War heroes' records placed online

More than 700,000 British troops died or went missing abroad in WWI

An online service to help people find British relatives who were born or died abroad launches on Monday.

More than a million records previously available only at the Public Record Office in London, or in some libraries, have been added to www.1837online.com.

The new records will be able to help anyone looking for a relative who died abroad serving for the British forces in the two world wars, or the Boer War.

Births or marriages that happened in British lines in wartime are included.

The records also cover Indian and South African regiments who fought for Britain.

The registrations show how the British spread across the globe during the height of the empire 1837online head of operations Colin Miller

A poll by YouGov for 1837online suggests 54% of people in the UK want to trace their roots.

And one out of every eight is already doing so.

"When you combine this with the number of people who have ancestors who, as young men and women, had to go to war, this unique online search facility becomes so useful," 1837online head of operations Colin Miller said.

It was "a massive boost for anyone interested in the growing hobby of family history", he added.

More than 700,000 British troops died or went missing abroad during World War I and more than 300,000 during World War II.

Extensive records of war veterans and where they are buried can already be found on the website of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Unrecorded deaths

Sadly, if officers died in battle, the deaths of their men often went unrecorded.

But scans of the original records that do exist can be viewed at 1837online for 10p per page.

Records for anyone registered at a British consul or high commission who was born, married or died abroad are also being added to the website.

"The consular records are a fascinating insight into the British Empire," Mr Miller said.

"The registrations show how the British spread across the globe during the height of the empire.

"It also shows how populations moved to reflect those imperialistic times and our conflicts with other countries and territories."