Great Britain, World War I Royal Air Force Airmen's Service Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Great Britain

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains service records of airmen in the Royal Air Force from 1912-1939. It was originally filmed at the National Archives of England under archive reference AIR 79. The index was created by FindMyPast.com.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The following list indicates potential information provided in these records. It must be remembered that every record may not provide all of the listed information, as record-keeping practices varied greatly over time.

Military Service Records may contain the following information:
 * Name of airman
 * Age at attestation (enlistment)
 * Date of attestation
 * Birth date and place
 * Occupation
 * Marriage date
 * Spouse’s name
 * Children’s names and birthdates
 * Information of closest living relative
 * Religious denomination

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the desired record. When entered into the search engine on the Collection Page, this information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person. Of course, other information can be substituted as necessary.

Search by name by visiting the Collection Page: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page to return a list of possible matches. Compare the individuals on the list with what is already known to find the correct family or person. This step may require examining multiple individuals before a match is located.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page If granted the rights to view the digitized records in this collection (see below), the images may be accessed by following this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page

Compare the information found on the images with what is already known determine if a particular record relates to the correct person. This process may require examining multiple records before the correct person is located.

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images of digitized records available for all users. However, the rights to view images on this website are ultimately granted by the record custodians. Due to their restrictions, the images in this collection are not available for general viewing, but may be accessed at a Family History Center near you, at the Family History Library, or online by members of the supporting organization(s).

For additional information about image restrictions, please see the Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections page.

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference. See below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible.
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age given the personal file to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined.
 * If in the appropriate period, use the information which has been discovered to find the individual in other records. Particularly useful for research in nineteenth-century England are Church Records, the England Census, and Civil Registration records.
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Remember that family members often appear in different places throughout a soldier’s personal file.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to military rank.
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names; transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record. Also remember that it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. See Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records for examples of common abbreviations.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. While it was uncommon for an individual in this period to move more than about 20 miles from their place of birth, smaller relocations were not uncommon.
 * Look at the actual image of the record to verify the information found in the online description, if possible.

Citing this Collection
Citing sources correctly makes it easier to refer back to information that has already been discovered; proper citations are therefore indispensable to keeping track of genealogical research. Following established formulae in formatting citations also allows others to verify completed research by helping them find and examine records for themselves.

To be of use, citations must include information such as the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records, if available. The following examples demonstrate how to present this information for both this particular collection as well as individual records within the collection: Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):