In August 2013 Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) announced the publication online of thousands of wills written by British soldiers who had lost their lives in the First World War. The collection does, in fact, consist of the wills of soldiers dating from 1850-1986.
In many cases the will comprises a simple, formalized statement by the soldier on a form to pass on his property and effects to his next of kin. However, in some cases there is a final letter or a more detailed will. There may be omissions in availability of a will, as a search by name and date of death does reveal that some deceased soldiers do not appear on the online list. If you find a will for your ancestor it is available to download for a small fee. To search the government website go to:
Website:
Records for Belgian Military Dead in WW1
Gravestone for Belgian soldier Alphonse Martens, who served with 28th Regiment. He was born in Antwerp
on 12 June 1892 and died on 28 September 1918. The grave is in
Houthulst Belgian Military Cemetery north of Ieper (Ypres) in Belgium.
Records for Belgian war dead of the First World War are held in the archive at the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ieper (Ypres). For information you can enquire via the Research Centre of the In Flanders Fields Museum. The email and website links are at:
Email: Kenniscentrum@ieper.be
Website: Knowledge Centre
Records for Canadian Military Dead in WW1 Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM)The Virtual Memorial is an online register of over 118,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who have given their lives while serving in uniform. The names are also inscribed in seven Books of Remembrance. You can find out more and search the online register at this website:
Website: Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Circumstances of Death Registers, First World WarRecords are held by the Library and Archives Canada. They are grouped into one series for First and Second World War deaths as Accession RG 150, 1992-93/314. They can be searched for free at the Library and Archives Canada website:
Website: Circumstances of Death Registers
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) holds a register of the death of every member of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Merchant Navy) and Civilians from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa who died in the Great War of 1914-1918. To search the Debt of Honour register visit the CWGC website:
Website:
Records for French Military Dead in WW1 Le Ministère des Pensions
Cross for French soldier Jean Henri Buthod, serving with the 62nd B.C.A. (Battalion de Chasseurs Alpins) who died on 9th June 1918. This burial is in the British Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
The French war graves agency, Le Ministère des Pensions, was founded during the First World War and cares for French military graves from WW1 to the present day.
For our information page about tracing French military graves go to:
Le Ministère des Pensions
Mémoire des Hommes WebsiteIn memory of the many thousands of French servicemen who have served their country at times of conflict since 1914 the French Ministry of Defence has provided a website (in French, English, German and Spanish) providing thousands of digitalized biographical records. Visit the website at:
Website:
Records for German Military Dead in WW1
Cross for German soldiers Musketier Ernst Creuzburg who died on 6
November 1916 and Musketier August Schmidt who died on 9 November 1916. The burials are
in the Neuville Vitasse German Cemetery near Arras in France.
The German war graves agency, the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (VDK), was formally established after the First World War. Individuals can be traced online via the VDK's website. For a history of the organisation and how to contact the VDK go to our page at:
Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge Records for Ireland Military Dead in WW1 Ireland, Casualties of World War 1, 1914-1922 Roll of HonourEight volumes containing the name, rank and regimental number (information may vary) of over 49,000 personnel, compiled by the Irish National War Memorial.
Website: Ireland, Casualties of World War 1
Website: Ireland's Memorial Record of World War 1
Records for Italian War Dead in WW1
