First World War Casualty Cards

The RAF Museum holds an extensive set of record cards relating to deaths, injuries and illness suffered by Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force personnel (and ex-Royal Naval Air Service after 1 April 1918). The collection can be searched online at www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk.

The records start at about 1915 (although earlier losses were recorded retrospectively) and run up to approximately 1928. They cover all theatres of operations for that period. They were originally arranged in different series for a variety of purposes, now unclear. These cards cover circumstances from off-duty sporting accidents to deaths.

The records are not complete but a variable amount of information can be gleaned from them. Some cards record the movements of prisoners of war or give summaries of Courts of Inquiry for accidents occurring in the United Kingdom. Details recorded for other ranks are usually much briefer than those for officers. Serial numbers and types of aircraft are sometimes given.