This year, we will continue to offer any remaining unused tickets to eligible veterans who are not members or affiliated to a service or unit association, so that they are afforded the opportunity to march in the Cenotaph Parade.
This will be done on a first come first served basis and will be restricted to UK and Commonwealth veterans from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and the Merchant Navy.
Registration will close on Thursday 22 August. Please note that applying here does not guarantee you a place. Your application will be reviewed, and we will be in touch again after this date with the outcome of your application.
Please be advised that those applying via this registration will be required to provide one of the following documents to verify their service status:
- Veterans Recognition (ID) Card
- Veterans UK Status Card
- Certificate of Service – this must include date of discharge
- Certificate of Discharge
- Veterans Railcard
- Merchant Mariners – a copy of the personal details page of your Discharge Book, along with the vessel names on which you served and the operation names and date.
If you do not have the above documentation, you can obtain your service records via the below options:
Through the Ministry of Defence, you can apply for:
- your own service records if you are, or have been, a member of the armed forces.
If your application is urgent, please state this in your application form, so it can be prioritised.
What's available
Royal Navy and Royal Marine service records
The RN Disclosure Cell holds service records for commissioned and non-commissioned officers (both RN and RM) from 1926 onwards. Information from these records can be requested under the MOD Publication Scheme.
Records prior to 1926, including records for World War 1 service, are held by The National Archives.
British Army service records
The Army Personnel Centre (APC) Historical Disclosures Section holds army service records for officers whose service ended after April 1922 and soldiers whose service ended after January 1921. APC also holds some records for the Foot Guards (not Scots Guards) back to 1750. Information from these records can be requested under the MOD Publication Scheme.
RAF service records
The RAF Disclosures section holds service records for non-commissioned and commissioned RAF personnel dating back to 1920. Information from these records can be requested under the MOD Publication Scheme.
How long it takes:
It can take several months for your application to be processed.
Your application will be prioritised if it’s urgent.
Other ways to find service records:
You can also search:
- the National Archives for service records from 1913 to 1920 or service records before 1913
There are also a number of web-based platforms who provide access to service records, although there is usually a fee or a monthly subscription charge to access such sites. Examples are:
- Ancestry - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
- Forces War Records - https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
Should you have any questions regarding your application please contact [email protected]
