After 57 years, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office has finally identified the victim in a 1968 homicide case that baffled investigators for decades. Officials confirmed that forensic genealogy led to the identification of the woman as Myrtle Holcomb, born in 1919.

According to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, deputies discovered the burned remains of a woman in a field near Lake Wheeler Road and Ten Ten Road on April 28, 1968. Witnesses had reported a fire in the same area the night before. Despite extensive investigations and later DNA testing, the woman’s identity remained unknown for more than half a century.Investigators renewed efforts in 2004 when new information pointed to a local resident, Robert Reagan, as a suspect, though no arrest was made due to his death in the 1990s. In 2024, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Astrea Forensics and First Genes LLC, submitting a DNA sample that led to the identification of Holcomb through genetic genealogy.

Sheriff Willie Rowe said the discovery “provides long-sought answers” for Holcomb’s family and “reassurance that she has not been forgotten.” The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also assisted in the decades-long case.

Officials emphasized that the findings not only close a historic case but also showcase how forensic advancements continue to bring justice to unresolved crimes.

Presented by the library’s Special Collections staff and members of the Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), these events are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all levels of interest and experience. All levels will learn something new!

Join us for a Research Huddle in the Special Collections Room! In sports, a huddle is when players gather in a circle to strategize, motivate, or celebrate. We think genealogists should do the same!

This is the perfect opportunity to dig into your personal history and tell your family’s story. Use the library’s print collections and research databases to progress with your fact-finding. We’ll gather to use library resources, share our successes, learn from fellow researchers, and overcome our research stumbling blocks!

The huddles will be held in the Special Collections Room. Bring your research, questions, and willingness to help others! We will also be offering our usual genealogy lectures throughout the year. 

Registration is not required. All ages and experience levels are welcome.

Presented by the library’s Special Collections staff and members of the Ranger Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), these events are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all levels of interest and experience. Everyone will learn something new!

Questions? Email Katie Czajkowski at cfczajkowski@cityofportsmouth.com.

To commemorate Remembrance Sunday, TheGenealogist has released 1,090,293 new Casualty List Records from The First World War, covering the period 8th April 1918 to 4th March 1919, completing their coverage of the War Office Casualty Lists. This significant addition helps researchers and families trace those who were killed, wounded, reported missing, or taken prisoner in the later part of the First World War.

TheGenealogist's Head of Content, Mark Bayley, commented:

“On Remembrance Sunday, as we honour the fallen, it’s also a time to think of those who returned with wounds both seen and unseen. This release enables researchers to follow relatives throughout the conflict, right up to its end and trace the impact it had on them and their families.”

This release includes:

• Comprehensive coverage: 1,090,293 records spanning 8th April 1918 to 4th March 1919.

• Searchable detail: Name, rank, regiment/unit, and (where recorded) service number, place, and nature of casualty, such as killed, wounded, missing, prisoner of war, and died of wounds.

• Derived from the official War Office Weekly Casualty Lists published at the time, with later corrections where available.

• This completes the collection of War Office Weekly Casualty lists and brings the total Casualty List records on TheGenealogist to over 4.5 million

The new records are available now to Diamond subscribers at TheGenealogist.co.uk.

These newly added records include a number of notable names, among them the author C. S. Lewis. Read more about his wartime experience here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/cs-lewis-8787/

Don’t miss out! For a limited time, you can subscribe to TheGenealogist for just £129.95 - Save Over £100

Not only will you get a lifetime discount, but you'll also receive a 12-Month Subscription to Discover Your Ancestors Online Magazine worth £36 and a research pack worth over £30 containing a Regional Research Guide Book, Seven Generation Log Book, Relationship Calculator, Census Age Calculator and a ticket to The Family History Show Online 2026.

Explore these new records and start your genealogical journey today with TheGenealogist by claiming this offer here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/MGBCL1125

Offer expires 31st January 2026.

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and Lloyd George Domesday collections.

