National Army Museum

The National Army Museum (NAM) in Chelsea has a library relating to general Army/regimental histories (requiring a reader's ticket). British Army musters, attestation papers, pension records and records of officer's services are not kept here but at The National Archives.

National Army Museum Information Sheet 5: Researching Family History at the NAM details records available at the NAM.

Presidency army officers

This India List thread is about a card index at the National Army Museum, prepared by Major V.C.P.Hodson (who published Hodson’s List of Officers of the Bengal Army). Unlike the published List, these cards hold the details of not just officers of the Bengal Army, but also those of the Bombay Army and Madras Army and include Civil Servants, Officers of Eastindiamen, Chaplains & other clergy. The list went on to include a good many people from the post East India Company period up to and including serving officers of the Second World War.

There are also some card indexes/papers prepared by Lt Col H K Percy Smith (1897-1975) who also prepared the Percy Smith card index collection at the Society of Genealogists

For many years there was no mention on the National Army Museum’s website regarding these index cards and they were not publicised. However they are now mentioned in the NAM’s guide Information Sheet No 1: Researching soldiers of the East India Company’s Armies and the Indian Army

British Army

For guides written by the NAM, about records generally , including those available elsehere, refer British Army Records-Other sources.

Soldiers’ effects records

These records are mentioned in Informtion Sheet 5 (see above), with more details in this link and relate to monies paid to the named relatives of deceased soldiers and those discharged insane. 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.

FIBIS Resources

Strongly recommended is the article entitled “The India-related holdings of the National Army Museum” by Marion Harding and Jenny Spencer-Smith which appeared in FIBIS journal no 15. This is a most comprehensive account over nine pages long. FIBIS members can read this article online - see FIBIS Journals - or the relevant journal is available for purchase via the FIBIS online shop

External links

• National Army Museum
  • Research
    • Family History