Polish Military Service Records Research
A relative’s service. Your family’s questions.
Find the story behind the uniform.
A photograph, a medal or a few words about the war may be all your family has. We investigate Polish military service, connect scattered evidence and explain in English what it reveals about your relative.
- 10+ yearsin Polish archives
- Englishwritten reports
- One persona focused question
Does this sound familiar?
What is stopping your search?
Open the situation closest to yours. You do not need to solve it before getting in touch.
01A photograph, but no service history
You recognise the face. The uniform, badge or handwritten note raises more questions than it answers.
How we help: We compare the clues in your family papers with service numbers, units, dates and relevant archival sources. A photograph can support a search; it does not establish a service history on its own.
02Records in a language you cannot read
A Polish place name, a German annotation or a Russian document can make a useful lead difficult to follow.
How we help: We read relevant record details and explain their meaning in English, connecting them with the person and period you are researching.
03You do not know which archive to ask
Military, captivity and post-war evidence may be held by different institutions, with different catalogues and access requirements.
How we help: We identify the relevant sources, investigate available material and prepare or assess archive enquiries where appropriate. If an institution requires your own application or evidence of entitlement, we explain what is needed.
Your research, with help in Poland
We connect the papers with the person who served.
You bring the names, memories and documents. The Polish Genealogist brings experience with the sources, the languages and the practical work of archival research.
A search built around your question
Start with a question such as “Where did he serve, and what happened before he reached Britain?” We follow the evidence relevant to that person or family line.
Help with the language and the archives
We identify relevant collections, read the original material and deal with research enquiries where appropriate. You receive explanations in English.
A result you can keep and understand
Your written report records the searches, findings, sources and remaining gaps. Digital copies are included where available and permitted.
Missing records and uncertain matches are part of research. We explain them openly, so you can distinguish documented family history from a possible lead.
What this research can investigate
Poland
Pre-war and Polish-held records
Conscription, personnel, unit, casualty, medal and veterans’ material connected with Polish military institutions.
World War II
Polish forces in exile
Service under Allied command, including Polish forces connected with Britain, Anders’ Army and the 2nd Polish Corps.
Across borders
Captivity and post-war evidence
Prisoner-of-war documentation, displacement, demobilisation, resettlement and records held outside Poland.
What your military research package includes
- Review of the names, dates, places, photographs and military papers you already hold.
- Identification of the most promising Polish, British or international repositories.
- Research in relevant online databases, archival catalogues and supporting collections.
- Assessment of service numbers, unit clues, stamps, abbreviations and medal evidence.
- Preparation or assessment of archive enquiries where appropriate.
- Translation and explanation of relevant record details found during the research.
- A clear English-language report, source references and digital copies where available.
- Recommendations for further work if another archive or a longer investigation is justified.
See what a report looks like
These sample reports are based on genuine records from Polish archives and the Hoover Institution. The clients and research questions are illustrative, but the sources, transcriptions and translations are real.
Anders’ ArmyA sergeant’s road to Anders’ ArmyA 1901 birth record, pre-war Border Protection Corps service, NKVD arrest, a Soviet labour camp and the 1942 questionnaire.Open sample report (PDF)
Pre-war conscriptionA cavalry conscript from Grodzisko DolneA 1936 conscription card checked against a Latin baptism register.Open sample report (PDF)
Conscription and civil recordsA conscript’s file, from birth to 1939A conscription list, a Russian birth record and the 1939 death certificate.Open sample report (PDF)What you receive
A clear written report in English
- The research question and the sources we checked
- Every record found, with archive and catalogue references
- Digital copies or images of the records, where the archive allows
- An explanation of what the records show and what remains uncertain
- Searches that found nothing, so the same work is not repeated
- Recommendations for the next step, if more could be found
How long it takes: most cases are completed within 3 to 6 months. A simpler case can take about 2 months, and an exceptionally complex one around 7 months, depending on the archives involved. Your report is delivered by email.
Buy with confidence
- More than 10 years of professional researchPolish civil, parish, military and archival records, explained in clear English.
- 14 days to change your mindIf you withdraw within 14 days of your order and before research begins, you receive a full refund. See our terms.
- Secure online paymentCard details are entered only on the secure payment page.
- A registered business in PolandFull business details are in our terms and privacy policy.
Useful starting information
- The person’s full name and Polish, Anglicised or other spelling variants.
- Date and place of birth, even if approximate.
- Parents’ names, particularly when the surname is common.
- Known service period, branch, unit, rank or service number.
- Places of mobilisation, deployment, capture, hospitalisation or settlement.
- Service books, photographs, medals, letters or previous archive replies.
You do not need to know the unit before contacting us. A reliable birthplace and approximate date of birth may be enough to identify the first research route.
What happens after you order
- Order and pay securely. Choose your package, complete the form and continue to the secure payment page. You see a confirmation straight away.
- We confirm your research question. We review your details and email you to confirm the question and the most promising sources before archival work begins.
- We follow the strongest sources. We assess the relevant Polish, British and international collections and devote the research hours in your package to the agreed question.
- Receive your report. You receive a written report in English by email, with the searches, findings, source references, copies of the records found and realistic next steps. Most cases take 3 to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Does the package guarantee that a personnel file will be found?
No. Polish military records were affected by war, border changes, institutional transfers and destruction. The package purchases expert research time and a documented search, not a guaranteed document.
Can you research Polish forces connected with Britain?
Yes. When relevant, the research can include the service-record route for Polish forces under British command, archival material in Britain and supporting Polish sources.
Can the research include Anders’ Army, prisoners of war or resettlement?
Yes, when those topics are part of the person’s service route. The most useful evidence may be distributed across separate military, captivity and post-war collections.
Can you research service before 1939?
Yes. We can assess Polish conscription, personnel, unit, casualty, medal and related records where they survive and are accessible.
Are external archive charges included?
Ordinary online research is included. Fees charged by archives, certified copies, extensive translation and travel are separate and require your approval.
Want to understand the records before commissioning research?
Read our guide to Polish military records to learn where records are held and what they can reveal.
Your next step
Polish military research packages and prices
Choose the time you want us to devote to one person and one research question. Every package includes a written report in English.
The prices below cover professional research time, rather than a guaranteed discovery. Archive charges, certified copies, extensive translation and travel are separate and require your approval. Most cases take 3 to 6 months, depending on the archives involved.
Unsure which package fits? Send us your question. We reply with the relevant service and price or a quote before you decide whether to commission research.
Focused search
£75010 hours of research
Best for one person and one clear question.
- Review of the information and documents you already hold
- The strongest archival route searched
- English-language report with sources and copies where available
Save £200
Deeper investigation
£1,30020 hours of research
Best when the first records point to further archives or the family story has gaps.
- Everything in the 10-hour package
- Time to follow new leads into additional archives
- Archive enquiries prepared and followed up
- Unit, medal and resettlement records followed in more depth
Save £350
Extended research
£1,90030 hours of research
Best for complex cases across several countries or with conflicting evidence.
- Everything in the 20-hour package
- Research across several archives and countries where the evidence leads
- Analysis of conflicting or incomplete records
- Polish, British and international collections combined in one service timeline
Begin your enquiry
Order your research package
Provide the best information you have about one person. We will review the submission and confirm the defined research question before archival work begins.
Your contact details
About the person you are researching
This order form needs JavaScript. Please enable it to continue to secure payment, or contact us and we will send you a payment link.
One person. One question.
What would you like to know about their service?
You do not need to identify every unit or read every document before getting in touch. Tell us what you have and what you hope to establish. We reply with the relevant service and price or a quote.