War .... what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Or so Edwin Starr sang on his 1970 hit track.

Whilst the sentiment of his song was no doubt correct, to the genealogist, war and more to the point, war records are a rich vein of information. From service records, medal lists, war diaries and so on and so forth can be gleaned a staggering amount of material, data and statistics which allow the family historian to construct a remarkably accurate picture of an individual's time in the military. Even movements during campaigns fought in different theatres of war can be tracked by meticulous analysis of war diaries and battle orders.

It's a fascinating field for the genealogist who is not only working to identify ancestors, but to try and construct a portrait of their life and times. Without this a name remains a name. We at Grace Ancestry always look to provide as much information and back story as possible to bring your family history to life.

If you have or think you may have military ancestors and want to know more, contact us for a chat. In just a matter of weeks you could be proudly telling your family and friends about your forebear's exploits in the field, on the ocean or in the sky!