Polish Military Records: WW2 and UK Research Guide
Polish military records are held in several countries. A relative’s service under British command, pre-war Polish military history, captivity and post-war settlement may each require different sources. We connect those records through commissioned military research and explain the evidence in English, helping families in Britain trace one person’s service history.
Begin with the person’s identity and service timeline. A UK-held personnel file, a Polish pre-war record and a prisoner-of-war document answer different questions; treating them as separate pieces of evidence helps you choose a focused search instead of sending the same request to every institution.
Professional military research
Tracing one person’s service across archives
Conscription, personnel, unit, casualty and medal evidence.
UK-linked service, Anders’ Army and the 2nd Polish Corps.
POW, displacement, demobilisation and post-war records.
10, 20 or 30 hours · one person · one defined question
Explore the Polish military research packageWhat are Polish military records?
In genealogical research, Polish military records may include:
- Conscription and draft records (eligibility, residence, occupation, physical description)
- Service records / personnel files (units served, ranks, postings, promotions, discharge)
- Casualty records (wounded, killed, missing, captured)
- Prisoner of War (POW) records (camp lists, index cards, liberation notes)
- Pension and veterans’ records (health impact, dependants, post-service circumstances)
- Decorations and medals (award registers, citations, questionnaires)
- Military identity cards and wartime documents (often the fastest way to identify the right archive)
When no complete personnel file survives, the service history can often be pieced together from smaller records held in different places.
Before you start: what information helps most
Before a search begins, collect as much of the following as you can:
- Full name (including spelling variants and Anglicised forms)
- Date of birth and place of birth (village/town matters)
- Parents’ names (very useful with common surnames)
- Approximate service period (for example: WW2, pre-1939, WW1)
- Any unit or branch clues (Army / Air Force / Navy; regiment/division/squadron)
- Any numbers (service number, POW number, medal number)
- Post-war country (UK/US/Canada/Australia, etc.)
If the exact date or place of birth is unknown, our guide to Polish birth records explains how it can be found.
Where Polish military records are held
Polish Army records from the Second World War
A Polish serviceman’s Second World War history may span the September 1939 campaign, service in exile, captivity and resettlement in Britain. Start with the unit and dates you know: records may be held in both Polish and British collections, with different institutions documenting different stages of the same person’s life.
The main collections and catalogues are:
- Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum (PISM), London
Particularly relevant for Polish forces connected with the Western Allies and Polish forces in exile.
https://pism.org.uk - The National Archives (UK) - Discovery catalogue
Useful for locating UK-held references and record series connected to wartime administration and military context.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk - FamilySearch (Poland research guidance)
Helpful for understanding Polish jurisdictions, archival structures, and where to search next.
https://www.familysearch.org - EHRI Portal (cross-archive wartime discovery)
Relevant when persecution, imprisonment, forced labour, camps, or displacement may be part of the story.
https://portal.ehri-project.eu
A single database search rarely settles a Second World War case. We confirm the person’s identity and service context first, then go to the archive most likely to hold the file.
Anders’ Army / Polish II Corps: Families often ask for an Anders Army soldiers list or Polish 2nd Corps military records. A list alone rarely identifies one man, so we treat it as part of the wider search: the same soldier usually appears in several types of record held by different institutions.
Finding Polish military records in the UK
For Polish personnel under British command, the service file held by the MOD usually gives the first documented timeline. The family applies for it through the GOV.UK form for deceased service personnel; our military research service then connects it with captivity, resettlement and Polish archival evidence.
Our MOD Polish service-record guide explains what the file contains and what the application needs.
Polish Resettlement Corps records (UK)
A PRC reference can connect wartime service with settlement in Britain. For an individual, start with the service-record enquiry; for named rolls, camp administration or organisational files, check the specific catalogue entry and its coverage. A list circulated as a PDF should never be assumed to include every member. Our Polish Resettlement Corps records guide explains the distinction.
More detail: UK MOD Service Records
Polish Air Force records from the Second World War
Photographs, insignia, logbooks or family stories may point to service in the air force. Polish Air Force records from the Second World War can then be checked against squadron references, award records and casualty lists.
Pre-1939 service: the Central Military Archives in Warsaw
For service in the Polish Army before 1939, investigate the Central Military Archives (CAW), part of the Military Historical Bureau (WBH), in Warsaw. The individual’s period of service, unit and surviving documentation determine which collections are relevant.
Survival of files varies by unit and period, and the records are in Polish.
Example record group: Collection of the Polish War Order Virtuti Militari (award questionnaires can give personal and service details).
First World War records and service in partitioning armies
During the First World War, Polish ancestors could serve in the German, Austro-Hungarian or Russian armies, as well as Polish formations. Establish where your ancestor lived and which army recruited them before choosing an archive. A Polish birthplace alone does not identify the military record system.
