This is the index to ‘service records’ currently still held by the MOD records office for those persons with dates of birth pre 1901.
i.e. those who served after 1921 either having joined up initially before 1921 or had re-joined from previous service before 1921.
It contains over 340,000 individual names with a date of birth, service number and the MODs own reference numbers for their records held.
The importance of this collection is that the vast majority of service records sets for the WWI period were destroyed in bombing in 1940 –for anyone however who re-enlisted or continued service it is possible that their service records are still kept by the MOD and survive –this index lists all those that are in this category.
If a searcher knows, or suspects their ancestor served beyond 1921 and cannot find an existing service record elsewhere but has not tried a direct request to the MOD previously this index can help to confirm if a record survives.
Please be aware that due to the way we collate, and cross reference our databases, some records will contain more information than that listed above.
Original Source: Ministry of Defence index to surviving WWI service records