First World War (1914-1918) - Researching British soldiers
This guide contains information about researching First World War (1914-1918) British soldiers, especially those who served in the Durham Light Infantry. It was compiled by Steve Shannon (former Curator of the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery) for Durham County Record Office in March 2016. It was updated by staff at The Story in June 2026.
During the First World War, over 6,000,000 men from the British Isles served in the British Army, and the Army kept detailed paper records on every one of them. Unfortunately, not all these records have survived as many were destroyed or badly damaged during the Second World War. This makes researching a First World War soldier difficult but not impossible.
The Ancestry and Find My Past family history websites are major online sources of digitised First World War British soldiers’ records, accessible via pay-per-view or subscription. They are both available seven days a week in Search and Discover at The Story, with no need to book. Digitised records from The National Archives are available to download for free upon creation of an account.
First World War (1914-1918) - Researching British soldiers
This guide contains information about researching First World War (1914-1918) British soldiers, especially those who served in the Durham Light Infantry. It was compiled by Steve Shannon (former Curator of the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Art Gallery) for Durham County Record Office in March 2016. It was updated by staff at The Story in June 2026.
During the First World War, over 6,000,000 men from the British Isles served in the British Army, and the Army kept detailed paper records on every one of them. Unfortunately, not all these records have survived as many were destroyed or badly damaged during the Second World War. This makes researching a First World War soldier difficult but not impossible.
The Ancestry and Find My Past family history websites are major online sources of digitised First World War British soldiers’ records, accessible via pay-per-view or subscription. They are both available seven days a week in Search and Discover at The Story, with no need to book. Digitised records from The National Archives are available to download for free upon creation of an account.
Family Records
Before you begin your research, you should note down what you already know about the soldier, for example:
- His full name.
- Date and place of birth.
- The place where he was living when he enlisted (joined the Army).
- The name of his next of kin (usually his father or wife)
These details will help you to identify the correct surviving official records for your soldier.
Family stories about the soldier having fought, for example, at Gallipoli or having been awarded a gallantry medal may also help, but these stories should be treated with caution, as they may have been embellished over the years.
Next, you should try to discover if any of the soldier’s documents or belongings have survived in your family. These could include his cap badge, identity discs, pay book, discharge certificate, a photograph of him in uniform, or a newspaper cutting with news, for example, of his wounding or death.
You should look especially for his medals. These will have stamped on the rim or on the back the soldier’s name, rank, number and the name of his regiment, for example:
18-609 PTE H. STANLEY. DURH:L.I. or 23-1141 SJT. R. DEFTY. NORTH’D FUS.
Once you have searched family records, it is time to look at the official records.
Family Records
Before you begin your research, you should note down what you already know about the soldier, for example:
- His full name.
- Date and place of birth.
- The place where he was living when he enlisted (joined the Army).
- The name of his next of kin (usually his father or wife)
These details will help you to identify the correct surviving official records for your soldier.
Family stories about the soldier having fought, for example, at Gallipoli or having been awarded a gallantry medal may also help, but these stories should be treated with caution, as they may have been embellished over the years.
Next, you should try to discover if any of the soldier’s documents or belongings have survived in your family. These could include his cap badge, identity discs, pay book, discharge certificate, a photograph of him in uniform, or a newspaper cutting with news, for example, of his wounding or death.
You should look especially for his medals. These will have stamped on the rim or on the back the soldier’s name, rank, number and the name of his regiment, for example:
18-609 PTE H. STANLEY. DURH:L.I. or 23-1141 SJT. R. DEFTY. NORTH’D FUS.
Once you have searched family records, it is time to look at the official records.
Soldiers’ service and pension records
he most important official record for any soldier was his service record. Here a soldier’s military career was documented from when he first joined the Army. This record also includes the soldier’s personal and family details, and, if he was wounded and received a disability pension, his medical details.
Today, only 40% of the First World War soldiers’ service records have survived. These surviving records are held at The National Archives. They have been digitised and are available online on The National Archives website or on Ancestry and Find My Past.
