Query re. Pensions records

[clive_hughes]

Hi,

I've been asked about the WW1 soldiers' Pensions papers and my knowledge of them isn't up to date: can someone enlighten me?

I gathered years ago that all the old War Pensions files were at Fylde, under the auspices of the Pensions Service. I assume they were fairly complete as a series, and included medical and service details.

I know that fairly recently, some at least of these individuals' files have been moved to Kew under PIN classifications, but my attempts to locate them on the NA website suggest that they hold only a sample?

Does this mean that the others are still stored? Or have they been shredded? One used to be able to refer next-of-kin to Fylde in the hope that the files could be found and copied for them - in the 80s I saw a xerox of one such file shown me by the family, so it was possible.

A great pity if the remainder were pulped; since with the destruction of so many of the ordinary Service records in the Blitz, and then the botched "sampling" of the Wounded files in the 1970s, the records of individuals who served (& suffered) through the Great War seem to be inexorably diminishing.

But perhaps I'm being pessimistic and premature - can anyone comment please?

Thanks,

LST_164

[wilkokcl]

i'm not sure what the policy was on moving the PIN pensions series to the PRO but i've certainly seen quite a few there and they are very comprehensive files.

One I've studied contained 50+ pages of information and covered from his wounding in 1915 up to and beyond his death in the 1970s. If you're lucky enough to find one, they can be extremely useful to researching individual soldiers.

Mark

[wilkokcl]

There's usually informatin on "The Long Long Trail" website to answer questions like this. It seems that a sample of pension files had been removed from the storage before it was burnt in 1940.

Pensions

Like the burnt service records themselves I guess it may be a bit of a random sample as to what survived and what didn't. But maybe someone else can tell you more......

Mark

[Bernard_Lewis]

They're in PIN26 at the NA. A bit hit and miss but I did find Medical Board reports which gave useful information on the precise nature of wounds and consequent disability. Well worth a try and you can search the record series by name online. Having an uncommon surname helps, as usual!

Bernard

[clive_hughes]

Thanks pals,

I'll follow up the leads you've so kindly provided.

Regards,

LST_164