WW1 Service Records, Burnt Records
The Burnt Records from WW1 refer to the WO363 collection of British Army service records held at the National Archive in Kew, London. In September 1940, during an air raid on London the War Officer record depot at Arnside Street was destroyed by incendiary bombs. About 60%, approximately 4 million out of 6.5 million, of the First World War service records for non-commissioned officers and other ranks were destroyed. The surviving records, many charred, singed, or water-damaged, became officially known as the Burnt Records.
What is Contained in a Service Record
The National Archive document WO32/21769 lists all the documents that were destroyed in the fire at Arnside Depot on 7 September. You can download this for free if you register online with the National Archive otherwise there is a small charge to pay.
WO363 contains:
Personal Details: Soldier's name, age, birthplace, occupation, and marital status.
Service Details: Regimental number, attestation (enlistment) date, physical description, medical/casualty sheets, and conduct records.
Scope: They generally cover soldiers who served between 1914 and 1920 and did not re-enlist before World War II.
Where to Access Them
Online Databases: You can view digitized images and search names on subscription platforms like Ancestry and FindMyPast
Physical Location: The original microfilmed and conserved records are housed at The National Archives, Kew. The original documents are no longer accessible to the public.
Alternative Sources if Your Ancestor's Record Was Destroyed
If a soldier's main service record was lost in the fire, you can often piece together their history using alternative sources:
WO 364 (Unburnt Pension Records): Surviving pension claim forms for men discharged due to disability. They can also be found on the subscription site Ancestry if they have indexed the card, not always the case.
WO 372 (Medal Index Cards): Cards showing campaign medals awarded to soldiers are available via The National Archives or online. Are available to view online at the National Archive and for a small charge you can download the record. Register with the National Archive online and you get to download the documents for free.
Unit War Diaries (WO 95): Daily logs kept by battalions describing their movements and actions on the Western Front and elsewhere. These are available, for a small charge, to download from the National Archive. Register with the National Archive online and you get to download the documents for free.
Silver War Badge Records & Casualty Lists: Additional military and medical indexes. Silver War Badge is indexed on the subscription site Ancestry.
Other Records & Sources
Records for the Coldstream, Grenadier, Irish and Welsh Guards are held by the Ministry of Defence. Records for the Scots Guards are held by their Regimental Headquarters. See: www.theguardsmuseum.com/Family-Research
For soldiers' service records pre-1914 see WO 97
Records of the soldiers of the Household Cavalry WO 400
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