. (Archive.org). Alternatively scroll through URLs which have been captured for this domain [victorianwars.com]. Note results can be reordered for dates etc. Scroll through and select URLs which contain viewtopic as part of the URL. Archive.org. Unfortunately the entire site was never archived.
• Great War Forum
• WW2Talk Forum
• Regiments.org (Archived Site), see archived versions of a Numeric list of British Army Regiments and 1881 Regiments.
• Army Regiments from British Armed Forces & National Service. Includes details of deployments
• Famous Units National Army Museum. "The list is continually being updated and eventually we hope to cover every unit that has contributed to the British Army's history".
• Army Museums Ogilby Trust provides information about regimental museums. Previously there was also a “book search” which listed books about the various regiments, but this no longer seems to be included. Includes
  • The Ogilby Muster a platform for digitised material 1900- 1929 from UK Regimental and Corps Museums, launched 3 November 2021. It is necessary to register, to access material.

Locate a local archives England and Wales only. gov.uk. Some regimental archives are located in local archives, not at the regimental museum.

• Historical Orders of Battle and TOEs 1900-1938. Includes British Army and Indian Army. orbat.com, now archived.

Historical Orders of Battle and TOEs 1939-1945, Includes British Army and Indian Army. orbat.com, now archived.

• Army Service Numbers
  • "What’s In A Number? The Personal Numbering System of the Australian Army" by 2151240 Graham Wilson. Scroll to the section titled "Background – The British Experience". samrainc.org
  • Detailed information is available in Paul Nixon's website Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 .
  • New British Army numbers issued in 1920 renumbering longlongtrail.co.uk. Introduced by Army Order 338 of August 1920. A seven-digit number was issued in 1920 to all men then serving in regular or Territorial units. Once issued, the man retained the same number irrespective of his transfers and postings within the army. Generally the new numbers did not have prefixes but the Royal Army Service Corps was an exception. RASC numbers were prefixed S (Supplies), T (Transport), M (Mechanical Transport) or R (Remounts).
  • Service Number The British Military Open Encyclopedia - ARRSE-Pedia
• The Cadet and Staff Registers of the Sandhurst Collection. The registers show the details for almost every officer cadet that attended the Royal Military Academy Woolwich and Royal Military College Sandhurst, England
• 46th Foot.com includes a detailed account of the 1834 attestation of a private, Frederick Crosland.
• Stephen Lewis' Soldiers Memorials lists NCO and other ranks graves in India by surname, amongst other memorials. Officers Died is the equivalent commissioned ranks site. Alternative link redcoat.info, archived.
• The Asplin Military History Resources, now archived, about British Army history in the Victorian era, includes pages relevant to the British Army in India. Some, but not all, internal pages are available as archived links. In addition from Soldier's Profiles there are some pages archived from Google cache versions of the pages: Boorman, Fry, Kimpton, Morgan, Reeves, Sykes, Taylor.
• Soldiers of the Queen: The Jewel in the Crown. Photographs of soldiers in India, Ceylon,The North-West Frontier Afghanistan. Includes Two Privates with a servant and pets, Sergeant E. J. Evans in the tropical version of his regimental "Mess Dress" uniform, with wife, Artillery Sergeant and family c 1900
• International Ceylon Database: Military from Kyle Joustra’s website. Includes lists of names by regiment.
• "Army Dress Regulations (All Ranks)" UK Ministry of Defence paper January 2011 including history.
• Illustrated notes on the various late Victorian to Great War "Stars, stripes and chevrons" which were awarded variously for good conduct, efficiency, proficiency and re-engagement, by David Langley and Toby Brayley. Also notes on "Rank and Appointment badges" by David Langley. (Great War Forum Blog details.)
• Full Dress Insignia of the British Army 1881-1890. Artillery, Engineers & Infantry uniformology.com. Multiple pages of high quality images.

Scarlet into Khaki: Woven & Brass Shoulder Titles worn by British Infantry Regiments 1896-1907 (Incl helmet flash). uniformology.com. Multiple pages of high quality images.

• Uniforms. Great War Forum topic "British uniforms India 1914", 10 pages, with many photographs. (Details.)

