Discovering the stories hidden behind Britain’s First and Second World War memorials

Family history doesn’t just have to be about our own relatives. Many of us research for friends, colleagues or people in our local communities, helping to bring forgotten stories back to life.

Four members of the Findmypast Community made some incredible discoveries about their local war memorials. Here’s what they uncovered about these lives marked by conflict.

A hidden Second World War story

Community member Patricia used to be in the Women’s Royal Air Force. She decided to research a colleague’s uncle.Women’s Royal Air Force. She decided to research a colleague’s uncle.

"Sadly, the man I researched was not well thought of in his family, as he only looked after a hotel for the RAF during World War 2. It got me thinking as to why. According to the family, he was found in Berlin in the early 1950s by a nephew doing his national service. Upon researching his name, I found his last promotion in the newspapers and discovered he worked in intelligence."

"Then, I discovered the hotel was a debriefing station for the intelligence service. He was very good at languages, so everything started to make sense. As the Berlin trip took place in the Cold War, this could have been an intelligence trip. He received either an OBE or MBE for his services just before he left the RAF. This intriguing story started with my colleague's uncle's name etched on their local war memorial."

What began as a search for a name uncovered a much more complex story. Newspapers helped Patricia trace his career and piece together a possible explanation for his work in intelligence. It’s a reminder that even a seemingly ordinary occupation can conceal an extraordinary history.

Letters and enquiries: the story of Private Harold Noakes

Steve was inspired to research a few names on his local war memorial in London, as he walks past it almost every day.

"I decided to look into the story of Private Harold Noakes, as his name has long intrigued me. I learned he was 16 when he enlisted in the armed forces, which is so young. His service record tells the tale of how he was injured time and again while serving the British Empire but kept returning to the field. To me, he sounds like a fighter. But he wasn’t killed in action during the First World War like I thought. Sadly, during a training exercise in 1916, he was injured and later died of his wounds in hospital."

Harold’s service record, found in our British Army Service Records.

His father, Charles, was understandably bitter about his son’s death. In the service records, I found letters and details of an enquiry. While he was learning how to use a Lewis gun, Harold was killed by a bullet to the thigh."

A widow left behind: the legacy of George Francis Rosam

Liz found George Francis Rosam’s surname interesting, so she used a war memorial and family history records to commemorate his service.surname interesting, so she used a war memorial and family history records to commemorate his service.

"According to my research, George lived in London. He was married to Esther Piggott and had two children with her. It turned out that George was a career soldier who had enlisted in 1900. By 1914, he was a reservist."

Chelmsford Chronicle, Chelmsford Chronicle, 26 January 1917.

"I discovered that he was killed in early 1917, which was reported in the newspapers of the time. It feels particularly poignant that Esther never remarried after George’s death."

By combining military records with newspaper reports and family history sources, Liz was able to build a picture of George beyond his military service. His story brought Esther and their children into focus: a family whose lives were shaped by honour, and forever changed by grief.

Finding the grave of First World War soldier Fred Aston

After our special Remembrance livestream, Heather was inspired to explore newspapers for a distant relative who had been eluding her for many years.

"Fred Aston was my father’s great-uncle, and I wanted to learn more about him. After a spot of searching, not only did I find a photograph of him and his two brothers in the newspapers, but I also discovered that Fred was attached to the Intelligence Corps at the time he was killed in January 1916.

The officers had erected an impressive war memorial over his headstone. A photograph of it has been in the family ever since. We had no idea that the Intelligence Corps had commissioned it."

The newspaper photograph gave Heather a glimpse of Fred alongside his brothers, while further research revealed his connection to the British Army's Intelligence Corps. Even the memorial above his grave had a story of its own – one that had remained unknown to his family.

Beyond Remembrance Day: no story left behind

These four discoveries show how much more there is to learn about the people remembered on war memorials.

While organisations like the Commonwealth War Graves Commission preserve and care for millions of First and Second War graves and memorials, Findmypast believes that records and newspapers play an important part in our collective remembrance.

A name etched in stone can lead to military service records, newspaper reports, rolls of honour, photographs and more.

Start with a name on a local war memorial

Military Lives brings these sources together seamlessly. You can explore the stories of people whose names appear alongside one another, discovering their families, the communities they shared and the lives they left behind. 

You could uncover the story of a relative's sacrifice at the Battle of the Somme, investigate a Second World War serviceman from your neighbourhood, or understand your town's connection to some of history's largest conflicts.