Attestation books - where they were sent by the MOD/Nat Archives

[Justinth]

Hi Everyone

Below is a list received as part of a recent Freedom of Information request about the post WW1 Attestation books that were sent out from the MOD/Kew in the early 2000s. The list is from 2005 (the most recent list that the National Archives have) and so some of the addresses may be out of date/museums merged. There was also the notable omission of the Herts and Beds Attestation books which are in the Bedfordshire Archives (I have included their helpful article about this type of record can be found here ). There are likely to be other omissions and it would be great if members of the forum could put changes/any museums/archives omitted into this thread.

The attestation records for the Tank Corps and the Royal Artillery can be found on Findmypast.

I have also posted this information on WW2Talk. The primary interest here is for anyone looking for the record of a WW1 soldier who re-attested just after the war and whose earlier service record no longer survives.

Regards

Justin



Adjutant General's Corps Museum Collection
Peninsula Barracks
Romsey Road
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 8TS


Airborne Forces Museum
Browning Barracks
Aldershot
Hampshire GU11 2BU


Regimental Museum
Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
The Castle
Stirling FK8 1EH

Army Medical Services Museum
Keogh Barracks
Ash Vale
Aldershot
Hampshire GU12 5RQ


Army Physical Training Corps Museum
Army School of Physical Training
Queen's Avenue
Aldershot
Hampshire GU11 2LB


Black Watch Museum
Balhousie Castle
Hay Street
Perth PH1 5 HR

Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Museum
Low Parks Museum
129 Muir Street
Hamilton
South Lanarkshire ML3 6BJ


Cheshire Military Museum
The Castle
Chester CH1 2DN

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum
The Keep
Bodmin
Cornwall PL31 1EG

Duke of Wellington's Regiment Museum
Bankfield Museum
Boothtown Road
Halifax HX3 6HG

Durham Light Infantry Museum Collection
Durham Art Gallery
Aykley Heads
Durham City
Co Durham DH1 5TU


Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland
The Abbot's Tower
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick
Northumberland NE66 1NG

Gordon Highlanders Museum
St Luke's
Viewfield Road
Aberdeen AB15 7XH

Green Howards Regimental Museum
Trinity Church Square
Richmond
North Yorkshire DL10 4QN

Guards Museum
Wellington Barracks
Birdcage Walk
London SW1E 6HQ


For the Herts & Beds Regiment:
Beds & Luton Archives & Records Service
Riverside Building,
Borough Hall,
Bedford
Bedfordshire, MK42 9AP


Honourable Artillery Company Museum
Armoury House
City Road
London EC1Y 2BQ

Household Cavalry Museum
Combermere Barracks
St Leonard's Road
Windsor
Berkshire SL4 3DN


Infantry & Small Arms School Corps
Weapons Collection
HQ SASC
Land Warfare Centre
Warminster
Wiltshire BA12 0DJ

Intelligence Corps Museum
Defence Intelligence and Security Centre
Chicksands
nr. Shefford
Bedfordshire SG17 5PR


King's Own Royal Border Regiment Museum
Queen Mary's Tower
The Castle
Carlisle
Cumbria CA3 8UR

King's Own Royal Regiment Museum
City Museum
Market Square
Lancaster LA1 1HT

King's Own Scottish Borderers
Regimental Museum
The Barracks
Berwick-upon-Tweed
TD15 1DG

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Museum Collection
Light Infantry Office (Yorks)
Wakefield Road
Pontefract WF8 4ES


King's Regiment Museum Collection
Museum of Life
Pier Head
Liverpool L3 1PZ


Lancashire Fusiliers Regimental Museum
Lancashire Headquarters
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Wellington Barracks
Bury
Lancashire BL8 2PL


Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum
139 Botanic Road
Wavertree
Liverpool


London Scottish Regiment Museum
95 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 2DX


Manchester Regiment Museum
Tameside Local Studies Library &
Archives Centre
Old Street
Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7SG


Military Museum of Devon & Dorset
The Keep
Bridport Road
Dorchester
Dorset DT1 1RN


For the Middlesex Regiment:
Dept of Archives, Photographs, Film and Sound
National Army Museum
Royal Hospital Road
Chelsea
London SW3 4HT


Regimental Museum
Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire
3 Tower Street
York YO1 9SB


Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum
Fulwood Barracks
Watling Street Road
Preston
Lancashire PR2 8AA


Queen's Own Highlanders Museum
Fort George
Ardersier
Inverness-shire IV2 7TD


Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Museum Collection
Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery
St Faith's Street
Maidstone
Kent ME14 1LH