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections, amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

As the nation prepares to mark Remembrance Day, a newly uncovered wartime diary is shedding light on the extraordinary courage of ordinary civilians who lived through the Blitz.

The diary, written by Marion Marden, a mother from East London, was discovered by leading probate and genealogy firm Fraser and Fraser during their investigation into an unclaimed estate.

The London-based firm specialises in tracing missing heirs, identifying rightful beneficiaries and reconnecting unclaimed estates with family members. Beyond offering fascinating insights into life during the Second World War, the diary’s discovery also enabled surviving relatives to be traced, revealing previously unknown family connections.

Ben Cornish, a Case Manager at Fraser and Fraser, said: “When we began this case, we expected a routine investigation into an unclaimed estate.

“What we found instead was a personal record of the Blitz from the perspective of an ordinary London family. It is a rare and valuable insight into civilian life during the war.”

The diary offers a vivid and deeply personal account of wartime life on the home front. Spanning 1941 to 1944, Marion’s writing captures the daily realities of raising a young family under the constant threat of bombing.

“I wish this war was over,” she wrote in one entry. “We lost 28 planes with men. The children full of Vim. Frank has a very bad cold. Did my washing.”

Her words reveal the ordinary human side of the war that official records rarely capture. She describes sleepless nights in air raid shelters, the struggle to find food during rationing, and the devastating bombing of a dance hall in Palmer’s Green that killed 43 people.

The diary was uncovered while Fraser and Fraser researchers were tracing the heirs of Myrta Marden, Marion’s daughter, who died in 2019 with no known relatives.

Through detailed genealogical work, the team identified living beneficiaries across the UK, France and Australia. During their research, they discovered references to Marion’s wartime writing, which had survived in archival collections and online through excerpts shared by a war diary enthusiast.

Isha Adams, Research Manager at Fraser and Fraser, said: “Personal accounts like Marion’s remind us that history is not only written in official records.

“Her diary captures the endurance of those who held families and communities together in extraordinary circumstances.”

Valerie Smith, a war diary collector who has studied hundreds of wartime journals, said: “Marion’s writing reflects what many people experienced but few recorded.

“It is both matter of fact and emotional. Her words show the balance between ordinary domestic life and the constant awareness of danger.”

As Remembrance Day approaches, the rediscovery of Marion’s diary serves as an important tribute to the millions who endured the war from their homes, often without recognition.

“Documents like this remind us why what we do matters,” Isha added. “Our work is about reconnecting families, but it’s also about preserving memories. Stories like Marion’s ensure that ordinary people are remembered for the extraordinary things they lived through.”

The story will also feature in an upcoming episode of Lineage, airing on 6 November, which follows Fraser and Fraser’s work uncovering remarkable personal histories.

Fraser and Fraser regularly undertakes similar genealogical and historical research on a pro bono basis. This includes their work featured in The Fallen Soldier, which explored the story of a Second World War serviceman.

It was a vicious attack that has haunted Belleville, Ont., for more than two decades: a woman sexually assaulted and beaten inside a hotel change room during a festival weekend in the summer of 2000.

Nearly 25 years later, DNA evidence found on a cigarette butt helped police identify the man responsible.

William Dale, 54, was arrested in Kewsick, Ont., in April. On Sept. 18 he pleaded guilty to assault and sexual assault, receiving a sentence of more than 12 years in prison.

A crime woven into the city's fabric

Insp. Jeremy Ashley said the Belleville Police Service never gave up on the case, praising the tenacity of investigators while acknowledging the shadow it cast over the city for years.

"It was so such an incredibly violent attack on a stranger and in ... what you would think would be a safe place," he said in an interview with CBC.

"It's just one of those really unique cases in the sense of it weaved itself into the history and fabric of this police service and the community at large."

Some of those threads and their ties to Belleville are "pretty remarkable," according to Ashley.

He first covered the attack as a reporter at the local newspaper, interviewing detectives before becoming an investigator himself.

