| ✓ Recommended |
The National Archives — Discovery (UK) |
UK National Archives catalogue. Military and service records across British history. |
United Kingdom |
Free / mixed |
EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
The Long Long Trail |
Comprehensive free guide to researching British Army soldiers in WWI — unit histories, record types, medals, and campaign guides. Run by Chris Baker since 1996. |
United Kingdom |
Free |
EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
Bundesarchiv (Germany) |
German Federal Archives with military records across WW1, WW2, and earlier periods. |
Germany |
Free / mixed |
DE/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
War Heritage Institute (Belgium) |
Belgian military heritage institution. Online research access is limited; reading-room visits may be necessary. |
Belgium |
Free / mixed |
NL/FR/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Cegesoma (Belgium) |
Belgian research centre for WWII Belgium, occupation, and resistance history. |
Belgium |
Free / mixed |
NL/FR/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Service historique de la Défense (France) |
French defence archives and research guides for French military archival research. |
France |
Needs verification |
FR |
| ✓ Recommended |
Military Archives (Ireland) |
Official Irish Defence Forces archive. Includes Army Census 1922, Military Service Pensions Collection, papers, images, and reading-room collections. |
Ireland |
Free / mixed |
EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
Belgian Personal Military Files |
War Heritage Institute / Royal Military Museum guidance for Belgian personal military files, including officers and selected NCO/private files. |
Belgium |
Free / mixed |
EN/FR/NL |
| ◇ Specialist |
Netherlands Military History Collections |
Netherlands Institute for Military History collections: documentation, publications, photographs, films, and military-history research guidance. |
Netherlands |
Free / mixed |
NL/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Austrian State Archives / Kriegsarchiv |
Austrian State Archives, including Habsburg and Austrian military records, war ministry material, personnel records, maps, and related holdings. |
Austria |
Mixed |
DE/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Arquivo Histórico Militar |
Portuguese Army historical archive with campaign records, military-history documents, library holdings, and army-related archival material. |
Portugal |
Free / mixed |
PT |
| ◇ Specialist |
Wojskowe Biuro Historyczne |
Polish Central Military Archive / Military Historical Bureau for military records, campaigns, WWII material, and military fonds. |
Poland |
Free / mixed |
PL |
| ✓ Recommended |
Archives New Zealand War Records |
Research guide for New Zealand war records, including NZ Wars, South African War, WWI personnel files, unit diaries, and Defence department records. |
New Zealand |
Free / mixed |
EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records |
Free digitised official documents from Japanese national, diplomatic, and defence archives. Useful for military and imperial-era research. |
Japan |
Free |
JA/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
ImagesDéfense (France) |
506,000+ photos and 2,670 hours of film covering French military history from WWI to the present; ECPAD (French defence communications agency). French-language interface. |
France |
Free |
FR |
| ◇ Specialist |
Belgian Defence Archives — War Heritage Institute |
Historical Belgian Defence Ministry and army archives; private papers, occupation material, and war collections. Companion to the personal military files portal. |
Belgium |
Free / mixed |
NL/FR/EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
Nationaal Archief (Netherlands) |
Dutch central-government archives; military service records, KNIL-related material, and other defence holdings. Free reading-room access; paid reproductions. |
Netherlands |
Free / mixed |
NL/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Swiss Federal Archives |
Federal army records, officer and private archives, military justice, fortifications, aircraft/weapons, and limited personnel material. |
Switzerland |
Free / mixed |
DE/FR/IT/EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
Danish National Archives |
Muster rolls, naval rolls, conscription, and military records among digitised and physical holdings. Only a portion is digitised; copies may be paid. |
Denmark |
Mixed |
DA/EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
National Archives of Norway |
Military service and defence records transferred from Norwegian government agencies. Free search and reading-room access; copy services may be paid. |
Norway |
Free / mixed |
NO/EN |
| ✓ Recommended |
