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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

advice wanted


Guest lacharna1

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Guest lacharna1

Hi,

I know this is not strickly GW related (Person was in the GW though), but I was hoping someone could point us in the right direction.

Is there some where online to look for records of persons who were in the army before the war........

Leonard Smith aged 18, Notts/Derby Reg, Normanton Barracks 1901.

We were hoping to be able to get more info.

Thanks

Lacharna

Australia

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Lacharna

There are plenty of pre WW1 records in the WO 363 series and WO 364 series held at the National Archives. Some of these are now available on-line via the Ancestry website. If you have any other details about Leonard Smith - like his WW1 army number for instance - post them on the forum. Somebody here may already have him on a database.

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Lacharna

I have often seen pre-WW1 records included in the WW1 papers,that is if someone has signed back on again after pre-war service. In these cases if the WW1 records have been destroyed by bombing/fire in 1940 then so have the pre-war ones.

I am not sure if everyone serving as a Regular had to sign new attestation from the outbreak of the war,if so then the papers seem to have been amalgamated in one new (at the time) file.

As your man had both service records it is likely that you have the same 30% chance that there are any of his records left to read.

Sotonmate

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Hi,

I know this is not strickly GW related (Person was in the GW though), but I was hoping someone could point us in the right direction.

Is there some where online to look for records of persons who were in the army before the war........

Leonard Smith aged 18, Notts/Derby Reg, Normanton Barracks 1901.

We were hoping to be able to get more info.

Thanks

Lacharna

Australia

Hi, I have checked the medal rolls for The Sherwood Foresters 1st/2nd and 4th Battalions including Mounted Infantry WO100/192, WO100/336 and slightly earlier WO100/88 and there is no mention of a Leonard (L) Smith. This still does not mean that he didn't serve with them, these rolls only cover the Boer War and slightly earlier Tirah Campaign. He could still have been present at Normanton Barracks in 1901, a little more information on Leonard is required. ;) BRONNO.

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Welcome to the forum Lacharna

If Leonard left the army and didn't serve at all in WWI, there might be records for him in the UK National Archives servies WO 97. If he signed on for 12 years adult service, that would have ended around 1913 however; he could have signed on to complete 18 or 21 years in which case he would have been still serving in 1914. Unless he had a serious impediment I think that he is more likely that he served in WWI than he didn't.

Have you seen this useful site:

http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad.htm

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