They include the records of soldiers who were:
- Discharged between 1914 and 1920.
- Killed in action between 1914 and 1920.
- Died of wounds or disease without being discharged to pension demobilised at the end of the war.
Knowing your soldier’s full name, number and regiment, will make searching these online records that much easier.
Some soldiers continued to serve in the British Army after 1920. Their records, which will include details of their service prior to 1920, are still held centrally by the Ministry of Defence and, most recently, The National Archives:
If the soldier’s Service Record did not survive the Blitz then all is not lost as there are many other records that may help you with your research.
Soldiers’ service and pension records
he most important official record for any soldier was his service record. Here a soldier’s military career was documented from when he first joined the Army. This record also includes the soldier’s personal and family details, and, if he was wounded and received a disability pension, his medical details.
Today, only 40% of the First World War soldiers’ service records have survived. These surviving records are held at The National Archives. They have been digitised and are available online on The National Archives website or on Ancestry and Find My Past.
They include the records of soldiers who were:
- Discharged between 1914 and 1920.
- Killed in action between 1914 and 1920.
- Died of wounds or disease without being discharged to pension demobilised at the end of the war.
Knowing your soldier’s full name, number and regiment, will make searching these online records that much easier.
Some soldiers continued to serve in the British Army after 1920. Their records, which will include details of their service prior to 1920, are still held centrally by the Ministry of Defence and, most recently, The National Archives:
If the soldier’s Service Record did not survive the Blitz then all is not lost as there are many other records that may help you with your research.
Soldiers who died in service
During the First World War, some 13,000 DLI and 16,000 Northumberland Fusiliers were killed in action, died of wounds or died of disease. Most, but not all, of these men came from the North East of England.
In 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established to care for the graves of the 1,000,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers, who died on the battlefield or at home. The CWGC’s website will allow you to discover where the soldier is buried or commemorated, if he was one of these casualties. Sometimes it will also hold additional information about the soldier’s age, his next of kin and his home address.
In 1921, the War Office published a book listing the names of the 42,000 British Army officers who had died during the war. A further 80 books, listed by regiment, record the names of all the British soldiers who had died, e.g. Soldiers Died in the Great War. 1914-19, part 62, The Durham Light Infantry. This volume, arranged by battalion, gives only limited details.
The Soldiers Died books are available on Ancestry and Find My Past.
Soldiers’ wills
The wills of soldiers who died whilst serving in the British Army between 1850 and 1986, are now available online (via pay-per-view). About 80% of these wills date from the First World War, however, whilst many soldiers left detailed wills, others left no more than a brief written instruction and the name and address of their next of kin.
Find a soldier’s will.
Soldiers’ effects
The National Army Museum in London holds the records of the money owed to British soldiers who died in service between 1901 and 1929. They usually note the soldier’s name, rank, number and regiment, together with his battalion number (for infantrymen) or the number of his battery or company (for Artillery, Engineers, etc.). Also noted are the soldier’s next of kin and their relationship to him (e.g. father, widow, etc.), and the date of his death. Sometimes the place of death is also recorded. The Soldiers’ Effects records have been digitised and are available on Ancestry.
War Memorials
If the soldier you are researching was from the North East and died during the First World War, then you should look at the North East War Memorials Project website. This project is working towards recording every war memorial in the North East of England from the main memorials in towns and villages to those small memorials found in schools, parish halls, factories and offices.
Soldiers who died in service
During the First World War, some 13,000 DLI and 16,000 Northumberland Fusiliers were killed in action, died of wounds or died of disease. Most, but not all, of these men came from the North East of England.
In 1917, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established to care for the graves of the 1,000,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers, who died on the battlefield or at home. The CWGC’s website will allow you to discover where the soldier is buried or commemorated, if he was one of these casualties. Sometimes it will also hold additional information about the soldier’s age, his next of kin and his home address.