Uniform items: "British Puggarees 2, 3, 4 and 6 Folds" by Stuart Bates. May 22, 2012. "Helmet Flashes in the British Army" by Benny Bough July 30, 2012. Includes details of two series of reference articles by John Mollo, and by Ron Kidd in The Formation Sign, Journal of The Military Heraldry Society. (Availability.) Alternative terminology is tactical recognition flash, pagri (puggaree) badge, Foreign Service Helmet (F S H) badge, or formation badge. "British Army Spine Pads" by Stuart Bates , April 27, 2012 militarysunhelmets.com. Photograph: Wolseley helmet. Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians), 1916 (c). National Army Museum

Puttee Wikipedia. Puttee tying tutorial vemra.org. Includes Puttee [How to put on a puttee] YouTube video. Includes a few turns in the herringbone style, to help keep a firm fit, using the principles of reverse spiral or looped bandaging. "Puttees and How to Wrap Them" May 31, 2011. How to wrap puttees, with crossing turns by James Heath Jul 9, 2014 YouTube video. Mike's guide to WW1 British and Commonwealth puttees by Mike Everest Sep 12, 2017 YouTube video. Photograph showing puttees with hose tops, 1935 flickr.com. When worn with shorts, puttees were worn over hose tops, often in regimental colours. (Hose tops were essentially knee socks without the feet in them, issued as a cost saving measure. Short socks were also worn, but hidden).

Karkee Web: British & Empire Accoutrements and Personal Equipment of the Twentieth Century

• The Army Children Archive (TACA) contains information about children and wives, with themes such as Accommodation and On the Move. History Matters (scroll down) gives details of the enlistment of an orphan boy age five,the son of a soldier, as a drummer in 1786. There are references to India in a number of the themes. Accommodation Album: India
• On the Strength: Wives and Children of the British Army, a Canadian website. Some of the information, particularly in respect of physical work performed, may not be applicable to India.
• "A Soldier's Family in the British Army
 during the War of 1812" 
by Robert Henderson warof1812.ca
• Sample pages Women of the Regiment: Marriage and the Victorian Army by Myna Trustram 1984 Google Books. Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01008755340 .
• "‘Delicate duties’: issues of class and respectability in government policy towards the wives and widows of British soldiers in the era of the Great War" by Janis Lomas Women's History Review, 9:1, 2000 pages 123-147. For rank and file soldiers, “on the strength” widows pensions applied from 1901, and “off the strength” widows pensions applied from the beginning of the First World War, although there was a delay before payments were actually made, which caused terrible hardship.
• "The King’s Shilling: Life in army barracks 1855-1871" in England. littlehamptonfort.co.uk.
• "Beyond The Queen's Shilling: Reflections on the Pay of Other Ranks in the Victorian British Army" by Cameron Pulsifer, Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research Volume 80, 2002, pages 326-334. A comparative survey of rates of military and civilian pay, 1860-1900. Read online for free on the website Jstor.org, subject to registration with Jstor.org, and restrictions apply. For more details about Jstor, and the restrictions, see the page Miscellaneous tips. Alternatively you may be able to log in with a Library card.
• ‪Tommy Atkins. A series of five articles including "The Domestic Life of Tommy Atkins", "Tommy Atkins Married", about aspects of life in the Army in the late Victorian period. These articles in turn include quotes from a series of articles which appeared in Navy and Army Illustrated commencing in June 1898 which gave insight into the life of an ordinary soldier.
• Tommy Atkins, War Office Reform and the Social and Cultural Presence of the Late-Victorian Army in Britain, c.1868-1899 by Edward Peter Joshua Gosling 2016 Doctorate Thesis Plymouth University. “This thesis will examine the public and political treatment of the soldier in the late-nineteenth century and question how far the conflicting ideas of soldier-hero and soldier-beggar were reconciled”. Plymouth University website.
• Built Heritage Conservation Framework for Dover Western Heights by Liv Gibbs, February 2012. dover.gov.uk. Dover Western Heights is a series of forts at Dover, England. Includes a detailed chronology with information about Quarters for all ranks, facilities provided, military features etc, an indication of military life in a fort (and probably more generally applicable to Army life elsewhere.)
• "An Outline of Dentistry in the British Army, 1626-1938 (Section of the History of Medicine)" by S. H. Woods. Proc R Soc Med. 1938 Dec; 32(2): 99–112. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Soldiers' Stories
  • See 21st Regiment of Foot for an article by D J Oddy about 19th Century Army family life, including three generations of family members who served in the same regiment 1829-1877.
  • See 22nd Regiment of Foot for the story of Colour Sergeant Thomas Theobold Oldfield who served 1858-1880.
  • See 72nd Regiment of Foot and 93rd Regiment of Foot for the story of Colour-Sergt David Douglas Mackie and his son, James Mackie, including the latter's divorce proceedings. The two men served 1867-1916.
  • "A Soldier’s Life – the memoir of William Young 76th Regiment of Foot" British Library Untold lives blog. Written for his family in 1871 whilst stationed in Bangalore. Includes comments about his marriage in India without Army permission, one of the reasons for refusal being there was no vacancy for a wife to be taken on the strength. There is also a comment about the uncouth behaviour of the women of the regiment.
  • See Royal Artillery for the story of William Harvey with the Royal Horse Artillery on the North West Frontier. C 1911 he and an Australian soldier friend, deserted and went to Australia.
  • James Henry Miller, born 1910, was in India October 1932-1935 with the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. For his memories of daily life in a regiment performing garrison duties, see 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry - Between the Wars 1920-1936.
  • Ken Clarke of the 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment served in India 1933-1938, from age 15 as a Boy Musician. For his detailed account, see 50th Regiment of Foot - External Links.
  • "Health Hazards …Stationed in India" by former Sergeant Donald C. Thyer, Royal Engineers Survey 1945-1947 britains-smallwars.com, now archived.
  • From Semaphore to Satellite: The memoirs of Major General David Horsfield, Royal Signals He served in Burma in 1942 during World War 2 and was then in India 1942-1946.
• Archives Media Player The National Archives Podcast series - includes Military history, which in turn includes Sahib, the British soldier in India, 1750 – 1914 by Professor Richard Holmes.
• A social and domestic history of the kilted and Highland Based Regiments of Foot, 1820-1920 by D M Henderson [Diana Mary] 1986 PhD Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, University of Edinburgh.
• Recruiting regions of Irish infantry regiments in the British Army from 1881 until 1922. A list of regiments, depots, counties together with a map. Select page 5 of the document in this link or pdf
• "Information Document on the Irish Regiments of the British Army up to 31st July 1922". Irish Military Archives Dublin docs.google version, original pdf
• "Irish Soldiers in the British Army 1792-1922: Suborned or Subordinate?" by Peter Karsten Journal of Social History Volume 17 No. 1 (Autumn 1983) pages 31-64 docs.google version original pdf
• "British Army Transport Animals" by Clive Elliott 2007 hmvf.co.uk, now archived. "British Army Horse Transport" by Clive Elliott 2008 hmvf.co.uk, now archived.
• Military reasons for the expansion of the railways are explained in "“Fire-Carriages” of the Raj: The Indian Railway and its Rapid Development in British India" by Amit K. Sharma 2010
• "The Problem of Purchase Abolition in the British Army 1856-1862" by Carl G. Slater The South African 
Military History Society: Military History Journal 
Vol 4 No 6 December 1979
• The system of purchase and sale of commissions in the British Army and the campaign for its abolition 1660 - 1871 by Anthony Peter Charles Bruce. PhD Thesis Manchester University, 1949. This link leads to a large pdf which may be opened or downloaded. The thesis may also may be accessed from this British Library Ethos link. Most of the British Library Ethos downloads are free. A book was subsequently published, and is available online, see below.
• 'These Meritorious Objects of the Royal Bounty ...' The administration of the out-pension of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea in the early eighteenth century by Andrew Edward Cormack, 2016 University of Southampton Doctoral Thesis.
• Army Records Society. Established in 1984, its object is to edit and publish manuscripts relating to the Army and to reprint works of military interest.

