First world war medical records

The British merchant service was renamed the Merchant Navy after World War 1 to mark the vital role its sailors played in wartime. That role continued in World War 2 as merchant ships carried troops a

To some of us, post-1945 seems like yesterday – but if you are a younger researcher, this era could encompass several generations of your ancestors. More recent research is an important part of everyo

Dear Simon, The history of Pitman shorthand told by Angeline Wilcox in the July edition of Best of British (Write on Time) evoked so many memories. I was amazed to learn that Isaac Pitman actually cre

Beryl Nevell thought her service during the Second World War had been a case of ‘doing her duty’. Then someone special stepped in and showed her what she was truly owed…

When I was aged 10, the farmers used to come round the schools to pick volunteers to work on the farms during the summer holidays, mainly to help bring in the harvest. The country was still building u

Simon Fowler The History Press, 276 pages, £20 With this year seeing the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the prospect of the digitisation of most service records from 1921–196