Â鶹Éç

Page 4 of 4

• 1. Five sources
• 2. Getting started
• 3. Looking further
• 4. And further
• Print entire article

And further

Among the many national museums and archives, there are four that may help your quest further. None of these holds official personnel records. However, they will provide an accurate idea of what service life was like for your ancestor and some detail about the relevant unit or ship. With all these museums, you will need to arrange your visit beforehand, rather than just turning up unannounced.

The best known of these is the Imperial War Museum, London, where you can arrange to view (by appointment) the extensive collection of diaries and letters held by the Department of Documents. Even if the papers do not mention your relative by name, they will tell you about their unit, ship or squadron and therefore what their life would have been like.

'... the fruits of your research will be the fusion of information from several of these sources.'

The Royal Air Force (RAF) was only founded in 1918, but the RAF Museum at Hendon, north London, contains some useful archives on flying that date from before World War One. It can give guidance on squadrons and aircraft types, via its library.

The National Maritime Museum is located in Greenwich, south-east London, and holds archives about Royal Navy administration from the 18th century and crew lists from the 19th century. You will also find ships' plans and a photographic index of most 20th-century ships. Its library is a unique national treasure.

Tucked away in the University of Leeds is the Liddle Archive of letters, diaries and other documents written by servicemen and servicewomen from both world wars. Its collection is exhaustive, and may confirm some aspect of your ancestor's life.

Inevitably, the fruits of your research will be the fusion of information from several of these sources. With all these archives, the watchword is patience, and it's best to put aside a whole day for your visit. This detective work may be slow and sometimes frustrating, but it's supremely rewarding when you find a nugget of good information.

ÌýPrevious

Published: 2004-09-14