In 1921, the War Office published a book listing the names of the 42,000 British Army officers who had died during the war. A further 80 books, listed by regiment, record the names of all the British soldiers who had died, e.g. Soldiers Died in the Great War. 1914-19, part 62, The Durham Light Infantry. This volume, arranged by battalion, gives only limited details.
The Soldiers Died books are available on Ancestry and Find My Past.
Soldiers’ wills
The wills of soldiers who died whilst serving in the British Army between 1850 and 1986, are now available online (via pay-per-view). About 80% of these wills date from the First World War, however, whilst many soldiers left detailed wills, others left no more than a brief written instruction and the name and address of their next of kin.
Find a soldier’s will.
Soldiers’ effects
The National Army Museum in London holds the records of the money owed to British soldiers who died in service between 1901 and 1929. They usually note the soldier’s name, rank, number and regiment, together with his battalion number (for infantrymen) or the number of his battery or company (for Artillery, Engineers, etc.). Also noted are the soldier’s next of kin and their relationship to him (e.g. father, widow, etc.), and the date of his death. Sometimes the place of death is also recorded. The Soldiers’ Effects records have been digitised and are available on Ancestry.
War Memorials
If the soldier you are researching was from the North East and died during the First World War, then you should look at the North East War Memorials Project website. This project is working towards recording every war memorial in the North East of England from the main memorials in towns and villages to those small memorials found in schools, parish halls, factories and offices.
Medals and awards
Medal Index Cards
Before the end of the First World War, the Army Medal Office compiled some 5,000,000 hand-written cards recording the campaign medal entitlement for each soldier. Today, these Medal Index Cards are held at The National Archives and have been digitised and are available online either on TNA’s own website or on the Ancestry and Find My Past websites.
These index cards are an important source of information, as your soldier’s card will give his name, rank(s), number(s) and regiment or corps. Note: Many soldiers served in more than one unit during the war, e.g. DLI and Machine Gun Corps, or DLI and Labour Corps.
An index card also gives the soldier’s medal entitlement, e.g. 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, and sometimes records where and when he first went overseas to a “Theatre of War” – e.g. France 19.4.15.
There may also be additional information on when a soldier died or when he was finally discharged from the Army. A soldier’s desertion or imprisonment may also be recorded, as a soldier’s medals could be forfeited, and this forfeiture would be noted on his card. Gallantry awards, e.g. DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal), are also sometimes noted (see Gallantry Awards below). Importantly the index card also notes the page reference in the Medal Rolls (see below).
Campaign Medal Rolls
Whilst the Medal Index Cards list the medals to which each soldier was entitled, the Medal Rolls for the First World War actually record what campaign medals were issued to each soldier. These rolls are held at The National Archives and record the award of over 10,000,000 campaign medals (1914 Star, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Territorial Force War Medal) to the British armed forces. These rolls have been digitised and can be searched on Ancestry.
Each soldier’s entry in the Medal Rolls may include his full name, rank(s), number(s), regiment or corps, medals awarded and other details. Importantly these rolls sometimes record the specific battalion, brigade or battery in which a soldier served. This information is of great use, as there were 43 DLI battalions during the First World War, 22 of which served overseas. Knowing which battalion a soldier served in will allow you to look at the battalion’s War Diary (see below) and regimental history books (see below) that may provide you with a detailed background to your soldier’s war service.
Silver War Badge
In late 1916, the Silver War Badge was awarded to all those servicemen and women who had been honourably discharged because of wounds or illness. Each badge has a unique number on the back, The National Archives holds a roll of these numbers and the details of each recipient, which may include his full name, rank, number, regiment, dates of enlistment and discharge, and importantly the reason for his discharge (e.g. wounds, gas, sickness, or battle accident).
The Silver War Badge rolls containing 1,000,000 names have been digitised and may be searched using the recipient’s name or the unique badge number either on TNA’s own website or on Ancestry. If a soldier’s service records have not survived and he received no campaign medals, then the Silver War Badge Roll might be the only record of a soldier’s service during the First World War.
