New FIBIS database "WW1 British Officers of the Indian Army and Royal Marine" includes some GRO "War Deaths Indian Servi

[MaureenE]

Full title: New FIBIS database "WW1 British Officers of the Indian Army and Royal Marine" includes some GRO "War Deaths Indian Services 1914-1921".

FIBIS has introduced a new (free) database "WW1 British Officers of the Indian Army and Royal Marine". These are deaths located in Military records/Military Rolls & Lists/Casualty Lists.  I saw one record where the man was in the British Army, so there may be more of these.

https://search.fibis.org/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=1257&s_id=378

There are two constituent databases which can be searched separately if required, or the above link enables the two databases to be searched together. One database contains men who were previously in the Indian Civil Service, and their previous occupation is listed. I suspect the other database also includes men who were in the ICS, but the specific information may not have been known. The record I saw where the man was in the British Army was in the Indian Civil Service sub group.

These  are Index records (no images) which were transcribed by previous GWF member Noel Clark a few years ago, but have only now been released.

The data includes some, but not all,  Index records from a GRO database  "War Deaths Indian Services 1914-1921", transcribed from a Library in Melbourne. Unfortunately what was available at that lIbrary  was not complete. Index records from this database are not otherwise available, and if there is a GRO database reference, you can order a death certificate from the GRO.

There is more information about this GRO database on the FIBIS Fibiwiki page Chaplains Returns, section Accessing the above British Army Overseas Indexes https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Chaplains_Returns#Accessing_the_above_British_Army_Overseas_Indexes   (scroll down). The GRO has stated that their database "should include all ranks and not just officers", and you can ask the GRO to search their database, even if you do not have a reference. It may only apply to those of English/Welsh background excluding those born in India, or of Scottish, or Irish background.

Generally you would expect these men to have records on the CWGC website, but there may be some additional information available from the FIBIS data.

Maureen