ian turner Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 I have an RE grandfather, discharged to Z reserve, although he received a minimal pension for 'Trench Fever' (he was hospitalised during service). I have his (very) burnt docs, so I know his file has survived. But I could not find him on Ancestry. I assume, in theory at least, that he should be there? Any suggestions? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 I have had a very happy couple of days searching through the online records and have had a very high percentage of success. However, I was brought up cold when I found my GG Uncles record. Initially I was delighted to have found it and the service part is excellent (9/NF, attached to 177 Tunneling company, post war service at Poperinghe etc), but after reading the personal aspect of the record I am now not sure that the records should have been released in the way that they have. The file contains a large amount of correspondence referring to an illegitimate daughter that my GG Uncle had in 1918, and discusses at length the character of this girls mother. The thing is, I know the daughter very well, she is alive and well, and I have no idea if she knows she is illegitimate, even if she does I suspect that she will be absolutely distraught if she ever reads the comments that have been made about her mother. She is a lovely old girl, and in my opinion she does not deserve to have her private life open to scrutiny by all and sundry. This lady is very interested in family history and my big concern now is that she will manage to obtain her fathers service record and read the lurid details. What started out as a great research opportunity for me has turned rather sour. Surely information of this sort concerning living people should be filtered out of the released records...I am very disappointed indeed. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 It is certainly not unknown but generally if the record was in WO363 (the burnt series) then it will not also be in WO364 (the records released on Ancestry). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Chris, Thanks for your comments. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Over 25% of my men so far. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Roop, depends on what you are looking for but I would say that 25% is extraordinarily high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Max A good point, well made. Not sure how they could have handled such a situation, but it's another example of how the personal nature of these papers can have an effect. Although from a research point of view, they are proving extremely valuable and interesting (I've traced about 3% of "My men" so far), I have bcome more and more saddened when looking at the content, describing as they do, details of the tragic lives some of the returning servicemen were obliged to live. Brings to the forefront of the mind the fact that it is people and their lives we're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greyhound Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 in my opinion she does not deserve to have her private life open to scrutiny by all and sundry. This lady is very interested in family history and my big concern now is that she will manage to obtain her fathers service record and read the lurid details. That's so sad, Andy. But I'm afraid it's a risk we all run when we start probing into our family history. As for the public availability issue, all I can say is that it's not likely that many people will actually read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 "Roop, depends on what you are looking for but I would say that 25% is extraordinarily high". I agree Chris but I was well aware that all the lads from the battery had applied for disability for malaria etc. I am still surprised though at how many are actually in this batch of "retained medical reports". Needless to say my GF's is not there. To be honest they are not much different to each other but the general and postings info is of value. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjec Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Hello all, Had a good search of the database and found some very useful records. However, do not take it as read that the page you first are offered is the "first" page of the file. Check by using the back arrow key to make sure. One file had 7 other pages before the page that "first" came up. Regards, Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 "Roop, depends on what you are looking for but I would say that 25% is extraordinarily high". I agree Chris but I was well aware that all the lads from the battery had applied for disability for malaria etc. I am still surprised though at how many are actually in this batch of "retained medical reports". Needless to say my GF's is not there. To be honest they are not much different to each other but the general and postings info is of value. Roop Maybe it has something to do with the East African theatre Currently running at 27% of 'my' 25th Bn. Royal Fusiliers. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Nice one Steve, Im just starting to struggle a bit for those who left before renumbering. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westkent78 Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Found 100%, yes, 100% of the earliest 40 recipients of SWB in the 1/23rd Londons who actually went overseas. Survival rate of records seems to tail off dramatically in 1916 though. Very helpful for finding the missing men who were invalided out prior to going overseas. To date I've found over 200 men from the regiment and I've only gone through A-C. Not had nearly as much success with other regiments, whether it's in 1914 or 1918. Certainly brings home that these are real people and not just names in a list. Happy hunting everyone. Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Nice one Steve, Im just starting to struggle a bit for those who left before renumbering. Roop It certainly helps if you know the numbering sequence, I've been fortunate to find 10 records (so far) of men who attested/enlisted into the 25th but were discharged before going overseas and never claimed a SWB. Would never have found them at Kew using the usual methods. Ancestry has its drawbacks but in my case I couldn't be happier. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky53 Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 I have an RE grandfather, discharged to Z reserve, although he received a minimal pension for 'Trench Fever' (he was hospitalised during service). I have his (very) burnt docs, so I know his file has survived. But I could not find him on Ancestry. I assume, in theory at least, that he should be there? Any suggestions? Ian I have exactly the same with Gt Uncle Dick Ridge - his burnt document in WO363 survives he was hospitalised, discharged and received a pension but there is nothing in the pension records WO364 Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Has anyone worked out a means of searching for simple 3 digit numbers without bringing up thousands of irrelevant results. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Andy, A well made point about the personal information some of the records contain that could pertain to people still alive. I've come across one where a child was adopted. There is a possibility that the child could still be alive (would be 91) or, at the very least, another generationwho may not know that Mum was an adopted child. I'll leave that out of the booklet when it finally (will it ever?) gets finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Spent a lot of the weekend digging up soldiers records from WO364 with some interesting results which still leave me scratching my head. I was amazed at how many soldiers records were mixed up for one, making life awkward sifting the papers out and I am still wondering why three records in the pension papers have soldiers that were underage and sent home after little time at the front, no injuries, sickness etc., etc., one with letters from his mother stating his true age. These papers answer a lot of questions and raise even more. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 I have the service records of my grandfather, Isaac Carter and my great uncle Charles Witsey, I got these from the National Archives a few years ago (through a paid researcher). However, now I have joined Ancestry UK, I thought I would look them up. But have not been able to locate their records !!! Would they be in another set of papers? Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procat Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Hi Terry, From the National Archives site: The records are from: Pension records (Catalogue reference WO 364) relating to soldiers discharged on account of sickness or injuries sustained during the War. The remaining service records of soldiers who killed, died or who survived the war (Catalogue reference WO 363) will be available online by the end of 2008 WO 364 : Soldiers Discharged to Pension These service records relate to: - discharges of regular soldiers at the end of their period of service. Men who signed up for the duration of the war did not get pensions: instead they got a gratuity on demobilisation, and will not be found here unless they received a pension on medical grounds. - discharges on medical and associated grounds, including those who died after the award of a pension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellow Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Max, I was researching a WW1 soldier and as it turned out there were numerous papers discussing a criminal conviction he recieved in 1955 which resulted in the loss of his pension. I also came across a Coldtreamer who according to the papers was thought to be homosexual. The best advice I can give is if you dont want to discover anything distressing.......dont look. I`m glad my G uncle isnt listed. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 The best advice I can give is if you dont want to discover anything distressing.......dont look. I`m glad my G uncle isnt listed. I am in no way distressed by this, but someone who is in the twilight of her life may well be, and she isn't even looking. Documents pertaining to the legitimate birth status of a living person is being displayed on the internet for all and sundry to view, how would we all feel if for instance our financial status, or other matters of an extremely personal nature were open for all to view. The person in question did not ask for this to happen and I am disappointed that she is potentially in for a real shock for the sake of profit on the one hand, and our hobby on the other. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellow Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Andy........put your view to Ancestry they may remove the record. As I pointed out above I`m sure many others here are in for some surprises, not all of those being nice surprises. Curosity can be a dangerous thing when researching ones relatives. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punjab612 Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 put your view to Ancestry they may remove the record. You would also need to put your view to the Natioanl Archives who, I believe, still own the records, Ancestry having only made them more easily and widely available. If Ancestry removes part of a record, then the NA would also have to, otherwise the records would be out of synch, and then they would have to remove the paper record from deep storage in the salt mines of Cheshire else they get out of synch with the mircofilm....... and so it goes on. Where do you draw the line? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMurphy Posted 1 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Andy........put your view to Ancestry they may remove the record. As I pointed out above I`m sure many others here are in for some surprises, not all of those being nice surprises. Curosity can be a dangerous thing when researching ones relatives. Steve. You can also find some particularly unsavoury diseases that your soldier may have had (need I say more!) and even more interesting, the way these were treated in the day... mercury (Hg) today not used as the cure-all it once was! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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