Historical books online

• Also see Military periodicals online including Army Lists and Army Regulations, including Equipment.
• Military Antiquities Respecting a History of the English Army: From the Conquest to the Present Time by Francis Grose 1801. Volume I, Volume II Archive.org. There were earlier editions 1786-88.
• The Royal Military Calendar, Or Army Service and Commission Book: Containing the Services and Progress of Promotion of the Generals, Lieutenant-generals, Major-generals, Colonels, Lieutenant-colonels, and Majors of the Army, According to Seniority: with Details of the Principal Military Events of the Last Century Third Edition by John Philippart 1820 Google Books Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5
• A History of the British Army by Sir John William Fortescue. Archive.org. This link describes the contents of the volumes.
  • Volume 1; Volume 2, 1713 to 1763 (1899); Volume 3, 1763-1793 (1911); Volume 4, 1789-1801 (1906), Volume 4, Part II 1789-1801 (1906); Volume 5, 1803-1807 (1910) with Maps; Volume 6, 1807-1809 (1910), with Maps; Volume 7, 1809-1810 (1912); Volume 8, 1811-1812 (1917); Volume 9, 1813-1814 (1920), Maps And Plans Vol. 9 (1920); Volume 10, 1814-1815 (1920); Volume 11, 1815-1838 ( 1923) With Maps; Volume 12, 1839-1852 ( 1927) (Maps were in a separate volume); Volume 13, 1852-1870 (1930), Maps and Plans for Volume 13) (Two maps of India appear to be missing).
  • Relating to India: Volume 2, page 167, First British troops to land in India p 171; Volume 3 page 49, Volume 4 page 402, Volume 4, Part II, page 711, Volume 5, 1803 to 1807, includes detailed treatment of the situation and operations in the East Indies and Ceylon, Volume 6 page 40, Volume 7 page 563, Volume 11, 1815-1838, includes the War with Nepal, the Pindari War, the War in Ceylon and the War with Burma. Volume 12, 1839-52. This volume is mainly concerned with India, and covers operations in Afghanistan and on the Khyber Pass, together with internal security operations in India itself. Volume 13, 1852-1870, includes the Indian Mutiny.
• British Battles on Land and Sea by James Grant. First published c 1873 Volume I: to 1743 Volume II: 1745-1826. Recent British Battles on Land and Sea [1875-1884] by James Grant 1884. Later called Volume IV. Archive.org
• The Victoria Cross in the Colonies and Gallant Sepoys and Sowars by William Wallingford Knollys. Catalogued 1880. (Note: catalogued title includes Soward.) Archive.org mirror from PAHAR Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset. Part of the series Deeds of Daring Library. Includes details of the Victoria Cross awarded in India after the Indian Mutiny, those during the Mutiny being covered in a previous book The Victoria Cross in India. First part to page 85, 2nd part to page 176.

