PRO Records on-line - one of the realities!

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

This was discussed a short time ago and most of us agree that this a positive step, particularly for those you do not live within easy travelling time/access. However one of the pitfalls became abundantly clear during a search I did on Friday morning.

The day started off well 3 finds out of 3 in WO 363 (sorry Brian!!) and then my final search........nothing! So what. Well as I began to roll the reel back I spotted the number of the man I was looking for upon closer inspection there it was, complete less the attestation form. A attestation form was mixed in with the documents but this was for another soldier, whose name appeared upon the file starting page. As a diligent person I filled out a missfile form - the tenth I have completed in 3 years.

I hope that others do the same when searching through WO363/364, but also don't despair if on initial inspection your soldier doesn't appear to be there. Most important of all I hope the PRO authorities are prepared for the sorting of missfiles the linking of MICs and files will create.

Ian

[Sue Light]

Last week I was sitting in the Document reading room, and on the same table was someone I knew, but who was researching a whole different group of men. As they were absent for a long time and an officer's file was sitting tantalisingly close, I started to read it. I skipped through, just out of interest, and suddenly came upon some papers for a totally different man, and was amazed to find it was a Steyning man who I had some interest in! And they were the bits with all the basic important stuff, not just financial trivia. After lots of 'Gosh oh golly, what an amazing conicidence'...etc., the file was returned to the desk, and the 'error' pointed out, and a request that the papers could be returned to their rightful place. The 'explanation' was that 'I would probably find that they were not mis-filed, but actually BELONGED there....this often happened, and they MUST be linked in some way....' - several minutes later began to think that I was on to a loser!

So mis-files are not errors, it's just that us simple souls have failed to make the right connection.....and... if anyone ever has any interest in George Thomas BREACH, please make sure you start your search under 'GRAY'......

Regards - Sue