World War I lasted from July 1914 until November 1918 and included the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Japan on one side and Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria on the other.

Over 17 million people lost their lives in the conflict – 10 million military personnel and 7 million civilians.

World record collections

Other databases can be searched from around the world:

Ireland, Casualties of World War I
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards
Canada, Soldiers of the First World War
New Zealand Army WWI Nominal Rolls
New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls
ANZAC Memorial
Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters
Germany, World War I Casualty Lists

British records

Ancestry has many British records from WWI. Due to the scale of the war, nearly all families in the https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023 were impacted.

British Army WWI Service Records

Our database of British Army WWI Service Records is a good place to start. These records contain vivid physical descriptions of the soldiers (down to scars, tattoos and deformities) and details about their careers during the war.

There are over 1.9 million records in the database, though these represent only a fraction of the original content; in September 1940, there was a bombing raid on the War Office repository in London, where the records were held. About 60 percent of the 6.5 million records were destroyed by fire.

British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards

This collection is the most complete listing of people who fought in the British Army in WWI. Nearly all soldiers who served abroad were awarded at least one medal; at 4.8 million people strong, this collection contains 90% of British soldiers’ names. Records in this index can be searched by first and last name and by corps, unit, or regiment. Various card forms were used, so the type of information found on each card varies.

British Army WWI Pension Records

This database contains service records of non-commissioned officers and men of other ranks who claimed disability pensions for service in WWI and did not re-enlist in the Army prior to World War II.

Other British records

https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, Soldiers Died in the Great War
https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, Commonwealth War Graves
https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, Silver War Badge Records
England, The National Roll of the Great War
https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour
https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, Citations of the Distinguished Conduct Medal https://internalancestrysupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/53933351895699-UK-New-Year-s-2023, British Officer Prisoners of War