How to find Women's Royal Army Corps records

The Women's Royal Army Corps was officially formed in 1949, following the success of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during the Second World War. Its roots, however, stretch back to 1917, when Queen Mary championed the creation of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps - one of the first units to allow women to serve in the British Army. 

During the Second World War, thousands of women joined the ATS, taking on non-combatant roles to free men for front-line duty. They worked as drivers, clerks, telephonists, mechanics, and radar operators - vital positions that kept the military machine running. Many were posted overseas, serving in Italy, North Africa and even Normandy after D-Day. 

After the war, their legacy continued through the WRAC, which became the core organisation for women in the Royal Army. Members served both at home and abroad, in units ranging from intelligence and logistics to communications. For many, it was more than a job - it was a calling that changed the landscape of military service for generations of women to come. 

Tracing a woman who served in the WRAC, ATS, or earlier auxiliary corps can uncover a wealth of personal and historical detail. Service records might include: 

• Full name and service number, essential for identifying individual soldiers among thousands. 
• Rank and promotions, whether your ancestor served among other ranks or advanced to officer status. 
• Dates and locations of service, detailing where she was stationed and when. 
• Training and roles, describing her specific duties within the Royal Army. 
• Medals and commendations, including campaign medals and Mentions in Despatches. 

These records bring individual stories to life, from clerks working in bombed-out London offices to drivers navigating convoy routes under blackout conditions. 

Thanks to digitisation projects, many genealogy records relating to women's military service are now available online. On Findmypast, you can explore: 

• British Army Service Records (1914–1945): covering women who served with the ATS and other wartime auxiliary corps. 
• British Army Casualty Lists (1939–1945): which may include women who were injured or killed during service. 
• British Army Medal Index Cards and Rolls (1914–1920): useful for tracing women who served in earlier auxiliary units during the First World War. 
• The 1939 Register: capturing details of women serving in the Territorial Service on the eve of the Second World War. 
• UK Military Discharge Indexes and Pension Records: sometimes listing women who continued service into the post-war WRAC era. 

The National Archives also holds WRAC service files, though most post-1920 records remain with the Ministry of Defence and must be requested directly by next of kin. 

When looking for your ancestor's Women's Royal Army Corps records, start by gathering what you already know - a full name, approximate birth year, and hometown is usually enough to begin your search. Pay attention to family stories or heirlooms that might provide clues, such as photographs, medals, or letters mentioning service locations. 

When searching online, use flexible name spellings, as clerical errors were common in handwritten army documents. If you can find a service number, use it to narrow down results across record sets. 

If you discover your ancestor in a WRAC or ATS record, cross-reference her details with unit war diaries or newspaper archives to understand her experiences in greater depth. These sources can reveal how her unit contributed to the wider war effort — and the personal cost of service. 

The women of the Royal Army - from Queen Mary's early pioneers to WRAC members serving into the late 20th century - transformed Britain's military history. Their resilience earned respect across the armed forces, paving the way for full gender integration within the British Army by the 1990s. 

Every uniform, service number, and record entry tells part of that story. By searching Women's Royal Army Corps records, you're not just uncovering your family's past. You're honouring a generation of women whose quiet courage helped shape the history of modern Britain.