jhall Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 HI Everyone I was wondering if any records for Indian rank and file service records survive and if the do where a they held many thanks james Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellis1918 Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 National Archives of India ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew B. Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 James, No rank and file service records are available in India or anywhere else. Some are rumoured to survive with individual regiments but they are strictly off limits to the likes of us. Sorry, Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 I'm told all the medal cards were scrapped years ago. I know there are some records at the regimental level, as the late General Chand Das got me some information on a 104th Wellesley's Rifles Rifleman. But I agree these days nil chance of getting any information. For Viceroy's Commissioned Officers there is the Indian Army List. A search on Geoff's database can tell you when men with numbers close to your man were killed. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhall Posted 9 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 June , 2014 thank you all for the info seems a shame that no records survive once again many thanks james Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalist Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 I'm told all the medal cards were scrapped years ago. I know there are some records at the regimental level, as the late General Chand Das got me some information on a 104th Wellesley's Rifles Rifleman. But I agree these days nil chance of getting any information. For Viceroy's Commissioned Officers there is the Indian Army List. A search on Geoff's database can tell you when men with numbers close to your man were killed. Michael A few medal cards do seem to have survived to be scanned/indexed: see, eg, these from Lives of WWI/TNA: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/115873 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1101388 https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/3905208 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D5028916 https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/357534 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1343229 Sampling on surnames suggests that most are in various admin/support units; these three are all infantry regiments, though, and so absolutely clear they were Indian Army units and not Indians serving elsewhere. Not sure why this batch survived, but someone might be able to spot an obvious pattern Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 There are some files available at the National Archives in India but there are no details known (date, type of regiment, whether deaths are included, etc) about which files survive There are some details on the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Indian Army, section National Archives of India http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php/Indian_Army#National_Archives_of_India There are also files at the Adjutant General's Office in Delhi which were seen by a researcher who visited Delhi earlier this year. These are probably the same files as accessible through the National Archives of India, (which is also in Delhi) but this has not yet been clarified. Service numbers are required. Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushfighter Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Apparently the medal cards were in boxes that filled an office. When the office was needed the boxes and contents were burned. Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Johnson Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 A few medal cards do seem to have survived to be scanned/indexed: see, eg, these from Lives of WWI/TNA: https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/115873 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1101388 https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/3905208 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D5028916 https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/357534 / http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1343229 Sampling on surnames suggests that most are in various admin/support units; these three are all infantry regiments, though, and so absolutely clear they were Indian Army units and not Indians serving elsewhere. Not sure why this batch survived, but someone might be able to spot an obvious pattern Andrew. Where medals were issued from the UK - the GSM with South Persia, Iraq, and Kurdistan, and the Africa General Service Medal, the rolls and medal cards are in the U.K. and are in National Archives and on Ancestry. But they won't show entitlement to First War Medals, since those were generally issued in India. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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