About the War Memorials Register

What IWM's War Memorials Register records

The War Memorials Register documents memorials that meet the criteria below.

Memorials located in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Service personnel who served, returned safely, were affected by, or died in war, conflict or peacekeeping.
Those who died during military service in war, conflict or peacetime, including:
- deaths from wounds
- deaths caused by long‑term effects of service
- deaths not directly caused by enemy action
Civilians serving in non‑combatant organisations during wartime.
Civilians, including refugees or internees, who suffered or died as a result of:
- enemy action
- war‑related accidents
- wider consequences of conflict
Animals whose service, suffering or death during wartime is commemorated.

Thanksgiving memorials marking peace, the prevention of war or the safe return of individuals.
Additional inscriptions on existing gravestones that commemorate a war casualty buried elsewhere.

Memorials outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, even if they refer to British individuals.

Headstones or grave markers that simply identify where war casualties are buried.

Buildings, houses or objects (including medals) associated with someone’s wartime experience without a formal memorial dedication.
Plaques, badges, medals or symbols recognising a military unit’s existence, but not its active service or involvement in conflict.

Memorials to people who once served but whose death was unrelated to their service.
Plaques commemorating non‑military wartime campaigns or activities.
Memorials at a birthplace, home or to the life of a notable person that are not dedicated to their wartime service.

Published or mass‑produced rolls of honour.
Official issued items, such as:
- Next of Kin Memorial Plaques ("Dead Man’s Pennies")
- Memorial scrolls
- Service medals

Single trees or horticultural elements within a garden or arboretum, unless the whole site is dedicated as a memorial.

What is a war memorial?

A war memorial is any physical object created or dedicated to commemorate:

War or conflict
Victory or peace
People who served in, were affected by, or died as a result of war, conflict or peacekeeping.
People who died from accidents or disease while in military service.

War Memorials can take many forms including:

Freestanding Monuments such as sculpted figures, crosses, obelisks, cenotaphs or columns
Boards, plaques and tablets, displayed either inside or outside buildings
Rolls of honour or books of remembrance
Dedicated buildings that serve as community halls, hospitals, bus shelters, clock towers, streets, museums or galleries
Church fittings like bells, pews, lecterns, lighting, windows, altars, screens or candlesticks
Trophies and relics for example a preserved gun or aircraft remains at a crash-site.
Land, including parks, gardens, playing fields and woodland
Additions to gravestones (but not the graves themselves)
Musical Instruments

Find out how to get the most out of IWM's War Memorials Register with our guides on how to search, research and care for war memorials.