A database containing details of all Naval deaths in service since the middle of the 20th century has been handed over to the Navy – and will be used to create a new national memorial.

A research team – Roger Fryer and Lorna Read – was established at Gosport to delve into records to produce a comprehensive database of all sailors or Royal Marines who have died on duty since January 1, 1948.

The Armed Forces Memorial Project Team visited Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral James Burnell-Nugent to brief him on the progress they had made in the past two years.

The team scoured more than one million records and documents – including back copies of Navy News – to establish the details of more than 6,000 Naval deaths up to December 31, 2002.

The purpose of the exercise was to identify the names of those who should be included on the new Armed Forces Memorial, commemorating the men and women of the three Services who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action since the end of World War II.

The memorial, at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire, will be updated to include more names as the Forces continue to suffer casualties in future years.

Members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Merchant Navy who died in conflict zones while in direct support of the Armed Forces will also be included.

Roger and Lorna have now handed over the database to the Naval Casualty Branch, who will assume responsibility for entering the details of all Naval Service deaths from 2003 onwards – which the Branch sees as a resource of great value.

It contains comprehensive records which have been brought together and consolidated for the first time.

Each record contains a reference to the source documents which will remain the Department’s official record – but if any paper records are damaged or destroyed in future the database may become the only source of information for answering historical enquiries.

It is also a powerful research tool which will greatly help current working practices in Naval records departments, saving time and effort in routine and official enquiries.

It is also hoped that the database will improve the management of post-war Naval graves.