Royal Anglian Regiment Museum
Land Warfare Hall
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Cambridge CB2 4QR


James Clavell Library
Royal Artillery Historical Trust
Royal Arsenal
Woolwich SE18 6ST


REME Museum of Technology
Isaac Newton Road
Arborfield
Berkshire RG2 9NJ

Royal Engineers Museum of Military Engineering
Brompton Barracks
Prince Arthur Road
Gillingham
Kent ME4 4UG

Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire & Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury) Museum
The Wardrobe
58 The Close
Salisbury
Wiltshire SP1 2EX

Royal Green Jackets Museum
Peninsula Barracks
Romsey Road
Winchester
Hants SO23 8TS

Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum
Serle's House
Southgate Street
Winchester SO23 9EG

Royal Highland Fusiliers Museum
518 Sauciehall Street
Glasgow G2 3LW

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum
The Castle
Enniskillen
Co Fermanagh BT74 7HL

Royal Irish Fusiliers Regimental Museum
Sovereign's House
The Mall
Armagh
Co Armagh BT61 9DI

Royal Irish Regiment Museum
St Patrick's Barracks
Ballymena
Co Antrim BT43 7BH


Royal Logistic Corps Museum
Dettingen House
The Princess Royal Barracks
Deepcut GU16 6RW


Royal Military Police Museum
Roussillon Barracks
Broyle Road
Chichester
West Sussex PO19 6BL


Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (London) Museum
HM Tower of London
London EC3N 4AB

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum (Royal Warwickshire)
St John's House
Warwick CV34 4NF

Royal Regiment of Wales Regimental Museum
The Barracks
Brecon
Powys LD3 7EB

Royal Scots Regimental Museum
The Castle
Edinburgh EH1 2YT

Royal Signals Museum
Blandford Camp
Blandford Forum
Dorset DT11 8RH

Royal Sussex Regiment Museum Collection
c/o West Sussex Record Office
County Hall
Chichester PO19 1RN


Royal Ulster Rifles Museum
5 Waring Street
Belfast BT1 2EW

Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum
The Castle
Caernarfon
Gwynedd LL55 2AY


Sandhurst Collection
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Camberley
Surrey GU15 4PQ

SAS Regimental Association
PO Box 35051
London NW1 4WF

Shropshire Regimental Museum
The Castle
Shrewsbury
Shropshire SY1 2AT

Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum
RHQ RGBW
Custom House
31 Commercial Road
Gloucester GL1 2HE

(Somerset Military Museum)
Light Infantry Office
14 Mount Street
Taunton TA1 3QE


Staffordshire Regiment Museum
Whittington Barracks
Lichfield
Staffordshire WS14 9PY


Surrey History Centre
130 Goldsworth Road
Woking
Surrey GU21 6ND

Tank Museum
Bovington
Dorset BH20 6JG

Welch Regiment Museum of the Royal Regiment of Wales
The Black and Barbican Towers
The Castle
Cardiff CF10 2RB

Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters
Regiment Museum
Regimental Headquarters
Norton Barracks
Worcester WR5 2PA


York & Lancaster Regiment Museum
Central Library & Arts Centre
Walker Place
Rotherham
South Yorkshire S65 1JH

[kildaremark]

I wonder what happened to the books of the disbanded Irisb regiments albeit only covering 1920-22?

[Justinth]

Hi Kildaremark

They (together with the Buffs and the Middlesex Regiment) are in the National Army Museum (which is closed to 1st September 2014 due to redevelopment):

'National Army Museum/Templer Study Centre (The museum houses a wealth of information on the history and traditions of the Army including officer Army Lists, regimental and campaign histories, soldier's effects records, military memoirs and diaries, regimental and other military periodicals and books and other archives relating to the pre-1914 Army. The museum also holds the enlistment and discharge books for the Buffs, the Middlesex Regiment, and the five Irish regiments disbanded in 1922. See the web site for details of their collections and a series of information sheets for researching army family history)'

http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/army--soldiers-documents-pension-amp-service-records--other-ranks-before-1914-military/22/

Justin

[Justinth]

An update for the Durham records from Mr Jinks on the WW2 Talk forum:

'The Durham ones are catalogued as Enlistment and Discharge books there are also Non Effective Books which list capture ,wounded, dead = discharge. These are no longer held at the DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY MUSEUM who no longer hold any paper/photographic material .The books were transferred to Micro Film and are viewable by appointment at

The Durham Records Office

County Hall

Durham City

DH1 5UL

Kyle

THESE RECORDS CANNOT BE PHOTOGRAPHED'

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/54081-attestation-books-where-they-were-sent-by-the-modnat-archives/?p=631557

[Justinth]

Thanks to Eric Hook Keeper of the Essex Regiment Museum for the following information:

'These consist of 33 Volumes- 1920 to 1942

1 “Odds” Volume- transferees in 1920-39

14 Volumes- “Odds” and General Service Corps transferees in 1939-47

3 Section D Pool Reserve Volumes 1920-39

1 Home Defence Battalion Volume which appears to be the second and sole survivor of a series of volumes of as yet unknown size.

