Request records of deceased service personnel

How to apply

Transfer of MOD’s records of service to The National Archives (TNA)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the custodian of the records of service personnel until they are opened to general public access at The National Archives.

The MOD is in the process of transferring around 9.3 million service records to The National Archives which is expected to complete in 2027.

Since February 2021, MOD has transferred the British Army non-Officer (soldiers),(soldiers) records, Royal Air Force non-commissioned (airmen) records with a date of birth prior to 1 January 1940 and the Home Guard records to The National Archives. These records are no longer held by MOD.

More information on records that have been transferred from MOD to The National Archives.  The MOD regularly updates this web page. Please check it so that you can make your request to the correct department.

Making a request to The National Archives

The National Archives are in the process of cataloguing the service records being transferred by MOD, and capturing information so that they can be searched by a named individual.

You can make a FOI request directly to The National Archives by following the guidance on their website.

The National Archives’ fees and charges

From 2 February 2026, The National Archives are introducing new and updated fees for accessing many of the transferred historic service personnel records.

The details for TNA’s fees and charges are published on their website under ‘The National Archives Fees guide’.

Other ways to find service records

Before applying to MOD, you are advised to carry out searches from sources that provide access to the details of deceased service personnel at no cost:

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Armed Forces Memorial Roll of Honour
• The National Archives (charges apply)

How long it takes

It may take up to a year for requests to be processed by MOD. However, we are working hard to reduce this as quickly as possible.

Further information about service records held in MOD’s archives

Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Marine (RM)

RecordsMOD holds records for commissioned and non-commissioned officers (both RN and RM) from 1926 onwards.

Records prior to 1926, including records for World War 1 service, are held by The National Archives.

British Army

MOD holds Army service records for officers whose service ended after April 1922.

All1922 and all British Army non-Officer (soldiers) records with a date of birth after 31 December 1939.

All other non-Officer records have been transferred to The National Archives.

RAF

MOD holds RAF officers records dating back to 1920 and non-commissioned RAF personnel records with a Datedate of Birthbirth after 31 December 1939.

All other RAF non-commissioned records have been transferred to The National Archives.

Other Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) considerations

In the absence of a death certificate or other legal declaration of death, the MOD adopts a policy of assuming that a person is alive until the age of 116. To avoid your request being refused on this basis, it would be useful to provide the following:

• death certificate
• If you’re applying online, the death certificate needs to be in digital format (PDF, PNG, or JPEG).

You do not need a copy of the death certificate if the person died in service or was born more than 116 years ago.

Unless an individual’s death occurred in the incident, it should be noted that personal information contained within a Casualty file may not be disclosed, although other non-personal data will normally be releasable

MOD will not disclose any information where release could prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of its forces.

In the very rare case where release of information from a service record might be prejudicial or cannot be released for other reasons, the applicant will be advised of the relevant FOIA statutory exemption that applies to its non-disclosure.