Officer Records of Lt Col's & above?

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I was recently looking onto the WW1 service of a Brigadier. When I went to access his service record, I found his long number, but could not find his file in either WO 374 or 339. My visit to the Enquiry Desk yielded the answer that you will usually only find the files of Majors and below in these catalogues. Further enquiries came up with the information that the service records of Lt Cols and upwards plus the records of RAMC officers were weeded out at some time and retained by the MOD.

Can someone throw any light on this situation? (Tom?)

Much appreciated - Ian

[Bernard_Lewis]

I've seen the files of Lt-Col J.H.Hayes and Lt-Col G.F.Brooke both of 14th Welsh. One (Hayes) I saw on a vist to the PRO; the other I ordered online and was sent copies. Doesn't it depend on whether they served after - I think - 1921? If they did I think the records are with the MOD and a couple of guys I tried to track down seemed to fit in this category and I couldn't get the files at the PRO.

Bernard Lewis

[Jock Bruce]

Ian,

away from home at the moment, so this ain't guaranteed, but all RAMC TF officers' records were deliberately destroyed at some point (I'm sure there's a reference to this in William Spencer's book about WW1 Army Records I think).

Jock

[ttd0]

If you are after RAMC records then I sugget getting in contact with the RAMC museum at Keogh Barracks in Ash Vale, Surrey. I think that they handle enquries.

Tim

[Gary Samson]

Just to follow up Jock's post, under a section on RAMC (temporary) commissions William Spencer writes in Army Service Records of the First World War:

As these officers were a discrete group, they were given their own series of records of service, the 24 Series. Unfortunately, as these RAMC (Temp) officers were only needed for the war, their records were all destroyed after 1920.

This included the service records for Noel Chevasse and James Churchill Dunn.

Gary

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Thanks guys.

Ian

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

I was recently looking onto the WW1 service of a Brigadier. When I went to access his service record, I found his long number, but could not find his file in either WO 374 or 339.

Much appreciated - Ian

Ian - specify (say) WO339 in Procat and then search using terms such as "col", "brig", "gen", - things like that - you'll start to find quite a few men above Major. Also be aware that there are errors in the 339 and 374 paper lists where complete entries have been missed, even though a file exists, or there is an error in the long number so the 339 or 374 number appears out of sequence. Spelling errors in 374 are not uncommon, as are duff initials in both 339 and 374.

You should know better than ask advice at the .....................

regards - Tom

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

what am I talking about - long number in 374 - eejit ! - over enthusiastic typing - sorry

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

Tom,

Many thanks for that. I had a search of the catalogue - some interesting stuff - but not my guy.

Cheers - Ian