Cheryl C Posted 23 February , 2007 Share Posted 23 February , 2007 After reading on BBC News that WW1 records have gone on line I went through the process and came to Ancestry.co.uk. I typed in the information on my father and it keeps coming up as no records found. I have a copy of his mic and got the relevant info from that. The info I typed in was - first name: alfred, surname: kiteley, service number: a/202499, dob: 1898, any other info - into this I typed his other initials w.y) but still nothing. So I inserted KRRC - still nothing. Can anyone help/suggest what to do next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 23 February , 2007 Share Posted 23 February , 2007 Cheryl They only have surnames beginning with A and B in one series of service records so far. On top of that, the majority of the service records were destroyed during WW2. Your best bet is to go to Kew and look at the microfilms. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithfazzani Posted 23 February , 2007 Share Posted 23 February , 2007 According to the report I read they have only uploaded surnames A-B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Lund Posted 23 February , 2007 Share Posted 23 February , 2007 If you are too far from Kew, you could try your local Family History Centre of the Church of Latter Day Saints. They can order the films in; if the records survive they should be in this one: Box 6282 - Kite, Albert to Kitson, George H. VAULT BRITISH Film 1879064 One major advantage with this is that you will be able to pick out any of his relatives if their records survived. When I tried it I only got one out of seven I was looking for, so there is a large element of luck involved, but at least you find out what exactly is available. It is all explained in this thread, just click on the link: Service Records - LDS Church. Tony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 23 February , 2007 Share Posted 23 February , 2007 Cheryl, the other tip I would give you after my experience with search engines is that you can be too specific with your search criteria. The Ancestry search engine will reject a search if ANY one of the search criteria is not met. When the "K" records come on line, by all means try "Alfred Kiteley", but if that fails try just "Kiteley". If that still fails try possible spelling and writing variations. If you've had experience searching the on-line census records then you'll know what I'm getting at. You have only to wait for the "K"s to come on line. My interest is "W" so I'm faced with an even longer wait! Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 26 February , 2007 Share Posted 26 February , 2007 Cheryl The records currently being uploaded (A & B so far) are pension records NOT service records. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 26 February , 2007 Share Posted 26 February , 2007 Sorry Bob, but that is not the case. The files in WO364 contain papers from the man's service record. They just happen to be of a sample of those men who were discharged to pension. Usually, but not always, there are papers to do with the man's medical record and pension but attestation papers, military history sheet, statement of services, etc are often there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 26 February , 2007 Share Posted 26 February , 2007 .... and there are lots of men in WO364 who never had pensions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 27 February , 2007 Share Posted 27 February , 2007 ooooops!!! sorry 'bout that Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 26 April , 2007 Share Posted 26 April , 2007 Folks, Can someone clarify exactly what "discharged to pension" actually means? My grandfather, John Brockway R/6479 of the King's Royal Rifle Corps was discharged to Class Z Army Reserve on 2nd March 1919. I know he was wounded several times, but I have no idea whether that earnt him a Pension. He definitely ended the War with serious scars and some lung damage, so you could hardly call him "fit", but he was certainly "fit" enough to work in civvy street long into his 60's before he retired. Is he likely to appear in WO364? Sorry to be asking dumb Qs ... but I'm still finding my way round Service Records Cheers! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Had a quick look on Ancestry at the WW1 pension records. Alfred John Brockway was there. Is that him? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Mark, Class Z Reserve has been discussed on the Forum many times. A quick search will show you just about everything you need to know. It did not qualify a man for a pension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Chris, My grandfather (Sapper RE) was discharged to Z reserve, but obtained a pension due to some (minimum) disability arising from Trench Fever, for which he had been hospitalised during his service. Miniscule as the sum was! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 But not because he went into Class Z. The pension arose from an assessment of disability (that all men went through). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Chris, Sorry, I read your previous post to mean that going into Class Z meant you would not then qualify for a pension. I know what Class Z otherwise meant of course. Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Mark, Class Z Reserve has been discussed on the Forum many times. A quick search will show you just about everything you need to know. It did not qualify a man for a pension. Chris - I know that. What I was getting at was ... could he have been awarded a modest pension because of his wounds/gassing, even though he was deemed fit enough to be discharged to the Reserve, and was then able to work for the rest of his life. I suppose this boils down to could a man discharged to Reserve, also get a Pension? If "yes" then presumably I need to check WO364 just in case! From what Ian says it looks like it is a "yes". I guess the Disability Assessment you mention in Post #14 could only be amongst his Service Records (if at all) ? ... so I'm in a bit of a Catch 22 here! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Chris, My grandfather (Sapper RE) was discharged to Z reserve, but obtained a pension due to some (minimum) disability arising from Trench Fever, for which he had been hospitalised during his service. Miniscule as the sum was! Ian So, Ian, does that mean that you found his Service Records in WO364? Or were they in WO363? Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 Had a quick look on Ancestry at the WW1 pension records. Alfred John Brockway was there. Is that him? Bob Bob, I'm afraid not. His full name was William John Brockway, known as Jack, Service Number R/6479. So far all references to him (MIC and the 15 Star and BW&VM Rolls) are simply 'John Brockway' He was born in 1894 in Little Hereford, Herefordshire, which is just outside Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire. He had a cousin Frederick George Brockway also born in 1894, as well as a younger brother Alfred George who was born in 1901. In the 1901 Census, my grandfather is recorded simply as 'John', the cousin as 'Fred'. The brother wasn't yet born. He was known as 'Fred' too though! I know almost nothing of these relatives to be honest. I don't even know if they served. Given that our branch of Brockways is full of Fred's, William's and John's, there's a good chance this Alfred John Brockway is a relation - probably from the Shaftesbury area of Dorset/Wilts from where the Tenbury branch originated in the 1850's. He was discharged on 2 Mar 1919 if that's any use. I did an MIC search on DocumentsOnline at the NA to get all the Brockways with a forename starting with "J" and returned these: Brockway, Jack W Corps: South Wales Borderers Regiment No: 14083 Rank: Private... Brockway, James T Corps: 4th Middlesex Regiment Regiment No: L/9499 Rank: Private... Brockway, James Corps: Army Service Corps Regiment No: CNT/100 Rank: Private... Brockway, J Corps: Army Service Corps Regiment No: CMT/100 Rank: Corporal/Acting Serjeant Brockway, John H Corps: Royal Field Artillery Regiment No: 116960 Rank: Bombardier Brockway, John [my grandfather] Corps: King's Royal Rifle Corps Regiment No: R6479 Rank: Private... Brockway, John Corps: Monmouthshire Regiment Regiment No: 29055 Rank: Colour Serjeant Brockway, Josiah Corps: Royal Army Medical Corps Regiment No: 116856 The Mormon Family History index to the Burnt Records has the following boxes: Box B-2988 Brockman, Charles to Brockway, Arthur S.; Box B-2989 Brockway, Benedict F. to Brockway, James T. Box B-2989 Brockway, Josiah to Brockwell, Frederick; ... which seems to match the way the microfilms split in the Kew NA Index. Being a pessimistic sort of chap, it looks to me like the Service Records jump from 'James T. Brockway' to 'Josiah Brockway' skipping over most of those in my MIC List above Since Ancestry.co.uk is also coming up blank so far on the Pension records, I'd say the outlook is gloomy for me finding his Service Records. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 27 April , 2007 Share Posted 27 April , 2007 So, Ian, does that mean that you found his Service Records in WO364? Or were they in WO363? Cheers, Mark Mark, Sorry, I don't know. I had a researcher check them or me a few years ago. Whatever section they were filed under they were certainly 'burnt documents'! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now