Then there's Grant Boulay, the forensics officer who collected DNA evidence at the crime scene in 2000.

Twenty-five years later, Boulay's daughter, Det.-Const. Andrea Boulay, led the team that arrested Dale, according to Ashley.

The case is a testament to the persistence of investigators and the power of new technology to solve crimes. It's also evidence of the lasting impact the brutal attack has had on a person's life.

Victim tried to forgive

According to a victim impact statement, the survivor of the assault had tried to forgive the man who attacked her. People had advised her to consider him dead, and she said it was easier that way.

"[H]ere he is come back to life and the worst of the fear is right here with him," her victim impact statement reads. A publication ban prohibits reporting of any information that could identify the victim.

The attack happened on the morning of July 9, 2000, during a waterfront festival in Belleville, according to an agreed statement of facts read in court.

The woman went for a swim at the Ramada Inn around 6:10 a.m. While doing laps in the pool, noticed a man — later determined to be Dale — smoking and watching her from a nearby balcony.

He had made me feel that any random stranger might hurt me, but it was him I feared the most.- Victim impact statement

After finishing her workout, the woman saw the man again, this time inside the hotel's fitness area. She asked if he was a guest there, and he replied that he was.

The woman headed to the change room, turned on the shower and heard the door open behind her as Dale entered.

She tried to get past him, but Dale grabbed her and hit her in the head six times as she started to yell and fight back.

During sentencing, Dale disagreed with the number of blows, arguing through his lawyer that he'd only hit the victim once.

Court heard he then dragged her to the lockers and tore off her bathing suit. The woman pretended to pass out in hopes Dale would leave, but he pulled her into a toilet stall where he sexually assaulted her.

He sexually assaulted her a second time before stealing the watch off her wrist and leaving, according to court documents.

The woman wrapped herself in a towel and ran to the front desk where she collapsed. Emergency crews arrived to find her with a cut lip and abrasions and bruises on her arms, legs and back.

Police found palm prints on the stall door, and DNA on a cigarette butt found on the stairs near where Dale had been smoking. There was more DNA on toilet paper left at the scene of the attack.

Then, decades passed.

The case has haunted the community Belleville for 25 years, according to an investigator. (Dan Taekema/CBC)

A break in the case

In 2018, Ashley heard how DNA had been used to track down and capture the Golden State Killer, one of California's most prolific serial murderers and rapists.

Ashley, a forensic officer at the time, wondered whether the same technology could help solve the cold case in Belleville.

He got in touch with a lab called Othram Inc. and a not-for-profit called Seasons of Justice, which funds investigations after all other options have been exhausted.

According to a news release from Belleville police, it was the first time the organization had ever bankrolled an investigation outside the continental U.S.

In 2021, police began using genetic genealogy to identify the man whose DNA they’d found.

That led them to a distant relative of Dale's who had uploaded their DNA to genealogy sites, and who had given consent for law enforcement to compare their DNA to DNA taken from crime scenes.

Police were able to identify Dale as a person of interest in November 2024.

Police surveilled him, eventually securing a fresh cigarette butt he’d discarded. DNA from the butt was compared to the material recovered at the hotel years earlier, and investigators determined it was "one trillion times" more likely that Dale was the source than someone unrelated to him.

Dale was arrested, and a month later police matched his palm prints with those left on the bathroom stall years earlier.

The victim impact statement filed by the woman he attacked describes the lasting impact of that crime.

“I am in prison,” the woman wrote, explaining that the attack left her feeling shame, anger, bewilderment and sorrow over lost relationships — but most of all, fear.

"He had made me feel that any random stranger might hurt me, but it was him I feared the most." she wrote.

Police hope outcome offers comfort

Ashley, the Belleville police inspector, said he wants the victim to know she was "front and center of every investigator's thoughts when we took this on and when we kept with it."

He said it's only the first or second time these methods have helped solve a case in Canada while the victim is still alive.

