Where to start looking for missing TF enlistment registers?

[rolt968]

If the regimental museum or archives don't have a TF Battalion's enlistment registers, and they aren't in local or national archives, where do forum members suggest we might start looking?

 

I have been trying to think of trail to follow. So far I have come up with only two thoughts:

 

1. They were passed on to the successor postwar TA Battalions. If so where then?

2. They went with the county TF association records. If so where are they? Records held by the Lord Lieutenants - personally or in their offices?

 

Can anyone add any other trails we might follow?

 

RM

[ss002d6252]

I suppose they could be in any of those particular places but there's a good chance they've possibly been binned.

 

Which battalion ?

 

Craig

[John_Hartley]

County Records Office?

[rolt968]

2 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

I suppose they could be in any of those particular places but there's a good chance they've possibly been binned.

 

Which battalion ?

 

Craig

 

Quite a lot or no particular one, but the one I could use most often would be 5 Black Watch, where I am looking for men who either didn't serve overseas or not in 5 Black Watch.

 

I suspect that you are right. I have found with some other records that they were sometimes left in buildings which were subsequently sold and or vandalised and lost thereafter.

 

Do you suppose a lot of TF records disappeared when the TA was reorganised in the 1960s and a lot of drill halls were closed?

 

RM

[rolt968]

2 minutes ago, John_Hartley said:

County Records Office?

 

A good idea. They should be in the catalogue; unless they are in a collection which is not catalogued in detail yet.  "Miscellaneous papers from x." Archives and Record Offices are very hard pressed to catalogue collections which are given to them and get them added to online catalogues.

 

RM

[Derek Black]

In the case of the Black Watch, both the Dundee and Perth depots had serious fires, so a good chance they were destroyed.

[rolt968]

5 minutes ago, Derek Black said:

In the case of the Black Watch, both the Dundee and Perth depots had serious fires, so a good chance they were destroyed.

As a matter of interest was that before or after the big reduction of the TA?

 

RM

[Derek Black]

The Dundee drill hall & depot was completely destroyed by fire in 1933.

 

The Perth depot fire was later, but i forget the year.

The former Black Watch archivist told me about it.

[rolt968]

7 minutes ago, Derek Black said:

The Dundee drill hall & depot was completely destroyed by fire in 1933.

 

The Perth depot fire was later, but i forget the year.

The former Black Watch archivist told me about it.

That seems to be the end for 4 and 6 Black Watch records. No hope for 5 or 7, I suppose?

RM

[Derek Black]

I've a feeling the 5ths records would have been in with the 4ths in Dundee.
Amalgamation happend in 1916 until the battalions were reformed in WW2, however they were again amalgamated in 1947 until 1967. So during the Dundee fire they were still the one Btn.

Even if they survived locally, I recently spoke to a guy at Angus archives, he says it's criminal what was thrown out when the reorganisation into Tayside region happened in the 1970's.

 

I'd love them to turn up of course, just not getting my hopes up.