History
Taking your research further
At the heart of IWM’s Lives of the First World War are the Life Stories of more than 7.6 million individuals. They were part of the global conflict that shaped the world we live in today. But how can we find out more about their wartime experiences?
The History section aims to help you understand more about the world in which the people you are remembering lived and worked, so you can take your research further. You can use what you find to add new evidence to the Life Stories you are interested in.
What can I find out about?
Finding clues in mementoes
Understanding military structure and abbreviations
- Common military abbreviations
- British Army hierarchy
- British Army ranks
- The Pals Battalions
- Royal Navy structure and ranks
- Ranks for the air services (Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force)
The War on Land
- British Army war diaries
- Tracing your Army family history
- Tracing Prisoners of War
- 10 significant battles of the First World War
- The Gallipoli campaign
- The Battle of the Somme
- Pals battalions
- Women's roles
- Transport and supply
- Tanks
The War At Sea
- Tracing your Royal Navy history
- Tracing Prisoners of War
- Women's Royal Naval Service
- The Battle of Jutland
- British Ships at the Battle of Jutland
- Tracing your Merchant Navy history
- The U-Boat Campaign
- British Naval blockade
- Transport and supply
The War in the Air
- Tracing your Air Force history
- Tracing Prisoners of War
- Women's Royal Air Force
- Air Aces of the First World War
- Air raids
The Home Front
- A Day in the Life of a Munitions Worker
- Factories
- Conscientious Objectors
- Air raids in the First World War
- Rationing and food shortages
- Women's roles