There is a discontinuity in our numbering series which consists of men who enlisted in the 1^st/6^th Essex (64 Searchlight Regiment) and 2/6^TH Essex (65 Searchlight Regiment), 1938-40. These men were ultimately transferred to the RA in August 1940 and so the 2 volumes are with “Firepower”. This Museum kindly supplied photocopies of these 2 volumes.

In terms of usage and access to information the first 17 volumes of the main series of 33 are now in their entirety entered on our database together with half of volume 18 and the first of the 2 RA Volumes. '

[stabilis]

Technically they are Enlistment rather than Attestation Registers - Army Book 358.

The Suffolk Regiment set is in the Suffolk Record Office at Bury St Edmunds, reference numbers GB554/A16/52/1-33. The first three volumes are particularly useful for details of Great War service.

[Sepoy]

Just to advise you that the Airborne Forces Museum, Aldershot closed a couple of years ago and moved to Duxford.

Sepoy

[mandy hall]

The Royal Military Police Museum, is no longer at Roussillon Barracks Chichester (now a housing estate). It moved to Southwick Park Hampshire in 2007.

http://www.rhqrmp.org/rmp_museum.html

Mandy

[clive_hughes]

The Royal Welch Fusiliers registers are not at Caernarfon but currently in storage along with most of the regiment's archives. It is hoped to make them available again shortly.

Clive

[seaforths]

Cameron Highlanders are at Fort George Highlanders Museum. No-one seems to know of the whereabouts of the ones for Seaforth Highlanders. They are not at Fort George.

[Justinth]

From the Lincolnshire Archives website for the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment:

'Registers of soldiers (Army Book 358)

 Reference Name REGI/3

Volume numbers 1 to 8 and 3/29 provide the following information: army number, name, date of attestation (in cases where a soldier re-joined the army, the date of re-enlistment is also given), age on attestation , place of attestation, trade on enlistment (profession), place of birth, name of spouse/next-of-kin, address of next of kin, details of campaigns/wound/medals, date of discharge, place of discharge, cause of discharge, rank on discharge, address on discharge and particulars of former service.

Volume numbers 9-28 provide the following information: army number, name and details of transfer to another corps or cause of becoming non-effective.

There is an index of names at the back of each volume.

Repository: Lincolnshire Archives [057]'

http://www.lincstothepast.com/Registers-of-soldiers--Army-Book-358-/986152.record?pt=S

[Justinth]

From a 2010 post by Bootneck:

'THE QUEEN’S ROYAL REGIMENT (WEST SURREY) AND THE EAST SURREY REGIMENT: ENLISTMENT REGISTERS, TRANSFERS-IN/OUT REGISTERS, ANNUAL DISCHARGES BOOKS AND WORLD WAR II HONOURS INDEXES, 1892-1958 (Surrey History Centre reference: 7791/-)

Related records

For the archives of the two regiments, formerly held at the Queen’s Royal Surrey Regimental Museum, see QRWS and ESR. For recruitment registers (Army Book 303) of the 2nd (Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment) and 31st (East Surrey Regiment) Regimental Recruiting Districts, 1908-1933, see 2496/-.'

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=148375&p=1425714

[Justinth]

From RemeDesertRat on WW2 Talk:

'The York and Lancaster regimental museum has moved to Clifton Park Museum.'

Clifton Lane

Rotherham

South Yorkshire

S65 2AA

[Justinth]

Mr Jinks on WW2 Talk provided a link to an old thread suggesting that some of the books had been destroyed if there were no takers for them: http://tinyurl.com/otv3pk6

What would now would be useful is if members of the forum could please indicate where they cannot find these records available for a particular regiment they are interested in. I have added those available for the Irish Regiments which were disbanded in 1922, the Lincolnshire Regiment and the Buffs.

At present we are missing (according to members of the forums):

1) Seaforth Highlanders

2) London Irish Rifles (may be in Museum)

Can any more missing regiments be identified?