"I can't speak to what closure is, but hopefully it gives her some measure of comfort to know that this person was identified, arrested, charged, convicted and now is in jail for a very long time," he said.

Discounted Vivid-Pix Memory Station and Caregiver Bundles Help Families Scan, Reminisce, and Reconnect During the Holidays

Savannah, GA, November 5, 2025 — Vivid-Pix www.vivid-pix.com, a leader in AgeTech that helps people relive and preserve memories, is supporting caregivers, individuals living with memory loss, and organizations that support those communities during November National Family Caregivers’ and Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Vivid-Pix is donating $100,000 in software, photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) education, and Memory Cards™ to senior centers, senior living communities, libraries, archives, museums, and related organizations across the U.S. The company is also offering holiday discounts for its most popular caregiver solutions with coupon code: Holiday2025.

“Caregivers describe how a single photo or familiar song can turn a quiet afternoon into a shared story,” said Rick Voight, CEO of Vivid-Pix. “Our goal is to make those moments easier to spark and simpler to save—so families can reconnect, again and again.”

“I can’t tell you how many people come into the Thrive Center and say, ‘I never captured those stories of my dad or my grandfather and I wish I had done that,’” said Sheri Rose, CEO of the Thrive Center, a nonprofit innovation center focused on wellness and aging in Louisville, Kentucky.

Vivid-Pix is donating:

• 400 Caregiver Holiday Packages.
• Software and Education: Vivid-Pix Memory Station™ Software and the pRT Education & Training Course for Families & Friends, as well as CEU training for Nurse and Dementia Caregivers, based on ongoing research conducted by Vivid-Pix in collaboration with the National Institute for Dementia Education (NIDE) Standards of Excellence Council, CERTUS Institute, and others (see: https://nid.education/nide-publications.html).
• Memory Cards: Printed cards that pair meaningful images with memory prompts to encourage conversation and connection (learn more at:  https://www.vivid-pix.com/memorycards/).

How to register for donations:

• Go to: https://www.vivid-pix.com/caregiver-giveaway/ and complete entry form.
• 300 donations will be given to not-for-profit organizations.
• 100 giveaways will be given to for-profit organizations.
• Donations will be received by year-end.

Organizations and communities collaborating:

• Allen County Public Library/Senior Living: https://www.vivid-pix.com/acpl-agingwell/
• National Genealogical Society/Aging Well Initiative: https://www.vivid-pix.com/ngs-symposium/
• International African American Museum/Community Centers: https://iaamuseum.org/event/iaam-history-free-document-scanning-day-wadmalaw-island/

Holiday discounts for families and caregivers – enter code in cart Holiday2025:

• Caregiver Holiday Package: $50 off (regular price: $249.95) includes Vivid-Pix Memory Station Software that works with most scanners/all-in-one printers, pRT Education & Training, and Memory Cards for 10 printed cards.
• Memory Station Scanner and Home/Standard Software Bundle: $50 off (regular price: $899.95). Simple intuitive design allows older adults and others to scan, restore, and record audio memories, saving photos, documents, and memorabilia for their use and future generations.
• Memory Station Software Home/Standard Edition: $40 off (regular price: $199.99).
• Memory Cards: $10 off (regular price: $39.99) 10 cards to pair meaningful images with memory prompts.
• Offers valid: 11/1/25 –1/5/26.

“This holiday season, a single photo can bridge what memory forgets. When used as a cue, it doesn’t just recall the past, it rekindles connection, emotion, and belonging,” said Dr. Joshua J. Freitas, Ph.D., M.Ed., BC-Ded.

Holidays are when families gather, and when photos, songs, and keepsakes can unlock memories. Vivid-Pix solutions are used in 1,000+ U.S. shared-use locations and tens of thousands of homes in 120+ countries, helping individuals and organizations revive faded memories. For more information, see: https://www.vivid-pix.com/giftguide/ or https://www.vivid-pix.com/.