The Victoria Cross in Afghanistan and on the frontiers of India during the years 1877, 1878, 1879 & 1880 : how it was won related by W.J. Elliott 1882. Part of the series Deeds of Daring Library. Archive.org version, missing map, mirror from Digital Library of India.

• A Familiar History of the British Army, from the Restoration in 1660 to the Present Time by J H Stocqueler 1871 Archive.org
• Her Majesty's Army; a descriptive account of the various regiments now comprising the Queen's forces, from their first establishment to the present time, by Walter Richards. With coloured illustrations. First published 1887. Catalogued 1890.

Volume I; Volume II includes Volunteer regiments, 2nd file, Vol II; Volume III Indian And Colonial Forces, 2nd file, Vol III Archive.org

• A History of the Dress of the British Soldier: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time by John Luard 1852 British Library Digital, Google Books Based on the same book from the British Library. Includes a chapter "The Armies of India" page 113.

The British Army and Auxiliary Forces by Colonel C. Cooper-King, late Professor of Tactics, Royal Military College 1893. Volume I, Volume II With 132 Illustrations. Gallica gallica.bnf.fr. Catalogued with the subject category "costume militaire", military uniforms.

British Military Uniforms by James Laver 1948. A short general history with 24 coloured plates, 20 of which are dated before 1850. James Laver was Keeper of the Departments of Prints and Drawings and of Paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum from 1938 until 1959. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

British Military Uniforms from Contemporary Pictures: Henry VII to the present day by W Y Carman 1957. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library

Richard Simkin's Uniforms of the British Army. Infantry, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and other Corps by W. Y. Carman. From the collection of Captain K J Douglas-Morris RN. 1985. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Richard Simkin (1850–1926) Wikipedia

Cavalry uniforms; including other mounted troops of Britain and the Commonwealth in colour by Robert and Christopher Wilkinson-Latham 1969 Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Also includes some Indian Army uniforms.

• The colours of the British army; comprising the standards, guidons, and flags of every Regiment in Her Majesty's Service by Robert French McNair 1867 Google Books. The first c 25 pages are general information, although the latter part of the digital file is about the Grenadier Guards.

The British Army : its regimental records, badges, devices, etc. by Major J.H. Lawrence-Archer 1888. Archive.org version, mirror from Digital Library of India.

The Regimental Records of the British Army. A Historical Résumé Chronologically Arranged of Titles, Campaigns, Honours, Uniforms, Facings, Badges, Nicknames, etc. by John S. Farmer 1901 Archive.org

Rank at a Glance in the Army and Navy New and revised edition. Catalogued 1915. Published by George Philip. 48 pages. File is a series of images. Archive.org

Badges and their meaning : a companion to "Rank at a Glance" : Army & Navy, the R.N.A.S., R.N.D., R.N.R., R.N.V.R., the Royal Marines, Forces of the Overseas Dominions, British Red Cross Society, miscellaneous badges, etc., etc., with descriptive notes. Published by George Philip. Catalogued 1916. Archive.org.

