How to find your ancestor on a war memorial

Before searching digitised military records online, it’s a good idea to ask relatives about your ancestors who served in the First or Second World War. Note down any notable battles or places where your relative may have served.  

Information about their entire life – not just their military service – may help you to track down their war memorial.  

Gather together names, dates, addresses and any other personal details. Where there are gaps in your knowledge, family photographs, letters and medals may offer useful clues. 

Connecting military records and newspaper clippings together using cutting-edge technology, Findmypast’s Military Lives tool is designed to help you understand the story behind a name on a memorial.  

It can reveal family relationships, occupations, and the connections between people remembered on the same memorial. 

1. Visit findmypast.co.uk/remember and search for your town, area or county. From there, you can explore the war memorials in your area.  
2. Explore the names listed on each memorial, with the option to search for a specific soldier or sort them by occupation and regiment.  
3. Select a soldier to discover his life story: key details about not just his service, but his entire life. Learn about his family, community and even see the medals he was awarded.  
4. Follow the records. Explore the sources connected to their story to delve deeper into their story.  

There is a wealth of military records and news clippings online, which may hold the key to uncovering where your ancestor is buried or commemorated.  

Search within Findmypast’s newspaper archive and record collection, keeping an eye out for casualty reports, obituaries and memorial dedications that can rreveal more about your ancestor's life. 

Be persistent with your search. Be sure to try spelling variations or initials if an exact name search doesn't work. If you know it, searching by soldier number (also known as army number) can lead you in the right direction.