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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Service Records


Jamie1906

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Every time I go to the PRO, I hopingly search for my Grandad's service records thinking a miracle had taken place in between my last visit and they suddenly appear, I have resigned to the fact that they are lost.

My last hope is that when he enlisted again in the Army at the outbreak of the Second World War (albeit in the Home Guard) that his service records from WW1 went with them. I haven't contacted MoD about his WW2 records, am I hoping too much?

Any comments please

Jamie

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Hello Jamie,

I have gone down this path and it is not as easy as it sounds!

The Home Guard have their own records section attached to the Medals Office in the midlands. The address is available from the MOD website.

From my experience, unless you know the Home Guard unit and district your grandfather served in, they cannot help you.

If you know this, can prove you are a relative and swear blind you are not a medal dealer, they will do a search for you. Unfortunately you will find that their records are usually restricted to the enrolment form filled in by home guardsmen. This was very basic but did contain a space for previous military experience, most just put down their regiment and period of service.

If you are hoping for your grandfather's WW1 record to be attached to his enrolment form, I was told this was unlikely and was so in my case. Luckily the 'previous service' section was filled out in detail.

There was no official reason for the records not to be together, I can only suppose that in the short space of time between the formation of the Home Guard to the fire that destroyed most of the WW1 soldiers records, there had not been the time for the records to be sorted, but that is only my theory.

Ian

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Jamie,

Best bet is to call the Medal Office at Droitwich, they will transfer you to the Home Guard record office.

Happy hunting!

Ian

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