Every report that I produce contains the following sections. The length, content and presentation of each section depends on the findings and how much explanation needs to be provided.
Introduction:
- Who engaged me to carry out the work
- Our starting point: what was known about the soldier
The sources searched and the results of those searches:
- Description of the sources (location, document types and their significance)
- Notes on what was found or not found, and any significance of the latter
- Citations or links to sources found
Narrative of the soldier’s story:
- Summary of the man’s personal background before joining the army
- Chronological narrative of each step of his military story
- Explanation of technical matters and why things happened to him, when and the way they did
- Expanded detail of key events, such as when he became a casualty
- Identification of any gaps or uncertainties in the story
- His entitlement to medals and pension
- Summary of the man’s personal background after leaving the army, if applicable
Technical and background information
- Explanation of laws and army regulations applicable to the man’s military story (for example, if he was conscripted into service or discharged on medical grounds)
- Summary war history of the unit(s) with which he served, and an explanation of the size, structure and role of such a unit
- Any other information that may help to provide a good understanding of the context of the man’s military service
Potential next steps you might consider
- A suggested reading list
- Local archives that may hold useful documents