Gallantry Awards
If the soldier received a gallantry award during the First World War, for example: the Military Cross (MC), Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), Military Medal (MM), or Mention in Despatches (MID), then this award will have been announced in The London Gazette.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/ww1
The Gazette’s website allows you to search for the announcement. Unfortunately, few citations explain exactly when, where, and how the medal was awarded, though the date of the announcement will often suggest when the medal was won. Often the recipient’s hometown is noted.
For the DLI, all the regiment’s gallantry awards during the First World War are recorded in Malcom McGregor’s Honours and Awards to The Durham Light Infantry (privately published 2003, copy available in The Story Collections Room). This book not only gives the full official Gazette entry and citation, if printed in the Gazette, but also further information about each award collected by the author from battalion histories and the DLI’s archive.
Medals and awards
Medal Index Cards
Before the end of the First World War, the Army Medal Office compiled some 5,000,000 hand-written cards recording the campaign medal entitlement for each soldier. Today, these Medal Index Cards are held at The National Archives and have been digitised and are available online either on TNA’s own website or on the Ancestry and Find My Past websites.
These index cards are an important source of information, as your soldier’s card will give his name, rank(s), number(s) and regiment or corps. Note: Many soldiers served in more than one unit during the war, e.g. DLI and Machine Gun Corps, or DLI and Labour Corps.
An index card also gives the soldier’s medal entitlement, e.g. 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, and sometimes records where and when he first went overseas to a “Theatre of War” – e.g. France 19.4.15.
There may also be additional information on when a soldier died or when he was finally discharged from the Army. A soldier’s desertion or imprisonment may also be recorded, as a soldier’s medals could be forfeited, and this forfeiture would be noted on his card. Gallantry awards, e.g. DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal), are also sometimes noted (see Gallantry Awards below). Importantly the index card also notes the page reference in the Medal Rolls (see below).
Campaign Medal Rolls
Whilst the Medal Index Cards list the medals to which each soldier was entitled, the Medal Rolls for the First World War actually record what campaign medals were issued to each soldier. These rolls are held at The National Archives and record the award of over 10,000,000 campaign medals (1914 Star, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Territorial Force War Medal) to the British armed forces. These rolls have been digitised and can be searched on Ancestry.
Each soldier’s entry in the Medal Rolls may include his full name, rank(s), number(s), regiment or corps, medals awarded and other details. Importantly these rolls sometimes record the specific battalion, brigade or battery in which a soldier served. This information is of great use, as there were 43 DLI battalions during the First World War, 22 of which served overseas. Knowing which battalion a soldier served in will allow you to look at the battalion’s War Diary (see below) and regimental history books (see below) that may provide you with a detailed background to your soldier’s war service.
Silver War Badge
In late 1916, the Silver War Badge was awarded to all those servicemen and women who had been honourably discharged because of wounds or illness. Each badge has a unique number on the back, The National Archives holds a roll of these numbers and the details of each recipient, which may include his full name, rank, number, regiment, dates of enlistment and discharge, and importantly the reason for his discharge (e.g. wounds, gas, sickness, or battle accident).
The Silver War Badge rolls containing 1,000,000 names have been digitised and may be searched using the recipient’s name or the unique badge number either on TNA’s own website or on Ancestry. If a soldier’s service records have not survived and he received no campaign medals, then the Silver War Badge Roll might be the only record of a soldier’s service during the First World War.
Gallantry Awards
If the soldier received a gallantry award during the First World War, for example: the Military Cross (MC), Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM), Military Medal (MM), or Mention in Despatches (MID), then this award will have been announced in The London Gazette.
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/ww1
The Gazette’s website allows you to search for the announcement. Unfortunately, few citations explain exactly when, where, and how the medal was awarded, though the date of the announcement will often suggest when the medal was won. Often the recipient’s hometown is noted.
For the DLI, all the regiment’s gallantry awards during the First World War are recorded in Malcom McGregor’s Honours and Awards to The Durham Light Infantry (privately published 2003, copy available in The Story Collections Room). This book not only gives the full official Gazette entry and citation, if printed in the Gazette, but also further information about each award collected by the author from battalion histories and the DLI’s archive.
