Most archives are either held at the Central Record Office (CRO) or the Public Record Office (PRO). There are some Bedfordshire Regimental records held at the CRO where the artefacts are held in the Luton Museum.

In 1884 there was a publication of records belonging to the Bedfordshire Militia for the period 1759 to 1884. Muster Rolls and Books, Ballot Lists and Posse Comitatus Lists are held at the CRO and PRO. The lieutenancy paper in the CRO contain rolls of the Bedfordshire Militia (1852-72) and of the local Rifle Volunteers, which later became the 3^rd Volunteer Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 1860-92. The Muster List (1864-1901) for the Bedford town companies of the volunteers are also held in detail.

World War 1 records can be established by using sources such as the register of absent voters and the parish rolls of honour. There is also a book detailing Bedfordshire Soldiers who served in the Great War which was available for reading in the Bedford Record Office. There are some Home Guard rolls, which are not comprehensive, held for World War 2.

Indexed Muster Lists produced from various documents at the CRO and PRO for various hundreds within Bedfordshire, 1539 to 1831, were published which included the names of the Bedfordshire soldiers impressed for service in Ireland (1591-1602), the New Model Army deserters (1645-46), Militia Rolls and County Militia Enrolments, Ballot Lists and National Defence Lists (1803).

Tracing Your Royal Marine Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians - ISBN 1844158691

Whether you are interested in the career of an individual Royal Marine or just want to know more about the part played by the Marines in a particular battle or campaign, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of the Royal Marines, their history or organization, Richard Brooks and Matthew Little explain which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help you in your research. They also describe in vivid detail the evolution of the Royal Marines, from the tentative beginnings of the service in the seventeenth century to their present position as a key part of the British armed forces.

Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors - ISBN 1844155730

Whether you are interested in the career of an individual air-man or woman, researching medals awarded to a pilot or crew member or just want to know more about a particular squadron or operation, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of the air force, its history or organization, Phil Tomaselli explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help you in your research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs. Each era in air force history is described, from the pioneering days of early aviation and the formation of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War to the creation of the Royal Air Force, its operations during the Second World War and its postwar development. The author explains the evolving organization of the air force in each period. He also provides pointers and examples which should help researchers find the records of units and bases that individuals served in.

Tracing Your Naval Ancestors (Readers Guides) - ISBN 1903365376

A guide for family and historians, archivists, librarians and medal collectors. It explains the range of records and secondary sources which can be used to trace genealogical and career information in relation to men and women who have served in the Royal Navy and the naval reserve and auxillary forces formed to assist it from 1660 to modern times. The guide aims to help researchers identify key and overlooked sources vital to tracing naval ancestors. It includes sections on recently released Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Division, Queen Alexandra's Naval Nursing Services, and Women's Royal Naval Service First World War service records.

Tracing Your First World War Ancestors - ISBN 1846741300

A comprehensive guide for those researching their ancestors in all three armed services - the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps.

Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors - ISBN 1853069361

This is a comprehensive guide for those researching their ancestors in all three armed services - the Army, the Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force.

War Memorials in Britain - ISBN 0747806268

War memorials are a feature of Britain's landscape, often taken for granted, and part of the fabric of its history as a nation. The Imperial War Museum's National Inventory has sixty thousand war memorials spanning two millennia. They include works of art and the artless, the sacred and the secular, vernacular and abstract forms, all redolent with symbolism ancient and modern. The examples shown here are an eclectic mix with, perhaps, a few surprises. They are intended as a tribute to the victims of war and as tangible reminders of significant events, deserving remembrance and necessitating their conservation as part of the national heritage.

Military Museums in the UK - ISBN 1903942616

The latest edition of the guidebook, "Military Museums in the UK", published in association with the Army Museum Ogilby Trust, includes comprehensive region-by-region details on over 140 Regimental and service-related museums throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition to clearly presented information on collections, facilities, opening hours and directions, there is a separate section covering the principal Service Museums and prestigious national collections, as well as a guide to the succession of Regimental titles. This spiral bound paperback folds flat for easy reference and is the essential guide for museum visitors and anyone interested in military history.

Home Guard List 1941: Eastern Command - ISBN 1902366220

Home Guard information from around the Eastern command as of 1941. This covers the majority of East Anglia.