Getting the best out of WWI war diaries and how they can help you research a military ancestor. War diaries are among the most interesting and exciting records to research our British…
Tag: family history
The Normandy landings at 80: stories of courage from our military archives
Discover the courage and bravery of the men and women who helped make the Normandy landings a success The Normandy landings of 6 June 1944, known as D-Day, were a massive feat…
D-Day 80: Four fathers and their D-Day stories – Part 4
Stories from our community for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings In part 4 of our D-Day 80 community stories series, we meet James Tough Gibson, whose squadron was involved in…
D-Day 80: Four fathers and their D-Day stories – Part 3
Stories from our community for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings In part 3 of our D-Day 80 community stories series, we tackle the difficulties of researching a family member who…
D-Day 80: Four fathers and their D-Day stories – Part 2
Stories from our community for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings In part 2 of our D-Day 80 community stories series, we explore the fascinating story of Norman Davies, a Shropshire-man…
D-Day 80: Four fathers and their D-Day stories – Part 1
Stories from our community for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings We’ve reached a major anniversary in the history of WWII: D-Day 80, 80 years since the launch of Operation Overlord,…
Fred Simpson: two times prisoner of war
Not long out of a prisoner of war camp in Korea, Fred Simpson returns home to marry his fiance. However, there’s more to this photo than meets the eye. Read on as…
Author’s pick: top 5 WWII records to help you research your military ancestors with Forces War Records
Our subscribers have access to a diverse range of WWII records, from medal records and casualty collections to officer lists. Below are my top five records to help you learn more about…
National Service Records: what’s available to researchers?
Did your family member serve with the armed forces under National Service? Perhaps they shared stories of their time in uniform with you, or you’ve stumbled on a photo in an album…
Letters from my ancestor: discovering a WWI story
We asked the Forces War Records community to share letters from their military ancestors, and you didn’t disappoint. In our latest blog, Letters from my ancestor, we explore the letters of Cecil…