World War 2 Service Records

It is estimated that between 75 and 80 million people around the world died during World War Two or as a direct result of the conflict. The CWGC commemorates more than 580,000 World War Two Commonwealth casualties at our sites and memorials around the world. Learn more about WW2 records…

Photo: RAF Air Historical

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission does not store the military records for the Second World War. However, you can search the CWGC database for commemoration records of Commonwealth servicemen and women who died during World War Two. Our records include any Commonwealth war casualty who died while in service between the outbreak of war in 1939 and the end of our commemoration period, 31 December 1947. 

Our casualty database contains commemoration details about every identified World War Two casualty, and can give you a lot of additional information, such as rank, regiment and honours. Where possible we also include their age, date of birth and next-of-kin information and some casualties also include additional citations where further information has been made publicly available.

Search via our Find War Dead page, entering in any information you have on the person you wish to research, including first and last name, service number and regiment. Use the Select War tick box to limit your searches to Second World War casualties. 

Once you have found the details of the casualty you are looking for, you can then find out more about the casualty by searching the Government archives, National Archive and any regimental records to get more information about the individual’s military career.

You might also be able to find more information from diaries and journals, or in publications such as The Gazette or other newspapers.