About Vivid-Pix

Vivid-Pix invents and harnesses technologies, making it simple for individuals, families, and organizations to relive memories. Their motto, “Don’t Let Your Memories Fade™,” describes the importance of photos and activities that nurture brain health, improve cognition, assist family historians and caregivers, and create connections. Vivid-Pix integrates their photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) research and family history activities into products and services for simple operation, to have fun, and age well. Vivid-Pix software is installed in over 1,000 libraries in America and in use in over 120 countries, improving faded photos and documents and securing memories. Vivid-Pix CEO Rick Voight has been involved in memory industries for four decades. For more info, see https://www.vivid-pix.com, https://www.vivid-pix.com/pocketrn/, https://vivid-pix.com/reminisce, https://vivid-pix.com/education, and https://vivid-pix.com/memorystation.

The Lawrence County Historical Society launched its newly expanded membership program, introducing enhanced benefits for individuals and families along with a new business membership option.

Members have access to archives and genealogy resources, including Ancestry.com and NewspaperArchives.com; complementary mansion tours; the Time Travelers program; a discount on purchased items and a quarterly newsletter.

Individual and family memberships now include free or discounted admission to exhibits and events; early access to special programs; invitations to member-only receptions; and discounted or free annual rental of the mansion or annex.

Businesses receive print and digital public recognition, benefits for employees, and event sponsorship opportunities.

“These new membership levels allow us to say thank you in more meaningful ways to our supporters,” said David Dean, board president of the Historical Society.

For more information or to become a member, call (724) 658-4022 or visit www.lawrencechs.org.

“We are especially excited to welcome business partners who can play a vital role in preserving our shared heritage while connecting their business to the community in a lasting way.”

Walgreens has launched the 2025-2026 Respiratory Index, an interactive online tool that tracks flu and COVID-19 activity nationwide using prescription, testing and over the counter (OTC) product purchase data from Walgreens locations nationwide. This unique tool builds on more than a decade of insights from the Walgreens Flu Index to now offer a more comprehensive view of respiratory illness trends across the U.S., helping the public, healthcare providers, and health officials make more informed decisions throughout the respiratory virus season.

The Walgreens Respiratory Index will be updated weekly and will allow users to search by state to see where their geographic area ranks for both flu and COVID-19 activity.

“The updated Index provides a clearer view of current virus trends, helping individuals make informed decisions to protect their health,” explains Rick Gates, Walgreens chief pharmacy officer. “Virus activity is expected to pick up as we head into the holidays, so now is the time to protect yourself and your loved ones by getting a flu shot and other recommended vaccines if you haven’t already. Vaccination remains the safest and most effective way to prevent highly contagious illnesses like flu, RSV, and COVID-19.”

It is not too late to protect against respiratory viruses. Walgreens is offering flu, COVID-19, and other recommended vaccines for eligible individuals ages 3 years and older at stores nationwide.* Individuals and families can walk into their nearest Walgreens pharmacy or schedule an appointment by visiting Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, through the Walgreens app, texting “Flu” to 66879 or by calling 1-800-WALGREENS. Vaccines are covered by most insurance plans.

Currently, myWalgreens members will receive 20% off their next eligible purchase with any vaccination received—making it even more rewarding to stay healthy.**

Individuals who are experiencing respiratory symptoms should consider getting tested. Walgreens offers a variety of convenient, low-cost, in-store and at-home testing options for flu and COVID-19. A Walgreens pharmacist may also be able to prescribe oral antiviral treatment for flu or COVID-19 with a positive in-store test. And for those who don’t feel well enough to leave home, Walgreens offers virtual care consults and at-home tests, along with OTC symptom relief options such as Walgreens Sugar-Free Cough Drops, Walgreens Cough Mucus Relief DM, Walgreens Ibuprofen, and Walgreens Severe Sinus Congestion, are available for delivery in as little as 1 hour.

