Celebrating inspiring women’s stories from our collections: March is Women’s History Month, and 8th March is International Women’s Day. Inspiring women’s stories can be found throughout our vast world of collections on…
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…
The Dickin Medal: 80 years of recognising brave animals
Animals have provided a vital service to the armed forces for centuries, from delivering messages to carrying ammunition or offering companionship. 80 years ago, their bravery was recognised for the first time…
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…
7 essential military records for discovering navy ancestors
Britain has a strong maritime tradition, and you may have navy ancestors waiting to be discovered. But how do you uncover details of your ancestors’ service with the Royal Navy, and what…
Researching WWII ancestors: overcoming the challenges
Why can researching WWII ancestors be so challenging? Military Genealogist Simon Pearce tackles the question and provides advice on how to make meaningful discoveries. Intro Many of us have family members who…
Researching evacuees of WWII: is it possible?
Many of us will be familiar with images of WWII evacuee children lined up on train station platforms, luggage in tow, with name tags affixed to their coats, about to head off…
Story behind the image: smoke floats and WWII rescues
In the above photo, munitions workers at a factory in the south of England stack smoke floats for aircraft in October 1941, ready for despatch. These curious-looking items played an important role…