The Flags of our Fighting Army, including Standards, Guidons, Colours and Drum Banners by Stanley C Johnson 1918 Archive.org. Gutenberg.org version where the images have been enlarged. The Preface refers to a previous book whose full title is The Standards and Colours of the Army from the Restoration, 1661, to the introduction of the Territorial System, 1881 by SM Milne 1893 (available at the British Library UIN: BLL01002500364 ) stating "Students of Army Flags should consult this book whenever possible"; also Rank and Badges, precedence, salutes, colours, and small arms, in Her Majesty's Army and Navy and Auxiliary Forces by Ottley Lane Perry 1887, (available at the BL UIN: BLL01002877261). For the latter publication, Limited pages only, 2nd edition, revised and enlarged, 1888 (title differs) Archive.org. File consists of a series of images.

The Badges of Warrant and Non-commissioned Rank in the British Army by Major N.P. Dawnay 1949. Archive.org. File is a series of images. Note: At least one page appears to be out of order, and some pages, 12, 14, 18 and 3 probable pages of illustrations, appear to be missing. (Numbered pages, 64).

Military Badge Collecting by John Gaylor 1977. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

British Army Cloth Insignia 1940 to the present : an illustrated reference guide for collectors by Brian L Davis 1988. Images are unfortunately only in black and white, although colour descriptions are included. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

• The Army in 1906. A Policy and a Vindication by H O Arnold-Forster 1906 Archive.org.
• Battle Honours of the British Army, from Tangier, 1662, to the commencement of the reign of King Edward VII by C B Norman 1911 Archive.org. With Map of Battlefields of Northern India between pages 406-407.
• History of the Scottish regiments in the British Army by Arch. K. Murray 1862 Archive.org

The History of Scotland, its Highlands, Regiments and Clans, Volume VIII by James Browne 1909 Archive.org. This volume includes the regiments.

Records of the Scottish Volunteer Force, 1859-1908 by Major-General J M Grierson 1909. Archive.org. With coloured plates of uniforms.

• "East Indies" page 1 The Regimental Companion: Containing the Pay, Allowances and Relative Duties of Every Officer in the British Service, Volume 3 by Charles James 7th edition, considerably enlarged 1811 Google Books
• Remarks on the Exclusion of Officers of His Majesty's Service from the Staff of the Indian Army, and on the Present State of the European Soldier in India… by a King’s Officer 1825 Google Books
• ‪Calculation Tables of Pay and Indian Allowances ... of European Commissioned Officers of all arms, of Her Majesty’s and the Hon’ble Company’s Service in the Presidencies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay etc by R Alexander Kerr, Head Assistant Presidency and Queen’s Troops’ Pay Office. Calcutta 1847 Google Books
• The British Officer: his Position, Duties, Emoluments and Privileges… by J H Stocqueler 1851 Archive.org.

The British Soldier: An Anecdotal History of the British Army from Its Earliest Formation to the Present Time by J.H Stocqueler 1857 Google Books

• Appendix: "The Soldier’s condition from “Enlistment” to “Pension”" pages 283-315 with the Contents of the Appendix

• "On the Pay and Income of the British Soldier, as Compared with the Rate of Agricultural Wages" by Major-General Sir Alexander Murray Tulloch. Journal of the Statistical Society of London, Volume 26 No. 2 (June, 1863), pp. 168-185 Archive.org
• Strength, Composition and Organization of the Army of Great Britain by Capt Martin Petrie (1864) Google Books
• The Army Book for the British Empire: A Record of the Development and Present Composition of the Military Forces and their Duties in Peace and War by William Howley Goodenough and James Cecil Dalton. HMSO 1893 Archive.org. Includes "The Army in India" page 442
• Narrative of the Life and Travels of Serjeant B Written by Himself. [Robert Butler, born 1784] 1823 Archive.org He arrived in Penang or Prince of Wales Island in 1807, 2nd Battalion of the Royals.
• Camp and Barrack-room, Or, The British Army as It Is by John Mercier McMullen, a late Staff Sergeant of the 13th Light Infantry (1846) Google Books
• For additional online accounts by soldiers who were not officers, see 7th, 9th, and 32nd Regiments of Foot, published respectively 1883, 1853 and 1853. Also Royal Artillery for the book Pick up your parrots and monkeys which includes training as a Boy Trumpeter at age 14 in 1934. For details of other accounts, see 3rd Hussars and 9th Lancers, dating from the 1840s-50s; 26th Regiment of Foot from 1829, (pub. 1857); Royal Artillery 1857-1930s. Also see Category:British Military commanders, which includes British Army personnel, including Robert Rollo Gillespie, originally a Cavalry officer, in India 1805-1814.
• For accounts by husband and wife Colonel H A Ouvry and Mrs M H Ouvry, including the Indian Mutiny period, see 9th Lancers.
• 98° versus 130°, or, the Infantry Soldier in the Tropics by ‪Jones Lamprey Assistant Surgeeon, H M’s 15th Regiment. 1852 Google Books. [Remarks on the dress worn by the army in Ceylon].
• The British Army in India: its preservation by an appropriate clothing, housing etc by Julius Jeffreys, formerly Staff-Surgeon of Cawnpore 1858 Google Books
• The British Soldier in India by Frederic J Mouat, Surgeon H M’s Bengal Army and Inspector-General of Jails, Bengal. 1859. Archive.org
• Copy of any Correspondence with the Government of India, relating to the Number and Expenses of the European Troops now doing Duty in India. Returns to an address of The Honourable The House of Commons, dated 22 May 1862. East India (European Troops) Pdf download, Digital Repository of GIPE (Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics [Pune]).
• ‪Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire Into the Sanitary State of the Army in India‬: ‪With Précis of Evidence‬ ‪Presented to both Houses of Parliament 1863 Google Books. Contains information on many topics including
  • Duties page 68, Dress page 116, Intemperance page 118, Means of Recreation and Instruction page 124.