As respiratory season evolves, Walgreens pharmacists remain one of the most accessible, trusted healthcare providers across communities. Individuals can talk to their Walgreens pharmacist to learn more about how they can stay safe and get the care they need all season long.

About the Walgreens Respiratory Index

The Walgreens Respiratory Index is an online, interactive tool that ranks the top states for flu and COVID-19 activity in the United States, including Puerto Rico. The Index is updated weekly and is available through an online interactive map linked here. Users can view national activity or search by state to see where their geographic area ranks in any given week and how current activity compares to last season.

Data for the Walgreens Respiratory Index is sourced from multiple places across the Walgreens store footprint and network, including diagnostic testing data for influenza and COVID-19, prescription data related to respiratory illness treatment, and over the counter (OTC) purchases of flu- and cold-related products. For additional context, the Index also incorporates CDC wastewater viral data when available.

The index is not intended to illustrate virus severity, but rather, based on this methodology, to show which populations are experiencing the highest incidence of respiratory diseases. Walgreens continues to refine this surveillance platform with available data streams.

About Walgreens

Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.

*In some states, a prescription from a healthcare provider is required to receive an RSV vaccine at Walgreens. No prescription required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

** One coupon issued per vaccination up to a limit of three during offer period 8/01/2025 – 2/28/2026. Offer coupon will be provided after vaccination is administered. Offer not valid in AR, NJ or NY. Must be a myWalgreens member and submit offer coupon at time of purchase. Single use offer valid in store only for 14 days from issue date. Offer valid on in-store purchase of eligible items up to $100. Maximum discount per coupon is $20. Limit 1 store coupon redeemed per transaction. Void if copied or transferred. Offer cannot be redeemed on alcohol, dairy, tobacco, gift cards, clinic services, prescriptions, pharmacy items or services, sales tax and items sold by third-party partners. This offer is solely made by Walgreens and not connected with any vaccine manufacturer.

Magnet Maker Studio LLC, a newly launched Arizona-based company, is revolutionizing how families preserve and share memories through innovative photo magnets that seamlessly blend physical keepsakes with digital storytelling. The family-owned business has introduced a groundbreaking product line that embeds QR codes into custom photo magnets, allowing each piece to trigger personal videos, voice messages, or digital photo albums when scanned with a smartphone.

The concept addresses a growing desire among families to maintain tangible connections to their memories while embracing digital convenience. In an era where thousands of photos remain trapped in phones and cloud storage, Magnet Maker Studio provides a solution that brings selected memories into daily view while maintaining access to expanded digital content. Each magnet becomes a portal to deeper stories, whether it's a grandparent's voice sharing family history, a child's first words, or video highlights from a special celebration.

The company's product line extends beyond family photos to include scripture collections and faith-based designs, reflecting the founders' spiritual inspiration and commitment to creating meaningful connections. Churches and faith communities have already begun partnering with Magnet Maker Studio to create custom magnets that share inspirational messages, promote events, and build stronger congregational bonds. These partnerships demonstrate the versatility of the QR code technology, which can link to sermon recordings, prayer requests, event registrations, or community resources.

Small businesses and schools are discovering creative applications for these interactive magnets. Educational institutions use them to share student achievements with families, linking to performance videos or digital portfolios. Local businesses incorporate them into marketing campaigns, creating memorable promotional items that connect to special offers, company stories, or product demonstrations. The tactile nature of magnets ensures they remain visible in homes and offices, providing ongoing brand exposure while delivering genuine value to recipients.

The handcrafted production process takes place entirely in Arizona, where each magnet is individually created with attention to quality and durability. The company uses premium materials designed to withstand years of handling while maintaining vibrant photo reproduction. The QR codes are seamlessly integrated into the design, ensuring they enhance rather than detract from the aesthetic appeal of each piece. This commitment to craftsmanship reflects the founders' belief that memory preservation deserves the same care as the moments being preserved.