The Police Gazette
During the First World War, lists of Army deserters and absentees were regularly published in The Police Gazette, with details of the soldier’s name, age, place of birth, number, and unit, plus his trade on enlistment, his physical characteristics, and the date of his desertion or absence. These Gazettes are now searchable on Find My Past.
The Police Gazette
During the First World War, lists of Army deserters and absentees were regularly published in The Police Gazette, with details of the soldier’s name, age, place of birth, number, and unit, plus his trade on enlistment, his physical characteristics, and the date of his desertion or absence. These Gazettes are now searchable on Find My Past.
Absent voters’ lists
In 1918, lists were compiled to ensure that all soldiers over the age of 19 and all war-workers, including women over the age of 30, who were absent from their homes, would still be able to vote in the general election. The following absent voters’ lists (AVL) for County Durham, organised by electoral division, are held at The Story:
Barnard Castle
Bishop Auckland
Blaydon
Chester le Street
Consett
Durham
Houghton le Spring
Jarrow
Seaham
Sedgefield
Spennymoor
If you know the home address, or even just the town where the soldier lived, then he probably can be traced. For many First World War soldiers, especially for those who never left Britain and were awarded no campaign medals, this can be a valuable source of information such as service number and battalion.
In the North East, other absent voters’ lists survive for Darlington (Darlington Borough Council), Gateshead (Gateshead Library), Hartlepool (Hartlepool Library) and Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle Central Library). The AVLs for South Shields, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland, however, are missing.
Copies of the absent voters’ lists held by The British Library are available digitally on Find My Past .
Absent voters’ lists
In 1918, lists were compiled to ensure that all soldiers over the age of 19 and all war-workers, including women over the age of 30, who were absent from their homes, would still be able to vote in the general election. The following absent voters’ lists (AVL) for County Durham, organised by electoral division, are held at The Story:
Barnard Castle
Bishop Auckland
Blaydon
Chester le Street
Consett
Durham
Houghton le Spring
Jarrow
Seaham
Sedgefield
Spennymoor
If you know the home address, or even just the town where the soldier lived, then he probably can be traced. For many First World War soldiers, especially for those who never left Britain and were awarded no campaign medals, this can be a valuable source of information such as service number and battalion.
In the North East, other absent voters’ lists survive for Darlington (Darlington Borough Council), Gateshead (Gateshead Library), Hartlepool (Hartlepool Library) and Newcastle upon Tyne (Newcastle Central Library). The AVLs for South Shields, Stockton on Tees and Sunderland, however, are missing.
Copies of the absent voters’ lists held by The British Library are available digitally on Find My Past .
Prisoners of War
During the First World War, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva collected information about soldiers, including British soldiers, made prisoner of war (POW). For each prisoner an index card was completed and now 5,000,000 index cards have been digitised and are being made freely available online:
Prisoners of the First World War – the ICRC archives
Some cards contain a wealth of information about a prisoner, including:
- His unit
- Number
- Home address
- Next of kin
- Date of birth
- Date and place of his capture
- POW camp where he was held
Other cards, however, list little more than a prisoner’s name.
The National Archives holds 3,000 reports compiled for the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War. This Committee interviewed British prisoners, who had escaped or had been repatriated before the end of war, to ask about their treatment in enemy hands:
Prisoners of War
During the First World War, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva collected information about soldiers, including British soldiers, made prisoner of war (POW). For each prisoner an index card was completed and now 5,000,000 index cards have been digitised and are being made freely available online:
Prisoners of the First World War – the ICRC archives
Some cards contain a wealth of information about a prisoner, including:
- His unit
- Number
- Home address
- Next of kin
- Date of birth
- Date and place of his capture
- POW camp where he was held
Other cards, however, list little more than a prisoner’s name.
The National Archives holds 3,000 reports compiled for the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War. This Committee interviewed British prisoners, who had escaped or had been repatriated before the end of war, to ask about their treatment in enemy hands:
War Diaries
During the First World War, every British Army unit kept a diary of its activities both at the front and behind the lines. These diaries with their daily reports on operations were kept to enable an official history of the First World War to be written.