For additional volumes, see Public health - Historical books online

• Return of Garrisons Abroad 1860-1869, part of a Report presented to the British Parliament 29 March 1870. Archive.org. Google Books
• "Adulterated Liquor sold to Sailors and Soldiers in the Bazars of Calcutta" and "The dangers to which Sailors and Soldiers are exposed in the Bazars of Calcutta" from On the preservation of the health of seamen, especially of those frequenting Calcutta and the other Indian ports by Norman Chevers MD, Surgeon, Bengal Army 1864 Google Books
• "Cantonment Life [c 1876]" , page 151 from A King's Hussar: Being the Military Memoirs for Twenty-five Years of a Troop-sergeant-major of the 14th (King’s) Hussars by Edwin Mole 1897 Archive.org .
• "Sunday in the British Army in India" by Rev. Arthur Male, (written sometime after the defence of the Residency of Kabul, on the 3rd September 1879) from The world's story; a history of the world in story, song and art, Volume II India, Persia, Mesopotamia and Palestine] ed. by Eva March Tappan (1914) Archive.org
• "A Penny A Day" page 9; "Soldiers’ Wives" Page 30 from Soldiering and Scribbling: A Series of Sketches by Archibald Forbes 1872 Archive.org.
• Six Months in the Ranks; or, The Gentleman Private [by E.C.G. Murray] 1881 Archive.org
• On Duty under a Tropical Sun : being some practical suggestions for the maintenance of health and bodily comfort and the treatment of simple diseases, with remarks on clothing and equipment for the guidance of travellers in tropical countries by Major S Leigh Hunt Madras Army and Alexander S Kenny 1882 Archive.org. Includes military matters.
• The Prevention of Disease in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Campaigns by Andrew Duncan Surgeon, Bengal Army 1888 Archive.org
  • Page 22 onwards. The age of 25 is most suitable for campaigning in the tropics, and no man should be sent to India under age 20.
• A British Soldier's Life in the Army Part 1. Life of a Private Soldier Part 2. Life of a Non-commissioned Officer London HMSO 1886. State Library of Victoria.
• Social Life in the British Army by "A British Officer" Illustrated by R. Caton Woodville. 1899 Archive.org
  • The officer in India, page 55,The soldier in India, page 94, The soldier’s wife’s view of India, page 81
• Following the Drum by Horace Wyndham 1912 Archive.org. Life in the British Army, in Britain and abroad (but not in India) until discharge by purchase after seven years service. He also wrote The Queen's Service : being the experiences of a private soldier in the British infantry at home and abroad by Horace Wyndham 1899. Google Books, Public Domain in USA, restricted in some other areas. The two titles appear likely to have different text but perhaps the content is similar. Elsewhere it is stated that Horace Wyndham, as a gentleman ranker, enlisted in the army in 1890.
• Mr. Thomas Atkins by E J Hardy, Chaplain to the Forces. 1900 [microform] Archive.org. Aspects of life in the Army
  • "Mrs Thomas Atkins" page 370
• The Victorian Army in Photographs by David Clammer 1975. Archive.org Lending Library
• Terms and conditions of service and recruitment of the rank and file of the British regular home army, 1856 – 1899 by Alan Ramsay Skelley 1975. History and Classics PhD thesis collection, Edinburgh Research Archive. Link to a pdf download which you may need to locate in your downloads folder. Subsequently a book was published The Victorian Army at Home: the recruitment and terms and conditions of the British Regular, 1859-1899 by Alan Ramsay Skelley 1977, available at the British Library UIN: BLL01009462756 .
• The Army in Victorian Society by Gwyn Harries-Jenkins 1977. Archive.org Lending Library
• The Rambling Soldier : life in the lower ranks, 1750-1900, through soldiers' songs and writings edited by Roy Palmer 1977. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• Mr. Kipling's Army by Byron Farwell 1981 Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• The Victorian Soldier by David Nalson 2000. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• The British Army from Within by E Charles Vivian 1914 Archive.org. Includes
  • "The Way of the Recruit" Chapter II, page 25.
• "The Peregrinations of an Officer’s Wife" page 178 Blackwood’s Magazine, no 211 January-June 1922 Archive.org. Includes India.
• A Short Account of Canteens in the British Army by John Fortescue 1928 HathiTrust Digital Library, (possibly not accessible in USA etc).
• The Queen's Daughters in India by Elizabeth W. Andrew and Katharine C. Bushnell 1899 Archive.org. Investigation and Report by two American missionaries into the government sanctioned brothels in British Army cantonments
  • Regimental brothels page 15. These were set up under the Cantonment Act 1864. Also see Public health
• Lectures on Tactics for Officers of the Army, Militia and Volunteers by Lieut.-Colonel F H Dyke. Fifth edition (updated) 1891 Archive.org. Also includes a section on Organisation.
• An Historical Account of the British Army, and of the Law Military, as declared by the ancient and modern Statutes and Articles of War for its Government: with a free commentary on the Mutiny Act, etc by E Samuel 1816. Contents Includes "Troops in the East Indies" page 665. Google Books. British Library Digital version.

