Find forgotten heroes in your family tree
The First World War left gaps in every family. Young men lost with no descendants to remember them. Until you start your family tree and uncover their wartime stories military in records.
Who are you looking for?
Ask relatives about family heroes who never returned
Search for great-uncles of fighting age in military records
Build your family tree to uncover forgotten soldiers
Search existing family trees for missing brothers or uncles
Start searching with just a name and narrow from there
Check the casualty lists and memorials in old newspapers
Unknown soldiers in every family
A generation of young men fought shoulder-to-shoulder in trenches thick with mud during the First World War. Many never made it home, never married, and never had children to carry on their family lines. Your grandfather's brother. Your great-grandmother's cousin. Relatives without legacies.
You can honour their sacrifices by delving deeper into records and newspaper archives to discover their stories. Over a century later, you can finally bring their stories home. Watch our short video to find out how.
Tracing a tragic family story
Census records are the perfect starting point in genealogy research, capturing snapshots of family units down the decades. In the 1891 Census, we find needle maker Herman Attenborough, his wife Eliza and their four children living in Hinckley, Leicestershire...
Top tip: Always check original census record images for extra facts.
A burgeoning sense of service
By 1903, the eldest Attenborough son, Arthur, had joined the militia in Derby. His stint was short-lived, however, as he was discharged for ‘unsatisfactory references’.
Top tip: Military service records contain rich details you won’t find elsewhere, like physical descriptions and next of kin information.
Brothers in arms
When the Great War erupted in 1914, Arthur and his brothers Richard and Walter joined the rush of young men from Hinckley who enlisted to serve. Months later, their profiles were proudly published in the local newspaper.
Walter’s sacrifice
The Attenborough family war story took a tragic turn in September 1915 when Walter was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Loos. Sadly, this was just the start of the family’s grief...
Top tip: Newspaper archives can add unmatched colour and context to your family research, revealing fascinating tidbits you won’t find in other records.
Unimaginable experiences
Eldest brother Arthur endured the worst of the Western Front during his service. In 1915 alone, he was wounded and gassed twice. He recovered from the attacks at home only to be sent back to the trenches each time.
The Somme takes two brothers
The Attenboroughs’ ordeal became unbearable when Arthur and Richard were killed just 12 days apart at the Battle of the Somme. In the cruellest twist of fate, Arthur was likely unaware that his wife, Mary Ann, was carrying their unborn child when he died. Their son Albert would never meet his father.
Top tip: Many First World War service records don’t survive. Newspaper articles and obituaries can help fill the gaps.
A mother in mourning
Eliza Attenborough lost three sons to the war, her daughter Alma Grace the only surviving sibling. Her sons’ names are carved into the local war memorial in Hinckley, alongside 381 other fathers, husbands and brothers who never came home, leaving a community decimated.
Legacies lost?
Arthur was the only Attenborough brother with children who could take his memory forward. As family historians, we can honour Walter, Richard and the many unknown soldiers who weren’t as fortunate. Will you discover the forgotten heroes in your family tree?
Top tip: If your military ancestor has a common name, use details like regiment and service number to help you narrow your search and find relevant records.
David Olusoga OBE remembers...
BAFTA-winning historian, writer and broadcaster David Olusoga is joining us to commemorate our family’s forgotten heroes this Remembrance Day.
"Over time, the personal links that connect us to the people who lived, fought, and sacrificed in wartime slowly fade. When a third of people no longer know their own family’s role in the First World War, we risk losing not just individual stories, but our understanding of the effects that the war had on the nation.
It’s imperative that we continue to remember these lost family members by uncovering and understanding their experiences – and records and photographs are an ideal place to start."
- David Olusoga
Join the Pledge to Remember
Search a name - find your military ancestor in seconds and make sure their service and sacrifice are never forgotten.
We’ll count your search as your pledge. Help us reach 10,000 pledges by Remembrance Day, 11 November, to ensure no story is left behind. Join thousands who have already pledged - search now and delve deeper into your family’s military past.
Who are you looking for?
Start your family tree to find wartime connections
Our online family tree builder is the quickest, easiest way to start uncovering the most poignant stories in your past. And it just takes a few details to get started.
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Explore military records – from service documents to medal rolls, these detail-packed resources help you piece together your family’s war stories
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