Search British nationals armed forces deaths 1796-2005
About the armed forces death records
The armed forces records include the registrations of British armed forces (including serving members who were not British nationals) posted overseas. These records also include some regimental registers and chaplains' returns for army deaths which took place in the British Isles.
When you search the death records, you will be presented with a list of individual names. This means you should be able to tell if your ancestor is in the list just by viewing their name - although we always advise you to double check the original image, especially the volume and page numbers, before you order any certificates.
Please note that it is common for the place of death field to be missing.
Find out more about these records in our knowledge base.
Can't find who you're looking for? Click the 'search tips' link above for helpful advice on searching these records.
How to search the death records
We only need the last name of an ancestor to start searching these records for you. This is the only required piece of information, everything else is optional.
It's always best to start searching with basic information, like your ancestor's first and last name. If there are too many results, you can refine your search and add more detail.
You can click the 'refine search' button on the search results page to return to this search box and add more information.
What a death record will tell you
- Your ancestor's name
- The place and year (or year range) in which the death was registered
- Most will include your ancestor's age at death
- General Register Office reference number that can be used to order a copy of your ancestor's death certificate
Can't find who you're looking for?
- Try leaving the 'region' field blank. Your ancestor may not have died in the place you would expect, so you could be excluding relevant results.
- Don't select a year range, or make the year range wider. The year you think your ancestor died may not be accurate, so you could be excluding relevant results.
- Keep the 'include variants' boxes underneath the name fields ticked. This means your search results will include spelling variations of the names you've entered.
- If your ancestor's name could be easily misspelled, try using a wildcard search. Just use a * symbol in place of a letter or multiple letters. For example, instead of searching for Jennings you could search for Je*ngs or *enning*.