Today these unit War Diaries have been digitised by The National Archives and made available online:
Though War Diaries, which were usually written by the unit’s adjutant (administration officer), rarely mention soldiers (as distinct from officers) by name, they may provide you with the background to the soldier’s service and, especially, the circumstances and location of a soldier’s wounding or death.
War Diaries
During the First World War, every British Army unit kept a diary of its activities both at the front and behind the lines. These diaries with their daily reports on operations were kept to enable an official history of the First World War to be written.
Today these unit War Diaries have been digitised by The National Archives and made available online:
Though War Diaries, which were usually written by the unit’s adjutant (administration officer), rarely mention soldiers (as distinct from officers) by name, they may provide you with the background to the soldier’s service and, especially, the circumstances and location of a soldier’s wounding or death.
DLI Archive Collection at The Story
The regimental archive of The Durham Light Infantry is owned by the Trustees of The Durham Light Infantry and cared for by the Collections Team at The Story, Durham.
This archive contains some very useful Second World War records covering not only the Regular and Territorial DLI battalions at home and abroad but also the Durham Home Guard. You can search the catalogue here.
Enlistment Books 1920-1945
These were transferred to the former DLI Museum by the Ministry of Defence, then to the DLI Archive. They give a soldier’s army service number, but not the battalion they served in. The first volume may be of use as it contains personal details of those soldiers who enlisted before 1920 and continued to serve in the DLI after that date.
War Diaries
The archive includes original copies of the War Diaries of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 13th and 20th Battalions DLI. Some of these diaries, especially 13 DLI’s ‘unofficial’ diary, kept by successive adjutants, contain information, for example of men wounded or sick, not found in the official War Diaries held by The National Archives.
Maps
we hold an extensive collection of original trench maps of the Western Front. Many of these are associated with a particular officer and battalion and so may be used, for example, in conjunction with a War Diary or regimental history to pinpoint where a soldier was killed or wounded.
You will also find a number of digitised First World War trench maps on the National Library of Scotland’s website:
British First World War Trench Maps 1915-1918
Photographs
We hold many DLI photographs and albums dating from the First World War. Some of these record the soldiers’ names, for example albums of 4 DLI and 20 DLI, but most contain only unnamed groups. Few of these photographs were taken at the front.
Letters, Diaries and Memoirs
The DLI archive also contains many contemporary letters and diaries and post-war memoirs that may provide you with background to your own soldier’s service during the First World War.
DLI Archive Collection at The Story
The regimental archive of The Durham Light Infantry is owned by the Trustees of The Durham Light Infantry and cared for by the Collections Team at The Story, Durham.
This archive contains some very useful Second World War records covering not only the Regular and Territorial DLI battalions at home and abroad but also the Durham Home Guard. You can search the catalogue here.
Enlistment Books 1920-1945
These were transferred to the former DLI Museum by the Ministry of Defence, then to the DLI Archive. They give a soldier’s army service number, but not the battalion they served in. The first volume may be of use as it contains personal details of those soldiers who enlisted before 1920 and continued to serve in the DLI after that date.
War Diaries
The archive includes original copies of the War Diaries of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 13th and 20th Battalions DLI. Some of these diaries, especially 13 DLI’s ‘unofficial’ diary, kept by successive adjutants, contain information, for example of men wounded or sick, not found in the official War Diaries held by The National Archives.
Maps
we hold an extensive collection of original trench maps of the Western Front. Many of these are associated with a particular officer and battalion and so may be used, for example, in conjunction with a War Diary or regimental history to pinpoint where a soldier was killed or wounded.
You will also find a number of digitised First World War trench maps on the National Library of Scotland’s website:
British First World War Trench Maps 1915-1918
Photographs
We hold many DLI photographs and albums dating from the First World War. Some of these record the soldiers’ names, for example albums of 4 DLI and 20 DLI, but most contain only unnamed groups. Few of these photographs were taken at the front.
