Search British Army Casualty Lists 1939-1945 image browse

The British Army casualty lists 1939-1945 include over a million entries from the volumes which were updated by the War Office on a regular basis from 1939 to 1947. The lists document the names of officers, nurses, and other ranks who were reported as killed in action, dead as a result of illness or accident, missing, or taken as a prisoner of war. The lists recorded an individual’s service number, rank, regiment, and theatre of war. Each casualty list is numbered.

You may find written annotations on lists. The notation of ‘L’ or ‘CL’ and a number or a number on its own refers to another casualty list. This is likely to be when someone who was missing has now been reported as a prisoner, or someone who was wounded reported now as having died. The first number in these references will relate to the Casualty List number, found at the start of each daily casualty list. If there is a second number to this code (example: CL 1015/12), this will be the specific page that the previous or subsequent entry can be found. Use the previous/next buttons to move through the documents to view other list numbers.

Later records show the names of those who were previously listed as a prisoner of war or missing but had died or those who were listed as a prisoner of war and were now free. Individuals can appear in the lists more than once if their status was reported to have changed. For example, E C Young was first reported missing, then reported missing and presumed a prisoner of war, and finally reported as a prisoner of war. Each entry recorded the person’s name, rank, service number, regiment, status, and previous theatre of war.

You can find the original records held at The National Archives. The British Army casualty lists 1939-1945 includes pieces 1-102 of series WO 417: War Office: army casualty lists, 1939-45 war. The lists add to Findmypast’s unique Second World War collection. Another excellent resource for those with relatives captured as prisoners of war is the Prisoners of War 1715-1945 records.

In 1939 the British Army was a volunteer force, but on 3 September, when Britain declared war on Germany, the National Service (Armed Forces) Act was passed by Parliament. The Act enforced full conscription for men between the ages of 18 and 41. By the end of the war, an estimated 3.5 million people served in the British Army. They fought in battles and campaigns in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, the Far East, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. The British forces were not solely formed from the regiments of Britain: many who served came from across the Commonwealth – Australia, India, South Africa, Canada, and New Zealand. Britain and the Commonwealth lost almost half a million military personnel during the war.

