Tracing Your WW2 Royal Navy Ancestors
This workshop guides you through the key sources for researching Royal Navy personnel during WW2, explaining what records exist, where they are held, and how to interpret them. We’ll explore service records, muster rolls, ship’s logs, medal documentation, and the rich material preserved in Admiralty files. You’ll learn how to follow an ancestor through their training, postings, and operations, how to decode naval ranks and branches, and how to place an individual’s experience within the wider context of the war at sea.
Whether you’re starting with a single photograph, a rumour of “he served on a destroyer”, or a bundle of documents you’re unsure how to read, this session offers clear pathways, practical research strategies, and the confidence to bring a Royal Navy story to life.
Pre-booking is required so that the meeting link can be emailed to you. Bookings close 24 hours before the event.
To enjoy this workshop you will need a computer device which has speakers and a microphone. Ideally, also a web-cam. You also need to be able to access your emails from it. First-time users of Zoom will be asked to download a small piece of software. For technical help email: booking@berksfhs.org.uk
Image: AI generated
To book, scroll down.
- Wed 28 Oct 2026
- 19:00 - 21:00
Tickets
- £10.00
Category
Organiser
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The Centre - Berkshire FHS
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speaker
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Dr Richard MarksIndustrial, Military and Railway HistorianRichard is a published historian based in Berkshire who specialises in industrial, military, and railway history and also the history of science. His current areas of research are industrial development in the Victorian period, the development of the railway and canal systems in Britain in the mid to late 19th Century and the history of British Rail. He has a PhD in economic history. Richard’s books on British Rail Engineering and the Wantage Tramway Company were both published by Pen and Sword in 2024.