The timing of Magnet Maker Studio's launch coincides with increased awareness about the importance of family connections and memory preservation. Recent studies indicate that displaying family photos contributes to children's self-esteem and family cohesion. By adding an interactive digital layer, these magnets create opportunities for storytelling and connection that static photos alone cannot provide. Grandparents separated by distance can record birthday messages, military families can share deployment videos, and parents can preserve their children's voices at different ages.

The company's faith-inspired approach influences both product development and business practices. Scripture magnets feature carefully selected verses designed to provide daily encouragement, while QR codes can link to devotional content, worship music, or prayer resources. This integration of faith and technology offers churches new ways to maintain connections with congregants between services and provides families with tools for spiritual growth within their homes.

• To mark Remembrance, Findmypast is offering free access to military records* over the Remembrance period (7-13 November)

• Delve into ancestors’ wartime experiences in millions of military records and ensure that no story is left behind

• Delve deeper into their stories within historical newspapers and understand the effects of global conflict on communities, families and individuals

• Use your research to help Findmypast’s Pals campaign by submitting the details of your First World War Pals ancestor to create the first ever collection of records for these forgotten heroes

To mark Remembrance and honour those who served, Findmypast is offering free access to millions of military records from 7–13 November.

This special access gives family historians and researchers the opportunity to explore detail-rich records, uncover personal stories, and truly understand their ancestors’ lives. Whether they joined up as a Pal, served on the front lines, became a prisoner of war, helped on the home front, or worked as a Red Cross volunteer, Findmypast’s military records can paint a vivid picture of your family's wartime experiences and offer a powerful way to remember those who served.

Those with British & Irish roots can explore the largest collection of British Army records anywhere online, including regimental records, army lists, roll calls and the details of those who served with particular regiments, military nurses, volunteer soldiers and army deserters, as well as the British in India collection, covering nearly 350 years from 1656 right up to 1993.

Then delve deeper to understand what life was really like for those who experienced war within Findmypast’s unrivalled collection of historical newspapers. You might find an image of your fallen ancestor within Findmypast’s brand new ‘Faces of the Fallen’ collection, extracted from the pages of British & Irish newspapers, or a story of heroism in your local community. Trace major milestones of the war as they happened – and spot those that were left out by the wartime press.

Plus, Findmypast has created a helpful set of resources and features to help you get further with your military research, faster. Use powerful research tools like Collections to clip and file your favourite newspaper articles, and Workspaces to collate your research on individual ancestors in one place and preserve the stories that matter most. Within the family tree builder, you’ll discover helpful information giving you the context around your ancestor’s military service, including details of regiments and battles. You can also uncover our expert tips, guides and even a video tutorial on our Remembrance hub.

Jen Baldwin, Research Specialist at Findmypast said: “We believe that uncovering and understanding the stories of all those who served is a powerful act of Remembrance. This year, we’re encouraging our genealogy community to help shed light on one of the darkest wartime chapters: the Pals regiments of the First World War. Research military ancestors for free this weekend and help to ensure that no story is left behind.”

Join Findmypast’s Pals Campaign

Findmypast has launched an ongoing campaign to build the first and only definitive record collection dedicated to the Pals—groups of brothers, friends, and workmates who enlisted, fought, and often fell together in the First World War. From Caernarfon to Cambridge, Glasgow to Grimsby, these comrades answered Kitchener’s call and stood shoulder-to-shoulder in trenches thick with mud.

Yet, despite their sacrifice, there is no single roll that holds every name of the Pals. Too many stories remain scattered or forgotten. Findmypast is calling on the genealogy community to help change that.

Find a Pal, delve deeper, and share your findings at www.findmypast.co.uk/pals Together, we’ll remember, record, and reunite the Pals.

*Exclusions apply. Free access to selected military records runs from 10:00 GMT on Friday 7 November (November 7 for US) to 23:59 GMT on Thursday 13 November (November 13 for US). After the free access ends, you can only view most records and features with a valid subscription. For more information, including our fair usage policy, read our free access terms and conditions.