Free Access to FindMyPast military records 5-12 November 2020
To mark Remembrance Day 2020, FindMyPast has launched a new campaign to encourage our community to discover the stories behind the names etched on war memorials.
In order to keep the legacies of these fallen heroes alive, Findmypast is asking the community to find out more about these men and the lives they led. Family historians are encouraged to use Findmypast’s comprehensive military records to do their research and unlock the stories behind the names before sharing their amazing discoveries on social media with #RememberTheirStories.
To support the campaign and to mark Remembrance Day, FindMyPast is granting free access to all of their 103 million military records worldwide from 21:00 on 5 November until 21:00 on 12 November 2020 (Australian Eastern Daylight Time i.e. Sydney time).
FindMyPast has at least 40 different record sets relating to Australian and New Zealand military records ranging from the Boer War to World War 2. For the UK there are over 200 different military-related record sets dating from the Napoleonic wars right through to the Faulklands war in 1982. So although we're commemorating Remembrance Day on 11 November, the available free records provide much broader access beyond World War 1.
Above: Your Family Genealogist's great uncle superimposed over a photo of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Australian War Memorial. Copyright Therese Lynch 2018.
Of course Remembrance day is not just about serving members in the military. It's also about those volunteers who served their country on the home front. One of my favourite datasets that comes under FindMyPast's Armed Forces and Conflict category is the British Red Cross Volunteers 1914-1918. Follow the "Source Website" link from inside the individual's FindMyPast record to see an image of the original record. I've written on this topic previously. Can you find Agatha Christie's volunteer record among the British Red Cross records? It makes for interesting reading in my opinion.
To access the free records you will need to sign up for a FindMyPast account if you have not done so previously.
Click on the following link for the correct landing page for FindMyPast’s free access:
For continued access to FindMyPast records once the free period is over, use my special discount code FOFMPTL20 for 20% off the 12 month PRO subscription.
Note: I have an affiliate relationship with FindMyPast which means I receive a small commission from any subscriptions resulting from the link above. Be assured this does not mean you pay any more for your subscription.
Happy military ancestor hunting!
Therese
Your Family Genealogist
Pictures: From FindMyPast and Your Family Genealogist's personal collection.