How can I find a military service record?

The military record: a genealogical treasure often overlooked

How to find a military record? It is one of the most frequently asked questions by genealogy enthusiasts and by all those seeking to trace an ancestor’s military career. And for good reason: the military record is one of the richest and best-preserved documents in French history. It contains not only information about military service but also complete civil status, physical description, profession, and successive places of residence of the conscript.

Good news: the vast majority of these archives are now digitized and accessible free online . Here is the complete guide to finding them, step by step.

What is a military record?

Created in 1867 and standardized in their individual form from 1878, the military registers list all French men summoned before the review board at age 20. Each conscript is assigned a unique registration number that identifies him throughout his military career.

What does a military record contain?

A military record is a true treasure trove of information about your ancestor:

• Complete civil status: name, first name, date and place of birth, parents' names
• Physical description: height, eye and hair color, distinguishing marks
• Level of education (from 0 = illiterate to 5 = baccalaureate or degree holder)
• Civilian profession at the time of recruitment
• Decision of the review board (fit, exempted, deferred…)
• Complete details of military service: regiments, dates, campaigns, injuries
• Decorations and citations received
• Successive residences up to the age of 45
• Possible convictions or disciplinary sanctions

How to find a military record in 4 steps

Searching for a military record follows a precise method. Here are the 4 steps to follow in order.

Step 1: Determine the recruitment class

The "class" is the year the conscript turns 20. This is the first essential element to guide your search. The calculation is simple: add 20 years to the birth year of your ancestor. For example, a man born in 1895 will belong to the 1915 class. His record will be filed under this class in the registers.

Step 2: Identify the recruitment office

The military registers are organized by recruitment office, which correspond to the place of residence of the conscript at the age of 20 — and not to their place of birth. Each department had one or more recruitment offices, whose boundaries on the map did not always exactly match the departmental borders. The departmental archives websites generally offer maps or lists of the municipalities attached to each office.

Step 3: Consult the alphabetical table

Once the class and recruitment office are identified, the first to consult is the Alphabetical table of the class This table lists all conscripts alphabetically with their registration number. This number will then allow you to find the individual record in the registration register.

Step 4: Access the individual record

Armed with the registration number, you can now open the corresponding register and find your ancestor’s record. Note: a record may span several consecutive pages because additional sheets (called "retombes") may have been added during military service. Be sure to check previous and following views to not miss any information.

Where to find a registration record: online resources

Almost all French registration records are now digitized and freely accessible online. Here are the main resources to know.

All these resources are freely accessible.

Online departmental archives: the main resource

For people born before 1920 (classes up to around 1940), the departmental archives are your first destination. Almost all French departments have digitized their registration records and offer free consultation on their websites. Visit the archive site of the department where your ancestor lived at age 20 and look for the section "Registration records" or "Military research" .

For ancestors born after 1920: the CAPM in Pau

For people born after 1920 (thus enlisted from 1940), the files are not online. You must contact directly the Military Personnel Archives Center (CAPM) , located at the Bernadotte Barracks in Pau (64023 Pau Cedex). A written request or an online request via the Historical Defense Service (SHD) website is required. Direct descendants can obtain documents without delay.

Communication deadlines: what you need to know

The registration registers are not all immediately accessible to the general public. Privacy protection rules apply, but they are less restrictive than often believed.

• The alphabetical tables are immediately accessible without restriction
• Registration records are accessible 120 years after the date of birth of the conscript
• If the record contains medical or judicial information, the delay is 25 years after death
• Direct descendants can obtain an exemption to consult records not yet publicly available
• A general exemption exists for classes 1912 to 1921 as part of the Great War commemorations

FAQ: Most Frequently Asked Questions

Can you find the registration record of an ancestor who died during the Great War?

Yes, it is even one of the easiest searches thanks to the Mémoire des Hommes (memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr). This Ministry of the Armed Forces site provides access to over 8 million indexed soldiers’ records by name and first name. In seconds, you can find your ancestor’s service record and, in some cases, the March and Operations Journal of their regiment.

What to do if I can’t find the record in the online archives?

Several reasons can explain a record not found online: the department has not yet digitized that class, your ancestor lived in a commune attached to a recruitment office in a neighboring department, or the record contains medical information subject to a delay. In this case, contact the relevant departmental archives directly or the CAPM of Pau for more recent classes.

Is the research free?

Yes, completely free . The French departmental archives, the Mémoire des Hommes portal, Grand Mémorial, and France Archives all offer free and open access to their digitized resources. Only requests sent by mail to the CAPM of Pau for non-digitized records may incur reproduction fees in some cases.

Conclusion

How to find a military registration record? In summary: calculate the recruitment class (year of birth + 20 years), identify the recruitment office of your ancestor’s residence at age 20, consult the alphabetical table to find the registration number, then access the record on the departmental archives website. For ancestors from the Great War, the Mémoire des Hommes portal greatly simplifies the process. These free and accessible archives offer an exceptional window into your ancestors’ military past.

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