Serving at home

[PammieS]

Hello. I am trying to find information on a soldier who was an optician before the war. I can't find him on the medal rolls index which leads me to think he didn't go overseas and my theory is that given his occupation he may have been involved in recruitment. Any ideas where I could find more information on soldiers who served on the home front? Thanks

[CGM]

Hello PammieS.

Welcome to the forum.

I have had a look at The Long, Long Trail (at the top left of the screen) and THIS LINK takes you to a very good place to start.

Was your soldier an officer? If so his service records are only available to see at the National Archives

Otherwise you need to see if his service records survived the WW2 Blitz - see the above link.

Good luck in your search and if you find yourself stuck you could post his name and number for some extra help from the forum.

CGM

[PammieS]

Many thanks CGM.

I'll take a look at this. I am looking for information about this soldier on behalf of someone else and I am not sure of his rank. It is believed that he possibly served with the Northumberland Fusiliers 'tho he was a Londoner. I will seek permission to post the soldier's name. In the meantime, I do research on behalf of the Tynemouth WW1 Commemoration Project and I'm sure I will find the page you directed me to helpful in that.

Kind regards

Pam

[CGM]

You are very welcome.

[kenf48]

Hello. I am trying to find information on a soldier who was an optician before the war. I can't find him on the medal rolls index which leads me to think he didn't go overseas and my theory is that given his occupation he may have been involved in recruitment. Any ideas where I could find more information on soldiers who served on the home front? Thanks

This earlier thread 'Tommy's Specs' http://1914-1918.inv...0

may offer a clue, although there's no guarantee the Army used him as an optician they could just as easily have given him a shovel or a rifle!

If he was commissioned then it should be in the London Gazette even if he did not go overseas. Doctors, or medical practitioners, for example were recruited into the RAMC under different terms and conditions than other soldiers, I don't know if it was the same for opticians.

Ken

[PammieS]

Many thanks Ken, I'll try both of these avenues.

I agree with your point that this soldier may have been given a rifle or a shovel (doing this research, I've realised that anything was possible at that time) and the fact that he was wearing a Northumberland Fusiliers' cap badge would support this. I assumed that an optician would serve with RAMC and be attached to an infantry battalion rather than be part of the battalion but can't find anything to prove or disprove that theory and I still tend to think that he did not go overseas because this is the first time I've failed to find anything on the Medal Roll Index.

Thanks again, I'll let you know if I find anything.

Kind regards

Pam