More detail:
Types of Polish military service records (and what each can reveal)
Service records (personnel files)
When they survive, a service file may include:
- units served and dates
- ranks and promotions
- postings or campaign references
- discharge/demobilisation notes
- occasionally next-of-kin or administrative notes
Conscription and draft records
Often contain:
- age, birthplace, residence
- occupation and education indicators
- physical descriptions
They help confirm identity and place of residence.
Example: List of recruits, Stanisławów Municipality, 1938 (entries give a man’s birth date and the conscription commission’s decision).
Casualty records
May confirm:
- date and circumstances (wounded/killed/missing/captured)
- unit or theatre references
Prisoner-of-war (POW) records
May include:
- camp references and movements
- index cards/lists
- liberation or post-war notes (depending on route)
More detail: Prisoner of War Records
Pensions and veterans’ files
Sometimes reveal:
- health impact of service
- dependants and addresses
- post-service circumstances
Decorations and medals
Award documentation can:
- confirm service and identity
- provide unit and time-period anchors
- sometimes include questionnaires or citations
More detail: Decorations and Medals
Military identity cards and wartime documents
These often contain:
- issuing authority
- stamps and signatures
- abbreviations linked to units or administration
Even a partial card can show which archive to approach.
Polish military records online
There is no single online database of Polish military records. In most cases:
- some archives provide digitised scans or partial datasets,
- many personnel files are not fully online,
- a successful search often requires combining multiple institutions and record types.
Online catalogues that help locate records:
- Polish State Archives portal: https://www.szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl
- IPN (Institute of National Remembrance): https://eng.ipn.gov.pl/
- UK Discovery catalogue: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
- EHRI: https://portal.ehri-project.eu
- Library of Congress research guides (useful for US-based researchers): https://guides.loc.gov
If family papers refer to the Polish forces in exile without naming a unit, record the original wording and date. Establish the branch and place of service before choosing a collection. Access to an online catalogue does not mean that the personnel file itself can be downloaded.
Searching for Polish soldiers from WW2 by name
Searching for a Polish soldier by name alone can produce uncertain matches because:
- many surnames are very common
- spellings change (diacritics removed; phonetic variants)
- borders and jurisdictions changed
- indexing is inconsistent across institutions
One extra identifier, such as a birthplace, parents’ names, a unit, a POW number, a medal reference or migration evidence, usually narrows the search to the right man.
Turn a service record into a research timeline
Read each entry as a dated piece of evidence. A unit mentioned on discharge is not automatically the unit in which the person served throughout the war. A birthplace may use a Polish spelling that differs from the modern name. Keep the original wording alongside your interpretation.
- Record identity: name variants, birth date, birthplace and every service or prisoner number, with the document that supplied each detail.
- Separate events: enlistment, postings, captivity, release and resettlement. Mark an unknown date as unknown instead of filling the gap from family memory.
- Choose the next question: a posting calls for unit evidence; a camp stamp calls for POW research; a British address calls for settlement or civil records.
- Resolve contradictions: compare original documents before treating a similar name or an approximate age as proof of identity.
A service number, prisoner number and medal number belong to different record systems. Keep each number with the document that supplied it. For a later British address, the guide to Polish resettlement camps and hostels helps distinguish a camp reference from evidence of civilian settlement.
A conscription card checked against a birth record
Our sample report pairs a 1936 conscription card from the Łańcut district with a 1915 baptism entry from Grodzisko Dolne. Both give Szymon Czerwonka’s birth date as 28 October 1915 and identify his parents. The baptism entry uses the Latin forms Adalbertus and Sophia for Wojciech and Zofia.
Comparing those details connects the military entry with the family register. The card records fitness for service and a cavalry allocation; it does not establish the regiment in which he later served or a particular wartime campaign. That is the next research question.
The records are genuine; the sample client and research question are illustrative. See the conscription sample report for the documents, selected readings and findings in English.
Official sources and access guidance
- GOV.UK: where to apply for a deceased serviceperson’s records
- British Army: current personnel-record guidance
- The National Archives: an example of a limited PRC nominal roll
- Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum: personal-record routes and supporting research
- Polish Red Cross: archival collections for wartime tracing
- Central Museum of Prisoners-of-War: archival materials
FAQ
Searching for Polish Army records from WW2
Our military research service starts with the person’s name, birth details and any unit or service number in the family papers. We identify the relevant Polish and international sources, read any UK service file the family holds and explain the evidence in English.
If your family refers to Anders’ Army or the 2nd Polish Corps, use our guide to soldiers lists and supporting records. A name on a list should be checked against identifying details. For post-war life in Britain, the Polish Resettlement Corps records guide explains the next stage of the search.
If you have papers at home, our guide to Polish soldiers’ service books and release documents shows how names, unit entries and dates can guide a commissioned search. Red Cross messages and tracing letters offer another starting point for families separated during the war.
You may encounter the phrase “Polish Free Army” in family accounts or searches. Treat it as a starting clue: establish the unit, dates and country of service before deciding which archive to approach.