How to find Royal Artillery records
Researcher
Tue Oct 21 2025
•
< 5 minutes read
Amidst the thunderous roar of fire, Royal Artillerymen locate and strike the enemy. Here's how to uncover their stories, one record at a time.
Who is the Royal Artillery?
The clattering of wheels, the shouting of commands and the mounting tension of an incoming assault. Poised with guns at the ready, this is what life was like for members of the Royal Artillery participating in some of history's most famous battles.
The Royal Artillery is a key branch of the British Army, responsible for providing heavy firepower support to infantry and armoured units on the battlefield. Founded in 1716, the regiment has been central to nearly every major British conflict since, from the Napoleonic Wars to the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and more recent operations.
Their roles have ranged from operating field guns and howitzers to coordinating anti-aircraft defences and supporting combined arms operations. From the mud-soaked trenches of the Western Front to the rolling deserts of North Africa, the Royal Artillery’s reach spanned continents and decades.
Tracing the lives of decorated soldiers
From Lieutenant Colonel John Shakespear (renowned for his leadership in the Royal Field Artillery during the First World War) to Sergeant Alfred Edward Sephton (a Second World War Victoria Cross recipient for valour), Royal Artillery soldiers have frequently been commended for their skill and bravery.
Whether your ancestor was an officer or a gunner, discovering their service history can shed light on both their military career and the battles they endured. For their bravery, they may have been awarded the Military Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Medal, or a campaign medal like the 1914-15 Star.
Where to find Royal Artillery records online
You can trace ancestors who served with the Royal Artillery using digitised British military and conflict records, searchable on family history websites like Findmypast. While The National Archives in London is home to the original documents, they are increasingly being made available to explore online.
Findmypast holds several useful collections:
- Royal Artillery-specific records, including Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942 and Royal Artillery Honours & Awards
- British Army Service records, which include detailed information on artillery units spanning over 300 years.
- Rolls of Honour and Campaign, Gallantry & Long Service Medals & Awards, which include the names of thousands of decorated Royal Artillerymen.
- Casualty records, including Royal Artillery Other Ranks: Casualty Cards 1939-1947, which may help you to trace if a military ancestor was injured
What can genealogy records reveal about someone's army service?
Royal Artillery military records often provide a wealth of information, including:
- Full name, rank, and regimental number
- Enlistment date and service history
- Campaigns and battles participated in
- Promotions, awards, and military honours
- Discharge details and pension records
These precious records help you understand not only where your ancestor served, but also what they experienced day-to-day and the impact that war had on the course of their lives.
You might discover a soldier's march across the rain-sodden fields of Flanders, or their tireless efforts to keep a battery operational under fire. A life-changing injury, or the tragic loss of brothers-in-arms.
How to search Royal Artillery records
Start with what you know
You can search online military records by name, birth date, service number, regiment and with any additional keywords. It's a good idea to start broad and see what you can uncover about your ancestor's military story before narrowing down to specific record sets.
Delve deeper with other sources
In addition to service records, newspapers and local archives can provide further insight. Reports of artillery units in battle, letters sent home, and casualty lists often appeared in local papers, offering vivid glimpses into the realities of wartime service. For First World War soldiers, regimental histories and unit war diaries provide context that brings their service to life, showing the positions they held and the challenges faced by the Royal Artillery on each front.
Store your discoveries in a family tree
Keeping track of the threads of your research can prove confusing, so make use of the handy tools at your disposal. Add military records and milestone moments to a family tree to ensure an accurate chronology. You can save and collect newspaper clippings in Findmypast's Collections, while any research that sits outside of your family tree can sit within your Workspaces.
By combining online records with time-saving genealogy tools, you can trace an ancestor's military journey with clarity, connecting names and dates to the sights, sounds, and stories of the battlefields they endured.