Letters, Diaries and Memoirs
The DLI archive also contains many contemporary letters and diaries and post-war memoirs that may provide you with background to your own soldier’s service during the First World War.
Local newspapers
The Story archive includes local newspapers which, before 1917, printed obituaries, medal awards, citations, letters home, and even photographs of named local soldiers.
There are First World War editions of weekly publications, including the Durham Advertiser, the Durham Chronicle and the Auckland Chronicle. These newspapers are available to view in the Search and Discover area at The Story.
Local Newspapers Online
The British Library continues to digitise its huge collection of British and Irish newspapers, including North East newspapers, such as the Hartlepool Mail, Newcastle Journal, and Shields Gazette. The British Newspaper Archive is available in Search and Discover.
The Teesdale Mercury has its own free to view online archive. This newspaper covers the Barnard Castle and upper Teesdale region of County Durham:
Teesdale Mercury Archive
Local newspapers
The Story archive includes local newspapers which, before 1917, printed obituaries, medal awards, citations, letters home, and even photographs of named local soldiers.
There are First World War editions of weekly publications, including the Durham Advertiser, the Durham Chronicle and the Auckland Chronicle. These newspapers are available to view in the Search and Discover area at The Story.
Local Newspapers Online
The British Library continues to digitise its huge collection of British and Irish newspapers, including North East newspapers, such as the Hartlepool Mail, Newcastle Journal, and Shields Gazette. The British Newspaper Archive is available in Search and Discover.
The Teesdale Mercury has its own free to view online archive. This newspaper covers the Barnard Castle and upper Teesdale region of County Durham:
Teesdale Mercury Archive
Regimental Histories
During the 1920s and 1930s, many regiments and individual battalions published histories based on their War Diaries of their activities during the First World War, for example Wilfrid Miles, The Durham Forces in the Field, 1914-18, volume 2: The Service Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry (London, 1920). New battalion histories continue to be written by local historians.
If you know the regiment and battalion in which the soldier served, then the battalion’s history, if published, may provide you with the background to his service and the circumstances and location of a soldier’s death or wounding. Some battalion histories also contain detailed trench maps and photographs. We hold a number of battalion histories at The Story.
Regimental Histories
During the 1920s and 1930s, many regiments and individual battalions published histories based on their War Diaries of their activities during the First World War, for example Wilfrid Miles, The Durham Forces in the Field, 1914-18, volume 2: The Service Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry (London, 1920). New battalion histories continue to be written by local historians.
If you know the regiment and battalion in which the soldier served, then the battalion’s history, if published, may provide you with the background to his service and the circumstances and location of a soldier’s death or wounding. Some battalion histories also contain detailed trench maps and photographs. We hold a number of battalion histories at The Story.
First World War Veterans’ Interviews
For over twenty years, the Imperial War Museum recorded interviews with DLI veterans from the First World War.
These recordings provide listeners with a unique insight into what it was really like to be an infantryman during the First World War as veterans reflect on their experiences from recruitment to active service and as prisoners of war.
The recordings can be listened to in full on the Imperial War Museums website, searching by name of soldier.
First World War Veterans’ Interviews
For over twenty years, the Imperial War Museum recorded interviews with DLI veterans from the First World War.
These recordings provide listeners with a unique insight into what it was really like to be an infantryman during the First World War as veterans reflect on their experiences from recruitment to active service and as prisoners of war.
The recordings can be listened to in full on the Imperial War Museums website, searching by name of soldier.
Other Sources
There are many other sources – some less obvious – held in record offices and local history libraries that may help you research the soldier. For example, in our archives there are business’ rolls of honour, parish magazines, school and college records, plus correspondence concerning local war memorials.
Useful Websites
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
North East War Memorials Project
Other Sources
There are many other sources – some less obvious – held in record offices and local history libraries that may help you research the soldier. For example, in our archives there are business’ rolls of honour, parish magazines, school and college records, plus correspondence concerning local war memorials.
Useful Websites
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
North East War Memorials Project