Manual of Military Law. War Office 1907, published by HMSO. Archive.org. Contents, Index. Manual of Military Law. War Office, 1914. Reprinted 1917, HMSO. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Contents, Index.

• The Cutter’s Practical Guide to Cutting & Making all kinds of British Military Uniforms by W D Vincent. Archive.org (Book format). Alternative link Archive.org, historyoffashiondesign.com, now an archived page, click on pages to enlarge. Pages from an undated publication, but known to be close to 1902. Pages 2-4 are about rank badges, including those for NCOs, with illustrations.

The Cutter’s Practical Guide to Cutting Every kind of Garment made by Tailors. Part 2. Body Coats of every description, embracing Morning, ... Naval, Military, ... Garments by W D F Vincent 1893. Archive.org. Military and Naval Garments pages 45-49.

The Cutters’ Practical Guide to Cutting and Making all kinds of Waistcoats for Gentlemen ... Military & Naval Officers ... Part Ten. Third Edition by W D F Vincent c 1902. Archive.org.

The Cutters’ Practical Guide to the Cutting and Making of all kinds of Trousers, Breeches and Knickers, to which is added chapters dealing with The Cutting and Making of Highland Kilts, Leggings, Gaiters, etc. Eight Edition by W D F Vincent c 1905 Archive.org. Includes Military Trousers pages 34-38; Military Pantaloons pages 94-97.

Pocket Edition of the Cutters' Practical Guide to the cutting of all styles of men’s garments. Coats. Waistcoats. Trousers. Breeches. Overcoats and Sports and Military garments by F R Morris, with chapters on Service uniforms by A A Whife. 17th edition c 1930s. Archive.org. Military from page 106 including Naval and RAF.

• Trumpet and bugle sounds for the army: with instructions for the training of trumpeters and buglers HMSO 1914 Archive.org
  • Listen to Bugles Calls farmersboys.com and The Complete Collection of Trumpet & Bugle Calls YouTube
  • "The Buglers" from Smithy Abroad: Barrack-Room Sketches by Edgar Wallace 1909 Project Gutenberg Australia
• A catalogue of books relating to the military history of India drawn up by Maurice J.D. Cockle 1901 Archive.org
• British Autobiographies : an annotated bibliography of British autobiographies published or written before 1951 by William Matthews. Index Page 365 Soldiers, Index page 352 India, Military. 1984 reprint edition, first published 1955. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Sample pages Google Books
• An Annotated Bibliography of the British Army, 1660-1914 by A. P. C. Bruce (Anthony Peter Charles) 1975. Archive.org Lending Library
• A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army compiled by Arthur S. White, first published 1965, reprinted 1988, is available in a further updated 1992 reprint edition which in turn is available online on the Ancestry owned pay website fold3.com located in Military Books/Britain/Scroll to A. Sample pages, Google Books.
• Armaments Year-Book : General and Statistical Information published by League of Nations, Geneva.

