national archives WW1 service records

[george french]

Does anyone have any idea how much they charge at Kew to search for a service record and copy it if its one of the saved ones? or has anyone experience of using anyone else to do the search?

[Armoured Farmer]

George,

To start with you should read this information leaflet from the National Archives: -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...p?sLeafletID=18

This gives details of what have to be searched to see if papers survive.

This is the National Archives page expalining research: -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/getting...dmenu_research7

Good Luck

[Pete L]

Does anyone have any idea how much they charge at Kew to search for a service record and copy it if its one of the saved ones? or has anyone experience of using anyone else to do the search?

A magazine like Family Tree Magazine, only available from the likes of WH Smith, has a few dozen researchers advertising in the classified ads.

If you can not provide Regiment or Corps and regimental number, they will need Parish of birth, approx year and month of birth, and next of kin to distinquish one similar name from another. I would ask a researcher in advance how they plan to do it, as well as the cost. If they don't mention both WO 363 and WO 364, and the miss-sorts, try another one.

If you search for the name in the online National Archives, and divide by four, you will get an appreciation of how many files they will need to go through. I suspect you will get quoted about £20, plus £6-8 if they find him for the copying and postage. If there is a chance he served before WW1, and was discharged before 1914, there could be another set of papers in WO97, which are loose in a box, and will take a researcher another 20 minutes to search. A good researcher should ask you if this a possibility.

Pete

[george french]

George,

To start with you should read this information leaflet from the National Archives: -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...p?sLeafletID=18

This gives details of what have to be searched to see if papers survive.

This is the National Archives page expalining research: -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/getting...dmenu_research7

Good Luck

thanks for the suggestions I will follow them up. I do have his army number and medal record details but because of the low number of records that survived i thought it might be cheaper to pay someone there to check rather than pay to go up myself.

[Tony Lund]

I have only applied for two service records. Both times I was charged £10 and the records were delivered by the postman copied on to A3 paper. One set was burnt around the edges and the other was washed out and faded, but I still thought they were well worth having.

In both cases I already had their number, date of birth and the town they lived in on enlistment.

I have also been hearing a lot on the Forum about the Family History Centres of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, it seems they can order in the roll of microfilm that contains the surname you are interested in. I will try that myself as soon as possible, there is a centre not far from me.

Tony.

[george french]

I have only applied for two service records. Both times I was charged £10 and the records were delivered by the postman copied on to A3 paper. One set was burnt around the edges and the other was washed out and faded, but I still thought they were well worth having.

In both cases I already had their number, date of birth and the town they lived in on enlistment.

I have also been hearing a lot on the Forum about the Family History Centres of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, it seems they can order in the roll of microfilm that contains the surname you are interested in. I will try that myself as soon as possible, there is a centre not far from me.

Tony.

thanks Tony.....there is a centre near me so i might give them a try.