In commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of VE Day and the end of the war in Europe, Forces War Records will be releasing a brand new collection of daily reports from the Second World War, also know in the National Archives as WO 417 War Office: Army Casualty Lists, 1939-45.

We are really excited about this collection, as it includes detail not available in previously released Second World War data sets. It will give Forces War Records’ users information about what happened to your Army ancestors at very specific times during the war. Almost any military records will give the name, rank and service number of the subject, but officer records traditionally miss off the latter piece of information. In these records however, service numbers are also given for officers. In addition, information on deaths, wounds and prisoners of war is given, along with specific duty locations. Importantly, the collection also gives corrections for previously released lists where soldiers have, for example, been incorrectly recorded as killed or missing but later found to be alive and well.

The British Army suffered over two hundred thousand deaths during the course of the Second World War, over one hundred and eighty thousand men made Prisoners of War, and nearly the same number again wounded. For these reasons this collection is extensive and a very important resource for anyone researching their military ancestors from that war, as there is so little information on that conflict available to the general public right now.

Over 90,000 records have already been uploaded to the website thanks in no small part to our brilliant data entry team. We estimate a further 400,000 records across 102 separate files, are yet to be digitised and uploaded so we have a long way to go yet. This does mean that if you don't find your Army ancestor right away he may be one of the records we haven't got to yet.

Further information on the list can be found on the Forces War Records website under the Collections List tab: https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk...-wounded-pows/

The 90,000 records already uploaded are accessible from the main search form and will be included in any relevant list of results.