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Use this form to submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for a Ministry of Defence (MOD) service personnel record where the individual is presumed still living, or was born fewer than 115 years ago.
If you are requesting your own record or acting on behalf of a service personnel member, please note that under FOI this is not possible, as the information would be considered exempt (Section 40 (1)). Instead you should use the form to request your own MOD personnel record or on behalf of a living data subject.
The records in this collection cover the time before, during and after an individual’s service in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, where the individual has a date of birth before or during the year 1939.
The records include around 500,000 individuals who served in the First World War and the vast majority of service personnel from the Second World War. They include British subjects from the UK and overseas, as well as foreign nationals who served with British forces, for example, within the Aden Pioneer Corps or Libyan Arab Force.
These are personnel records, consequently by the very nature of their original purpose they contain a range of personal data, including medical information.
We will release information from the requested record to you, unless it is subject to an exemption.
Please note: FOI is a public access regime, so if the record can be opened, it will become available at The National Archives to everyone.
Processing your request
Once we’ve received your FOI request, we will process it and respond within 30 working days. In certain circumstances the review process may take longer, in which case we will notify you. For further details please see our Lifecycle of an FOI Request document (PPT, 4.8MB).
You should use this form to describe clearly the information you are looking for. Please also provide contact details (name and email address), so we can respond to your request.
How it works
Step 1: Fill in the form below with details of the individual whose record you are requesting. Include proof of death (if applicable) and your own contact details.
Step 2: On receipt of your form and the supporting valid proof, we will search for the record of the individual named in the form.
Step 3: Our team will contact you via email or post with the results of the search within 30 working days.
If we find a record of the individual(s) you have requested a search for, we will let you know:
- what information we hold;
- what information can be provided to you;
- and how you can access this information (e.g. the record copying process).
The National Archives