Swedish National Archives / Krigsarkivet |
Swedish military archives including the Krigsarkivet; personnel lists, maps, fortifications, photographs, and private military papers. |
Sweden |
Free / mixed |
SV/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
National Archives of Finland |
Military service cards, casualty databases, pre-1809 military collections, and service-related research requests. |
Finland |
Mixed |
FI/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
PARES — Spanish State Archives |
Portal to Spanish state archives; covers army, navy, air force, and Ministry of Defence administrative and historical records. |
Spain |
Free / mixed |
ES/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Military Historical Archive Prague |
Czech military archival material from 1723–1989; WWI/WWII fallen-soldier databases and Czechoslovak military records. |
Czech Republic |
Free / mixed |
CS |
| ◇ Specialist |
Military History Archive Bratislava |
Slovak and Czechoslovak military-history archives under the Ministry of Defence. |
Slovakia |
Mixed |
SK |
| ◇ Specialist |
Hungarian National Archives |
National Archives and military history archive (Hadtörténelmi Levéltár); military registers, war-history archives, and military-history documents. |
Hungary |
Free / mixed |
HU/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Bulgarian State Archives |
State archives including the State Military Historical Archives; Bulgarian army records, the Bulgarian War Archive, and casualty-related collections. |
Bulgaria |
Mixed |
BG |
| ◇ Specialist |
Hellenic Army History Directorate |
Greek Army Historical Archives Service; war records, reports, photographs, war journals, maps, and historical evidence. |
Greece |
Mixed |
EL |
| ◇ Specialist |
Military Archive of Serbia |
Serbian and Yugoslav army records from 1847 onward, WWII material, and military archival fonds. Foreign researchers must apply via diplomatic channels. |
Serbia |
Mixed / restricted |
SR |
| ◇ Specialist |
Croatian State Archives |
Military-related records especially from Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav-era holdings, distributed by provenance across regional branches. |
Croatia |
Free / mixed |
HR |
| ◇ Specialist |
Archives of the Republic of Slovenia |
Public records and Virtual Archive Reading Room; military-related public archives and casualty resources. |
Slovenia |
Free / mixed |
SL/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
National Archives of Latvia |
Latvian State Historical Archives; state records, military-related personal and administrative records, and holdings from 1220–1945. |
Latvia |
Mixed |
LV/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Lithuanian Central State Archives |
State and military-administrative records including interwar and Soviet-period holdings. |
Lithuania |
Free / mixed |
LT/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
National Archives of Estonia |
Estonian state records including military and personal-information enquiries and online search routes. |
Estonia |
Free / mixed |
ET/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
State Archival Service of Ukraine |
Ukrainian state, military-organisation, wartime, and government records across central and regional archives. Wartime access and copy services vary. |
Ukraine |
Mixed |
UK |
| ✓ Recommended |
NZ Defence Force — Service Records |
NZ Defence Force Personnel Archives and Medals; post-WWI service records, own-record requests, and deceased serviceperson files. |
New Zealand |
Free / mixed |
EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
National Archives of South Africa |
Department of Defence Archives, military-history holdings, photographs, maps, and official manuscripts. Defence archive access can be restricted. |
South Africa |
Mixed |
EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Japan NIDS Military Archives |
National Institute for Defense Studies Military Archives; Imperial Army and Navy historical documents, manuscripts, and military materials. Free public reading-room access. |
Japan |
Free / mixed |
JA/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
IDF & Defence Establishment Archives |
Israel's central military and security archive; files, photographs, maps, audio, video, and posters. Primarily request-based access. |
Israel |
Mixed / restricted |
HE/EN |
| ◇ Specialist |
Arquivo Histórico do Exército (Brazil) |
Brazilian Army Historical Archive; textual records, images, videos, and microforms relating to the army and national military history. |
Brazil |
Free / mixed |
PT |
| ◇ Specialist |
India MOD History Division |
Indian Ministry of Defence History Division; war diaries, historical reports, operations record books, army lists, and army orders. |
India |
Mixed |
EN |