PAST Skills & Methodology: Military History

Are you working on a military related project? Do you want to gain knowledge as to how to navigate records of the War Office, Air Ministry, Admiralty, and Ministry of Defence? Join us for a two-day hybrid (day one online and day two onsite) workshop at The National Archives about how to find and use military records.

Day One, held online, will begin by focusing on developing expertise in finding records in The National Archives and elsewhere. You will learn how best to use the advanced search functionality in Discovery, our catalogue, and we will introduce some tips and tricks for archival research. The rest of the day will focus on introducing you to records for the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, as well as the intelligence and secret services. A Teams link will be sent out to attendees two weeks before.

Day Two, held onsite, will be devoted to exploring records relating to Britain’s military involvement overseas, with an opportunity for hands-on experience with records relating to the armed forces and intelligence services. This session will be held onsite at The National Archives in Kew (there is no online option).

The sessions will be linked together by practical exercises allowing attendees to implement their new records and research skills, using original documents.