British Army Casualty Lists 1939-1945 Image Browse
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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