"Great Britain and the British Empire" page 72,1924 First Year, 2nd Edition; "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" page 112 1937 edition; "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" page 45, 1940 edition; HathiTrust/Google Books/Archive.org.

For general information about the British Army in India 1924-1940, see Indian Army-Historical books online, item Armaments Year-Book : General and Statistical Information. This item also includes a link to the full series Volumes 1-15, 1924-1940.

• List of Military Prisons in India 1900-1904 page 273 Enteric fever in India …etc by Ernest Roberts, Major Indian Medical Service 1906 Archive.org
• "List of Stations at which Military Family Hospitals are Authorized" An Appendix from Regulations for the Medical Services of the Army of India 1930 National Library of Scotland 'Medical History of British India' digital books.
• The Purchase System in the British Army, 1660-1871 by Anthony Bruce. 1980 Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Based on a PhD thesis, refer External links above.
• Lord Cardwell at the War Office : a history of his administration, 1868-1874 by General Sir Robert Biddulph 1904 Archive.org

"Cardwell's Army Reforms 1870--1881" by Marjie Bloy. victorianweb.org

• The War Office by Hampden Gordon, Assistant Secretary at the War Office 1935 Archive.org. A volume in the Whitehall Series. The publication War Office List [of employees], full title varied including The War Office List and Directory for the Civil Departments of the British Army, and The War Office List, and Administrative Directory for the British Army, published for years to 1937, is available at The National Archives WO 346 and STAT 14/1027, and the British Library, the latter has a number of catalogue entries including UIN: BLL01001121472. FamilySearch catalogue entry for a series of microfiche, currently only available at the Family History Library Salt Lake City, which possibly may become more widely available after digitisation.
• Military Manners and Customs by James Anson Farrer 1885 Archive.org
• Smithy Abroad: Barrack-Room Sketches by Edgar Wallace 1909 Project Gutenberg Australia. Some of the tales are set in India. Between 1904 and 1918 Edgar Wallace, who subsequently became known as the ‘King of Thrillers’ wrote a large number of mostly humorous sketches about life in the British Army.
• TM 30-410 Handbook on the British Army with Supplements on the Royal Air Force and Civilian Defense Organizations 1942. A United States War Department Technical Manual. The aim was to provide "a simple guide for the US soldier co-operating with the British". Archive.org.
• Britain and her Army, 1509-1970: a military, political and social survey by Correlli Barnett 1970. Reprint edition 2000. Both Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• History of the British Army edited by Brigadier Peter Young and Lt-Col. J P Lawford 1970. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• The Seven Ages of the British Army by Field Marshal Lord Carver 1984. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• British Military Intelligence, 1870-1914 : the development of a modern intelligence organization by Thomas G Fergusson 1984. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• The British Army and the Crisis of Empire, 1918-22 by Keith Jeffery 1984. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library. Includes a chapter titled India.
• History of the British Army by Charles Messenger. 1986 edition, 1993 edition. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

Call to Arms : the British Army 1914-18 by Charles Messenger 2006, first published 2005. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

• Beggars in Red : the British Army 1789-1889 by John Strawson 2003, first published 1991. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

Gentlemen in Khaki and Camouflage : the British Army 1890-2008 by John Strawson 2009 (updated), first published 1989. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

• The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army by David Chandler 1994. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

The Oxford History of the British Army General editor David Chandler 1996. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

• Redcoat : the British soldier in the age of horse and musket by Richard Holmes 2001. 2nd file. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

Soldiers : Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors by Richard Holmes 2011. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.

• Following the Drum : the lives of army wives and daughters, past and present by Annabel Venning 2004. Archive.org Books to Borrow/Lending Library.
• A military dictionary, comprising terms, scientific and otherwise, connected with the science of war by Major-General G E Voyle, retired Royal (Bengal) Artillery. 3rd edition 1876 Archive.org. Contains some Indian words.
• The subscription website UK Parliamentary Papers includes many Papers and Reports in respect of the British Army. See Subscription websites-online newspapers, journals and directories - Other British and Irish publications for details and suggested access. Your Library needs to have subscribed for the module for your period of interest.

Reports include Report of the Discipline and Management of the Military Prisons 1855 by Colonel Jebb, published 1856.

• Books by William Greener, Gunmaker. The Gun: Or, A Treatise on the Various Descriptions of Small Fire-arms 1835. The Science of Gunnery, as applied to the use and construction of fire arms 1841, New Edition, Greatly Enlarged 1846. Gunnery in 1858: being a treatise on rifles, cannon, and sporting arms 1858. All Archive.org.