MOD transfer: 8.2 million service records now at Kew

Military archives | Source information: Collection update checked 18 October 2026.

The National Archives reports that 8.2 million Ministry of Defence service records have reached its custody. Its project page, checked on 18 October 2026, describes a transfer of around 10 million records, due to finish in 2027. This is an update on the collection’s current position, rather than a new release of every file online.

Transferred does not always mean searchable online

The archive says 2.6 million of the transferred records are available through its Discovery catalogue. It is also working with Ancestry on digitisation. The first four collections selected for digitisation concern British Army other ranks. Transfer, cataloguing and online publication are different stages: the headline total should not be read as the number of files available to view immediately.

What this means for a family search

For family historians, the practical question remains which organisation holds the relevant person’s file and whether it is open. A catalogue reference, an online image and a complete personnel file are different things. Record the source of a family-held copy, retain all its pages and compare the personal details before attaching it to a family tree.

Keep the Polish service-record route distinct

A relative’s service in Polish forces under British command should not automatically be treated as an ordinary British Army file. Our guide to UK-held Polish service records discusses that distinction. We can interpret British papers already held by the family and investigate Polish and other continental sources, with findings reported in English. We do not obtain British official service records.

Official source

The National Archives: MOD service-records project. Source checked on 18 October 2026.