Regards

Justin

[seaforths]

Mr Jinks on WW2 Talk provided a link to an old thread suggesting that some of the books had been destroyed if there were no takers for them: http://tinyurl.com/otv3pk6

What would now would be useful is if members of the forum could please indicate where they cannot find these records available for a particular regiment they are interested in. I have added those available for the Irish Regiments which were disbanded in 1922, the Lincolnshire Regiment and the Buffs.

At present we are missing (according to members of the forums):

1) Seaforth Highlanders

2) London Irish Rifles (may be in Museum)

Can any more missing regiments be identified?

Regards

Justin

Thanks for posting that Justin. I do find it strange that if they were offered to museums that the Highlanders Museum would have accepted the Cameron Hrs. records and rejected the Seaforth Hrs. records - doesn't make sense, surely they would have accepted both as being equally important.

[Justinth]

Thanks for posting that Justin. I do find it strange that if they were offered to museums that the Highlanders Museum would have accepted the Cameron Hrs. records and rejected the Seaforth Hrs. records - doesn't make sense, surely they would have accepted both as being equally important.

Hi Seaforths

I think I have some good news for you. Amanda (then at the Highlanders Museum in 2008) copied out an entry from the enlistment books for the Seaforths after an enquiry on Rootschat:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=417809.msg2893774#msg2893774

'amandawil

• RootsChat Pioneer
• 
• Posts: 1
• Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
• • 

Re: Seaforth Highlanders

« Reply #14 on: Friday 11 December 09 17:17 GMT (UK) »

Dear Sir,

My name is Amanda from the Highlanders Museum. Your posted message was sent to me so I thought I would have a deep search in to the archive. We do not hold Personal Service Records at the Museum. These are held in Glasgow at the Army Personnel Centre, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow as he was still in service in 1942.

After several days of digging, as there is a few John Hamilton's (Middle names are not always included), I have found your Grandfather. His service number is 2810966. I have photocopied the Enlistment Book where I found the information so please get in touch with me on Monday (I won't be in till noon) on 0131 310 8701 and I will discuss what I have found and get your address to forward it to.

I hope this help in your search as it is a joy of my job when I can help families find out about their relatives.

Take Care

Amanda'

[seaforths]

Hi Seaforths

I think I have some good news for you. Amanda (then at the Highlanders Museum in 2008) copied out an entry from the enlistment books for the Seaforths after an enquiry on Rootschat:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=417809.msg2893774#msg2893774

'amandawil

• RootsChat Pioneer
• 
• Posts: 1
• Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
• 

Re: Seaforth Highlanders

« Reply #14 on: Friday 11 December 09 17:17 GMT (UK) »

Dear Sir,

My name is Amanda from the Highlanders Museum. Your posted message was sent to me so I thought I would have a deep search in to the archive. We do not hold Personal Service Records at the Museum. These are held in Glasgow at the Army Personnel Centre, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow as he was still in service in 1942.

After several days of digging, as there is a few John Hamilton's (Middle names are not always included), I have found your Grandfather. His service number is 2810966. I have photocopied the Enlistment Book where I found the information so please get in touch with me on Monday (I won't be in till noon) on 0131 310 8701 and I will discuss what I have found and get your address to forward it to.

I hope this help in your search as it is a joy of my job when I can help families find out about their relatives.

Take Care

Amanda'

Well I never!!!! I spent practically a whole day last summer at the Highlander's Museum with Amanda the archivist. It was she that told me that they only held the enlistment books for the Cameron Hrs. and unfortunately not for the Seaforth Hrs.! To say I am flabbergasted is an understatement after reading your post.

I will be phoning them tomorrow as I intend to visit Fort George sometime mid-end of August and wanted to book another session with the archivist anyway. I will make sure, if I can, that Amanda is available when I visit. I will also make sure that I have a screen shot of that last post up on my iPad when I do visit.

Sincere thanks again Justin for your digging around and I will post on any information gleaned on my return from Fort George!

[Justinth]

Thanks to Bexley from WW2 Talk for an update on whether the London Irish Rifles Museum has the London Irish Enlistment books in their collection. They do not and so the disposition of these books is currently unknown.

Bexley also checked with an another regiment with which the London Irish were associated with, the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum and they do not have the London Irish enlistenment books either. However Gavin Glass at the RUR Museum has confirmed that his museum has books (not clear whether just the enlistment books or discharge books etc as well) for the Royal Ulster Rifles 1921-1927.

