Medals: The Researcher's Companion

In recent centuries the British government has bestowed a wide range of awards, from the OBE to campaign medals such as the 1914 Star. This system presents great opportunities for historical research, whether your starting point is an ancestor, a regiment, a campaign, or a medal. Useful information relating to individuals presented with awards is contained in sources still available today, such as the First World War medal rolls which are the nearest we have to a full 'roll-call' for the Great War. Unlike other works that focus on medals identification, this guide shows you how to fully exploit the associated records, and to extend your research into sources such as the censuses and War Diaries.

Your complete research companion to military and civil awards from 1793-1975

William Spencer is the military records specialist at The National Archives. He is the author of the bestselling "Army Service Records of the First World War" and "Air Force Records for Family Historians".