Filed under Royal Navy Service Records: A Method Guide
What to check first in this record
A missing record may sit under a variant spelling, a different number, a different branch, or a transfer date that has not yet arrived. Work through those possibilities before concluding the record is lost.
If you cannot fix the unit or the dates, fix what you can and search on that, rather than guessing the missing filter to make the search feel complete. If you hold only a place, start with the records for that place, not with a surname search across the whole country. Place is a filter, and a strong one.
What are the common dead ends?
A gap in a record is a finding, not a failure. Note the gap, its dates, and what kind of record might fill it, instead of filling it with a plausible story. If every search returns the same wrong person, stop searching and re-examine the filters. Repeating a search with the same filters will repeat the same result.
If a published list and an original record disagree on a name, prefer the original, and note the list variant as a search term for future searches. A person recorded under a middle name, a nickname, or a stepfather surname will not be found by a search on the name you know. Collect name variants first.
Working through it in order
Keep the timeline open beside you as you work, and add to it as you go, rather than reconstructing it at the end from memory. Begin by fixing the reference of the record you intend to open, and the question it is meant to answer, before you open it. Do not carry a filter in your head from one record to the next. Write it down, and re-check it on arrival, because filters drift silently.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fix the service dates first, so you know which holder is likely to hold the file. |
| 2 | Note the service number and the rating or rank together, exactly as written. |
| 3 | List ships and shore establishments in date order, and treat each draft as a separate check. |
| 4 | Test every later record, log entry or casualty entry, against the personal file before adding it to the timeline. |
How to read this kind of entry
A record that names several people should be read for all of them, not just for yours. The others are what prove, or break, the identification. A promotion, a transfer or a posting that looks sudden usually has an earlier entry behind it. Work backwards from the surprise, one dated entry at a time. Corrections, crossings out and later additions are part of the evidence, not damage to it. A record corrected at the time tells you something changed.
Where to go next from here
Work the chain one link at a time. A timeline built link by link can be checked; a timeline built by jumping to the most interesting record cannot. Check the holder current guidance before any next step that involves a request, a copy, or a visit. Guidance changes, and a step planned on old guidance wastes a session.
Use the pillar guide for this section as a map, and the neighbouring guides as the detail for the exact point you have reached. Stop at the record that answers the question, and note the reference before moving on.
Primary sources for this guide
Claims in this guide are kept general and point to official holders, so you can check the current position with the holder itself. This guide is general educational information only. It is not personal professional advice, it does not offer a record lookup service, and it does not determine any individual's service.