We can help you find out more about individual soldiers who served with the regiment. This can be a family history enquiry or for academic or general interest research. The information below will help you get started, then get in touch to pursue your research.
Service records
These give really useful information about a soldier’s army career and unlock the story of their service. Individual records of service (ROS) are held by the National Archives, under their data protection responsibilities. Next of kin can apply for a ROS by approaching one of the following depending on when the individual soldier served.
OBTAINING A RECORD OF SERVICE FOR A SOLDIER THAT SERVED BEFORE 1919
Records pertaining to soldiers who served before 1919 are held across a range of archives. The Green Howards Museum does offer a research service through which we can interrogate those archives and compile the results for you. You can make a research application here: https://greenhowards.org.uk/research-application/
OBTAINING A RECORD OF SERVICE FOR A SOLDIER THAT SERVED BETWEEN 1919 – 1963.
Individual Records of Service (ROS) for soldiers who served up 1963 are now held and controlled by the National Archives (NA) under their Data Protection Responsibilities. These records are not available to museums but are available to next of kin. If you are the next of kin, or you know who is, you/they can apply for a ROS through the following link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mod-closed-foi-request-step1 Please be aware that the NA do make a charge for supplying a service record, the amount will vary depending on the format of delivery of the ROS. The NA will also need the individual soldier’s service number in order to identify the relevant record, as well as a death certificate for the individual.
OBTAINING A RECORD OF SERVICE FOR A SOLDIER THAT SERVED AFTER 1963
These records are held and controlled by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Again, the records are available to next-of-kin who can apply for a Record of Service to:
- Army Personnel Centre Disclosures 1
- Mail point 520
- Kentigern House
- 65 Brown Street
- Glasgow
- G2 8EX
Or via: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records Again, applicants will need to provide the individual soldier’s service number in order to identify the relevant record, as well as a death certificate for the individual.
Once you have secured a copy of a ROS, if you need help interpreting the contents, contact us on 01748 826561 and we can discuss what help we can offer.
What kind of information do we hold?
We have a wealth of supporting official and unofficial documents, which often contain unique information on individuals. For some periods of the regiment’s history we also have enlistment registers, records of births and marriages, prisoner of war records and punishment books.
Personal memoirs, diaries and letters also exist from most periods. We access official war diaries for each battalion of the Green Howards during the First and Second World Wars. The regimental gazette is a great source of information.
Our extensive photograph collection is also a great resource for images of named individuals, and to give a feel for what military life was like during a particular period.
Individual research and interpretation sessions
If you would like to visit the museum for individual unsupported research in our Research Room, please get in touch to book a time slot.
If you want the assistance of our Researcher during your visit, or at a later date to help you understand what you have found, or what we have found for you as part of the Research Service, this can be arranged. It is a chargeable service at £40 to be paid on the day of your visit.