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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Service Records.


larneman

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Hello one and all,

This question may have been asked before but as a newbie I hope you will answer it again.

What records are at the PRO, Kew Gardens and which are not. I thought those up to pre-1920 are at the Kew and post 1920 somewhere else. During my websearch I came across this at http://www.gaia.edu/genclass/208/gen208_9.htm

""Military records are potentially of great genealogical value but they are difficult to use because few are indexed and some are unavailable outside of the Public Record Office. There are not many available at the FHC.

Individual military units (army regiment or navy ship) kept records on individuals. Pre-1914 records are at the Public Record Office, Kew. Post-1914 army records are at:

Army Records Centre

Bourne Avenue

Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF

Post - 1914 Navy records are at:

Ministry of Defense

Main Building, Whitehall SW1A 2 HB""

If I want to research servicemen from that joined befor WW1 and during WW1, is it the PRO or is it Army Record Center?

Lastly during WW2 burnt, watersoaked, damaged WW1 records are keep where and is anything being done to reclaim them??

greetings from Hoogwoud,

Liam

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Liam

The information you have there is incorrect.

The records for men in the army up to 1921 (?) are at the PRO(now the NA). The records of those who stayed in the forces after that date or joined later are with the army and are not generally accessable except to relatives.

The WW1 'other ranks' army records were mainly destroyed by bombing in WW2 but about 25% of these survived - often in a burnt/damaged condition. These have been microfilmed and the films are available at the PRO/NA. You cannot see the originals. Most officer army records have survived as they were not involved in the bombing incident and they are also at the PRO.

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Liam

researching a soldier

the above URL is to the main site which answers all your questions.

In brief Army records for men who died/left service up to 1922 are at the PRO Kew. Only about 25% survive (ranks) and most/all officer records still exist.

If they werte still in service after 1922 then thier records will be with the MOD.

Hope that helps a bit

Leigh

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That Terry Denham and his super fast typing ......

:lol:

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Thanks Terry for the information and Leigh for that great URL.

One of my Co. Antrim Genealogy mailing list users from Australia was wondering as a few years ago she was unable to get her fathers record. She had this interesting titbit. I have read about father and son or brothers in uniform fighting near each other without knowing it but this was a new twist.

Pat Banks wrote:

> My father was in the Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry. His father was born Millbay,

> Islandmagee, was a mariner and settled in Devon when he met my grandmother!

> An interesting fact is that both he and my grandfather were at Gallipoli - my

> father on shore and his father in one of the merchant supply ships standing

> off shore. Until the end of the war neither knew that the other had been so

> close.

again thanks, it is great to receive such good positive feedback.

Liam

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Actually the cut off date everyone is trying to guess is 1 January 1921.

Records of people who served and left the Army before that date are at the NA.

Records of men who served after that date are at the MOD in Glasgow.

There are plenty of previous threads about this subject form which to get the contact details.

Ian

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That Ian Bowbrick and his accurate dates....

:rolleyes:

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Guest Ian Bowbrick
That Ian Bowbrick and his accurate dates....

:rolleyes:

Well I have been misled in the past by the staff at the NA and it was a real pain in the heart of Midlothian when you are trying to reserach a soldier who was discharged in 1920.

However I have come across records of men who served in the mid 1920s in WO 363. The files are such a mess and perhaps before promising to put them on-line, they should be properly sorted into alpha order.

Ian

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Ian,

While were here, in my research I have a database primerily based on CWGC data. I am cross refing this to SDGW and I have a number of men missing in SDGW all who died late on 1919 and later.

Am I right in thinking this is just due to the cut off of SDGW being earlier than CWGC? if so what wa sthat date.

Regards

Leigh

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

There are differences between CWGC and SDGW, on the whole CWGC is more accurate, although we certainly know of people who the CWGC have missed of!

Terry D will be able to give you more details of CWGC cut off times.

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90% of the guys I have not found on SDGW are all late deaths 1919, 1920 etc. So I am guessing that the SDGW cutoff was before CWGC. I know of the chances of inacuracies etc.

L.

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Leigh

Ian is right.

CWGC has a strict cut-off date of 31.08.21. Nothing after that. (31.12.47 for WW2).

SDGW only has 1869 names in 1919 (inc officers) and then only 27 in 1920 and one solitary record for 1921.

However, you will find a large number also missing from SDGW in 1918 - particularly those who died in the UK.

Most of those missing from CWGC are those who were discharged and then died. They need proof that death was due to service and hence their omission. Some will definately qualify for inclusion but some won't.

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Thats what I thought then Terry :)

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Pals,

To pick up on a comment Ian made

"However I have come across records of men who served in the mid 1920s in WO 363. The files are such a mess and perhaps before promising to put them on-line, they should be properly sorted into alpha order."

Do I take it that the WO 363 (and WO 364 ?) series are to be made available online? Excellent if indeed true, but I wouldn't expect to see it completed in a hurry!

Hopefully,

Steve

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Guest Ian Bowbrick
Pals,

To pick up on a comment Ian made

"However I have come across records of men who served in the mid 1920s in WO 363. The files are such a mess and perhaps before promising to put them on-line, they should be properly sorted into alpha order."

Do I take it that the WO 363 (and WO 364 ?) series are to be made available online? Excellent if indeed true, but I wouldn't expect to see it completed in a hurry!

Hopefully,

Steve

Steve,

In short No.

I was told by a member of NA staff that there has been some discussion about it, but no more than that.

Sorry to get your hopes up, but I did chose my words carefully.

Ian

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For post 1921 records for the Army contact the following:-

Army Personnel Centre

Historical Disclosures

Mail Point 400

Kentigern House

65 Brown Street

GLASGOW

G2 8EX

All The Best

Chris

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I wrote to the Glasgow office in July, asking if they could help with info on my Grandfather and Great Grandfather....never even got the courtesy of an acknowledgement. So don't get your hopes up!

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OK - I shall try. Thanks for the tip.

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