2nd lieutenant walter d. archer

[kenarcher]

joined westmorland and cumberland yeomanry in 1914. killed in action april 25th 1918 when in west yorks.I think in 2nd battle of Kemmel Ridge. Name on the wall at Tyne Cot as body not recovered. Can someone advise me of the best places to obtain information about his service records.

[Standard Bearer]

These pages on The Long, Long Trail should, hopefully, point you in the right direction

http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/research.html

http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/officersrecord.html

[John_Hartley]

His service file, assuming it still exists, will be at the National Archives in the WO339, or WO374 collections.

[Stebie9173]

His service file, mentioned above, is indexed under "Walker" Dunlop Archer in WO 374:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C672218

He was commissioned on 31 October 1917:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30383/supplement/11831

His name has been misspelt (again) on the medal index card as "Wallar" with Walter Dunlop appended underneath. Ancestry has indexed the name as "Wallar Archer", No. 2197 and 315203 in the Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry and then as Second Lieutenant with the West Yorkshire Regiment. His medal card shows he embarked to Egypt on 10-7-1915.

Steve.

[kenarcher]

thank you all, the 2197 is correct steve but he was never sent to egypt.

[Stebie9173]

His medal card reports otherwise:

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1262/30850_A000040-01144/129756?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26db%3dMedalRolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn_x%3dXO%26gsln%3darcher%26gsln_x%3dXO%26_F00061C3%3dyorkshire%26dbOnly%3d_F00061C3%257c_F00061C3_x%252c_F8007A65%257c_F8007A65_x%26_F00061C3_x%3d1%26uidh%3d5k3%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d95%26h%3d129756%26recoff%3d10%26fsk%3dBEFYO6YIgAAE7gABrKM-61-%26bsk%3d%26pgoff%3d%26ml_rpos%3d96&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

(Ancestry link - you may need a subscription)

However, the Regiment went to France & Flanders in July 1915 (the squadrons split between different Divisions) so there may be a mistake. Going with 15th (Scottish) Division as part of "B" Squadron may make more sense.

Steve.