[seaforths]

Hi Seaforths

I think I have some good news for you. Amanda (then at the Highlanders Museum in 2008) copied out an entry from the enlistment books for the Seaforths after an enquiry on Rootschat:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=417809.msg2893774#msg2893774

'amandawil

• RootsChat Pioneer
• 
• Posts: 1
• Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
• • 

Re: Seaforth Highlanders

« Reply #14 on: Friday 11 December 09 17:17 GMT (UK) »

Dear Sir,

My name is Amanda from the Highlanders Museum. Your posted message was sent to me so I thought I would have a deep search in to the archive. We do not hold Personal Service Records at the Museum. These are held in Glasgow at the Army Personnel Centre, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow as he was still in service in 1942.

After several days of digging, as there is a few John Hamilton's (Middle names are not always included), I have found your Grandfather. His service number is 2810966. I have photocopied the Enlistment Book where I found the information so please get in touch with me on Monday (I won't be in till noon) on 0131 310 8701 and I will discuss what I have found and get your address to forward it to.

I hope this help in your search as it is a joy of my job when I can help families find out about their relatives.

Take Care

Amanda'

Justin,

just re-reading the post. The screen shot seems to refer to a WW2 man so I am wondering if this is WW2 enlistment books they have and not WW1 enlistment books...

[barrieduncan]

If I remember correctly, the books covering The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) cover 1920-1934/5; they certainly don't cover any of the Second World War, which is a shame. For soldiers who served in the Great War and stayed in the Regiment, the entries can often be quite detailed. I'm amazed that the NA got rid of them in the first place, but their loss is certainly our gain!

[seaforths]

If I remember correctly, the books covering The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) cover 1920-1934/5; they certainly don't cover any of the Second World War, which is a shame. For soldiers who served in the Great War and stayed in the Regiment, the entries can often be quite detailed. I'm amazed that the NA got rid of them in the first place, but their loss is certainly our gain!

Seems that the enlistments were possibly split into different pieces. Therefore it could be quite correct that they don't hold WW1 Seaforth enlistments which is what they told me last year. It's a crying shame that TNA couldn't keep them together in one place. Sadly, their loss will not be everyone else's gain only for those lucky enough to have them picked up by the museums. I'm just about to give the museum a ring which I had meant to do a while ago but other things overtook me. I will ask them again though - just to be sure.

[MaureenE]

Seems that the enlistments were possibly split into different pieces. Therefore it could be quite correct that they don't hold WW1 Seaforth enlistments which is what they told me last year.

As mentioned in the original post, these records are post WW1, which commenced in 1920. They would cover WW1 soldiers who were still in the Army in 1920, but not WW1 enlistments generally.

Cheers

Maureen

[seaforths]

As mentioned in the original post, these records are post WW1, which commenced in 1920. They would cover WW1 soldiers who were still in the Army in 1920, but not WW1 enlistments generally.

Cheers

Maureen

I am referring specifically to WW1 enlistment rolls. The museum told me that they had WW1 enlistment for Cameron Highlanders but not Seaforth. Concurrent service I realise is a different matter and those would be subject to different storage but for those researching men who only served in WW1 it can be a bit problematic trying to find information regarding their enlistment date if the records have vanished

[barrieduncan]

As I understand it, and assuming we're all talking about the same books/registers, these were created in 1920 to record soldiers given new, unique, Army Numbers. They contain records for many soldiers who had wartime service and who remained/re-enlisted in the army, but they do not actually cover the war years. I haven't heard of similar books that cover 1914-1918.

[seaforths]

Hello Justin,

I managed to get through to the museum yesterday I spoke with Amanda. There are no enlistment records for the Seaforth WW1 but there are some for afterwards but very patchy with large gaps. She said anyone with a query was better to send them an email with name, regimental number etc. and they will see if they hold anything on that particular man. Cameron, different story. They have records going back donkeys I think pre-WW1 she said.

The thing is that I can remember the conversation with her from my visit last year on this subject. The Seaforth in general as compared to other regiments well, some of the battalions in particular were very poor at record keeping and retaining records. If there wasn't a requirement to file these things with the War Office, it could be possible that they were destroyed at source ie Seaforth destroyed their own records after a given time period. I don't know if they had to submit these enlistment rolls to a central point but Seaforth were well spread out with bases at Golspie, Cromarty, and Fort George. My granddad enlisted in Elgin, one of his cousins enlisted at Fort George and the others enlisted pre-war at Fochabers and Garmouth and those half dozen were just 6th Bn.

So unless someone finds them dumped in a skip or on a rubbish tip somewhere for WW1...