WO 417/1: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1 - 300

WO 417/2: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 301 - 800

WO 417/3: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 801 - 1000

WO 417/4: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1001 - 1200

WO 417/5: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1201 - 1400

WO 417/6: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1401 - 1500

WO 417/7: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1501 - 1600

WO 417/8: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1535 - 1744

WO 417/9: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1745 - 1947

WO 417/10: casualty lists - officers and nurses, 1948 - 2100

WO 417/11: casualty lists - other ranks, 1 - 200

WO 417/12: casualty lists - other ranks, 201 - 226

WO 417/13: casualty lists - other ranks, 227 - 242

WO 417/14: casualty lists - other ranks, 243 - 260

WO 417/15: casualty lists - other ranks, 261 - 274

WO 417/16: casualty lists - other ranks, 275 - 287

WO 417/17: casualty lists - other ranks, 288 - 303

WO 417/18: casualty lists - other ranks, 304 - 322

WO 417/19: casualty lists - other ranks, 323 - 342

WO 417/20: casualty lists - other ranks, 343 - 374

WO 417/21: casualty lists - other ranks, 375 - 422

WO 417/22: casualty lists - other ranks, 423 - 464

WO 417/23: casualty lists - other ranks 465 - 494

WO 417/24: casualty lists - other ranks, 495 - 525

WO 417/25: casualty lists - other ranks, 526 - 543

WO 417/26: casualty lists - other ranks, 544 - 561

WO 417/27: casualty lists - other ranks, 562 - 575

WO 417/28: casualty lists - other ranks, 576 - 589

WO 417/29: casualty lists - other ranks, 590 - 600

WO 417/30: casualty lists - other ranks, 601 - 616

WO 417/31: casualty lists - other ranks, 617 - 633

WO 417/32: casualty lists - other ranks, 634 - 650

WO 417/33: casualty lists - other ranks, 651 - 665

WO 417/34: casualty lists - other ranks, 666 - 686

WO 417/35: casualty lists - other ranks, 687 - 705

WO 417/36: casualty lists - other ranks, 706 - 721

WO 417/37: casualty lists - other ranks, 722 - 738

WO 417/38: casualty lists - other ranks, 739 - 755

WO 417/39: casualty lists - other ranks, 756 - 769

WO 417/40: casualty lists - other ranks, 770 - 784

WO 417/41: casualty lists - other ranks, 785 - 800

WO 417/42: casualty lists - other ranks, 801 - 815

WO 417/43: casualty lists - other ranks, 816 - 835

WO 417/44: casualty lists - other ranks, 836 - 854

WO 417/45: casualty lists - other ranks, 855 - 869

WO 417/46: casualty lists - other ranks, 870 - 887

WO 417/47: casualty lists - other ranks, 888 - 899

WO 417/48: casualty lists - other ranks, 900 - 914

WO 417/49: casualty lists - other ranks, 915 - 929

WO 417/50: casualty lists - other ranks, 930 - 943

WO 417/51: casualty lists - other ranks, 944 - 945

WO 417/52: casualty lists - other ranks, 946 - 961

WO 417/53: casualty lists - other ranks, 962 - 982

WO 417/54: casualty lists - other ranks, 983 - 1002

WO 417/55: casualty lists - other ranks, 1003 - 1026

WO 417/56: casualty lists - other ranks, 1027 - 1050

WO 417/57: casualty lists - other ranks, 1051 – 1075

WO 417/58: casualty lists - other ranks, 1076 - 1097

WO 417/59: casualty lists - other ranks, 1098 - 1119

WO 417/60: casualty lists - other ranks, 1120 - 1136

WO 417/61: casualty lists - other ranks, 1137 - 1150

WO 417/62: casualty lists - other ranks, 1151 - 1170

WO 417/63: casualty lists - other ranks, 1171 - 1190

WO 417/64: casualty lists - other ranks, 1191 - 1213

WO 417/65: casualty lists - other ranks, 1214 - 1235

WO 417/66: casualty lists - other ranks, 1236 - 1255

WO 417/67: casualty lists - other ranks, 1256 - 1279

WO 417/68: casualty lists - other ranks, 1280 - 1303

WO 417/69: casualty lists - other ranks, 1304 - 1327

WO 417/70: casualty lists - other ranks, 1328 - 1350

WO 417/71: casualty lists - other ranks, 1351 - 1374

WO 417/72: casualty lists - other ranks, 1375 - 1395

WO 417/73: casualty lists - other ranks, 1396 - 1415

WO 417/74: casualty lists - other ranks, 1416 - 1437

WO 417/75: casualty lists - other ranks, 1438 - 1459

WO 417/76: casualty lists - other ranks, 1460 - 1479

WO 417/77: casualty lists - other ranks, 1480 - 1496

WO 417/78: casualty lists - other ranks, 1497 - 1510

WO 417/79: casualty lists - other ranks, 1511 - 1525

WO 417/80: casualty lists - other ranks, 1526 - 1539

WO 417/81: casualty lists - other ranks, 1540 - 1556

WO 417/82: casualty lists - other ranks, 1557 - 1572

WO 417/83: casualty lists - other ranks, 1573 - 1588

WO 417/84: casualty lists - other ranks, 1589 - 1605

WO 417/85: casualty lists - other ranks, 1606 - 1623

WO 417/86: casualty lists - other ranks, 1624 - 1642

WO 417/87: casualty lists - other ranks, 1643 - 1667

WO 417/88: casualty lists - other ranks, 1668 - 1692

WO 417/89: casualty lists - other ranks, 1693 - 1712

WO 417/90: casualty lists - other ranks, 1713 - 1736

WO 417/91: casualty lists - other ranks, 1737 - 1755

WO 417/92: casualty lists - other ranks, 1756 - 1775

WO 417/93: casualty lists - other ranks, 1776 - 1796

WO 417/94: casualty lists - other ranks, 1797 - 1815

WO 417/95: casualty lists - other ranks, 1816 - 1833

WO 417/96: casualty lists - other ranks, 1834 - 1853

WO 417/97: casualty lists - other ranks, 1854 - 1877

WO 417/98: casualty lists - other ranks, 1878 - 1899

WO 417/99: casualty lists - other ranks, 1900 - 1924

WO 417/100: casualty lists - other ranks, 1925 - 1960

WO 417/101: casualty lists - other ranks, 1961 - 2010

WO 417/102: Daily casualty lists - other ranks, 2011 - 2097