British Army Ancestry 1914-1920

If he did, you're in luck! Although many service records were destroyed during WW2, there is still a wealth of research material on 1914-1918 that is easily accessible.

Here are some of the WW1 research areas you should consider:

- Army Service Numbers 1881-1918 (FREE)
- The London Gazette (FREE)
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (FREE)

The following can all be accessed via Ancestry.co.uk (FREE 14 Day trial)

- Medal Index Cards

- Soldiers Died in The Great War 1914-1919
- De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1924
- British Commonwealth War Graves Registers 1914-1920
- WO 363 (The Burnt Documents) Service Records (Other Ranks)

- WO 364 Pension Records (Other Ranks)

- The National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918
- Ireland - Casualties of WW1 (also see Eneclann Ltd below)

- Census Returns from 1841 to 1901 (FindmyPast has the 1911 census)

Visit the National Archives's website for:

- WO 374 & WO 339 (Officers' records)
- WO 95 War Diaries
- Royal Naval Division service records (Download - £3.50 each)

Visit The Naval & Military Press website for divisional & regimental histories and much else besides.

Irish ancestor? Eneclann Ltd offers a CD containing 9,000 surviving wills of Irish soldiers who died during WW1 and another CD containing details of the 49,000 Irishmen who lost their lives during WW1 (this latter database is also available on Ancestry).