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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Ancestry Pension Records


DaveMurphy

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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.

Matthew, you are doing well, you will be over 1,000 by the time you get to Z. I havent yet started looking for the 19th Londons yet, so hope to do as well as you. Are you searching on the 6 digit numbers? Are many of these 200 men completely new to you? regards, Charles

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Harry

If their project goes to plan WO 363 should be online by the end of 2008. Until then they can only be viewed in person at the National Archives.

Regards

Mike S

Thanks Mike,

In that case I've probably had a search done on them some time ago. I used Ruth Bloom to do a search for me at the NA but unfortunately nothing showed up on him that would help.

Harry

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Robbie,

I've found one of my men under the circumstances you describe. Be aware that it's an incomplete database, though, and only a small proportion of all those who claimed pensions in such circumstances will be there.

Bob.

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Hello - Does this mean these pension records can no longer be accessed at Kew. I've been patiently waiting to visit in August - school hols. (While we are down in Hampshire child minding for working parents!) and they are on my hit-list - a possible Non-Commemoration, Tom R. Newmarch.

If so I'll just have to spend more time on my computer and have more time there for other projects.

Cheers Terry

I think the answer is you will be fine going to Kew. I'm not really a WW1 buff but joined this forum as my interest in a great uncle was developing.

My own experience with his records is as follows.

Went to Kew in June to find any records of him (joined up 1915, in action 1916, shot, home to hospital, dishcharged and pensioned. Died in 1918)

I found 16 pages at Kew relating to his service, action, medical history, pension, and death. This is NOT including his medal card stuff.

On Ancestry now are only 3 pages relating to his joining up and service record (and nothing to do with his pension!)

My own conclusion is that with Ancestry the WW1 pension records is all a work in progress and as always, just because its not on your screen, it doesnt mean it doesnt exist.

happy hunting

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Matthew, you are doing well, you will be over 1,000 by the time you get to Z. I havent yet started looking for the 19th Londons yet, so hope to do as well as you. Are you searching on the 6 digit numbers? Are many of these 200 men completely new to you? regards, Charles

Charles,

Sent you an email.

Matthew

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Hello,

Just wanted to thank MAX for taking the time to send me images of documents which I was having trouble downloading. It was very much appreciated.

I get free access to the Ancestry website at my local library, which is great, but I have found two more people who's papers will not download, and for once on is a relative! They are

Harry Wilson, from Fife. He was in the Black Watch and served as a Private, Number 1435. He was a cousin of my Grandfathers. Harry later served with the RFC and RAF. I would love to know roughly what his papers say about him.

The other chap was John Richmond, number 95436 of the Tank Corps. I have a photo of him and have alsways wondered about him. He had been in the London Scottish at one time.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Stewart

PS it's Perth and Kinross Libraries which get free access.

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Oh go on then......nothing on the telly ;)

Give me a couple of hours and i'll get back to you.

Andy

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Fantastic - they're much easier to search as well, because the basic details show up when you pass the mouse over the "View Record". So you don't have to click on every one and wait for it to load. Much quicker. :)

Not found me grandad yet though :( better start looking through the possible misspellings.

I have been looking for two - my father who came through the war and my grandfather (or was it my great uncle?) who didn't. I have Mics for both but Ancestry has not come up with anything. My post (elsewhere) comments on Ancestry notes to the effect that it is unlikely to have records of soldiers who did not get a pension or those who were KIA. I obviously got it wrong somewhere along the line.

Kevin Keeley

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In the context of the Sherwood Foresters, I've found these records to be very good for pre-War Territorials who were discharged to pension prior to 1915 and also numerous men who enlisted in the TF in 1914/15 only to be discharged a few weeks/months later.

There are also a lot of Reservists from 1914 who have records and in many cases these are accompnaied by their original enlistment papers from C1890s

So far I've managed to get ~350 6th Battn Notts and Derby men :wacko:

Mike

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Having similar experience to Mike for the 4th Lincs.

Surprised at the number of lads released to "civil employment" in July 1915, before being discharged, time expired the following year.-mainly lads who didn't serve abroad, but also a fair number who came back from France to be released.

Jim

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Am I detecting a pattern here?

Getting broadly the same results as Mike and Jim for both RWK and 23rd London.

Seems like pre & early war territorials, reservists and pre-war regulars are the ones coming up with most frequency. This could be a function of the limited search methods forced on us by the indexing and the relative ease of searching a more focussed geographical area with knowledge of the likely regimental numbers, rather than random trawling. And the nature of the documents in WO364 I suppose.

Charles,

Did you receive my email? Unable to pm you as your inbox appears full.

Best regards,

Matthew

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I entered the details of my man and up comes a list of many names but he was number one on it.

Terrific.

Workled a treat for me.

'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

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As is my wont, I corrected details of a chap on Ancestry having checked reg. no matched etc and received an email from his grandaughter asking my interest. When I explained and apologised (for interfering) she revealed that she had not been able to download the images and was desperate to get her hands on them. Thankfully, she did not take umbridge at my correction of her grandad's forenames (which were just - the wrong - intitials)...

So began a download for her which i will email to her tonight .... strange how coincidences bring people together.

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I have been looking at the 2nd Monmouthshires and I have a similar pattern as Mike finding lots of pre-war territorial men and men that were discharged in 1914 and 1915.

Dave

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Could someone who has an Ancestry account please help me out with three images. They are all on the first page in the name of Robert Tucker born 1885. Please PM me if you can help and I will send email address. Regards Christina

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Hi Christina,

I just did a search on Ancestry for Robert Tucker 1885 and it returned no hits.

The only Robert Tucker born 1885 +/- one year is:

Name: Robert Tucker

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884

Age at enlistment: 31

Residence: 10 Juluaee Street, Littinghamire Kent

Document Year: 1915

Regimental Number: 5346

Number of Images: 23

Doug

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The one above is Robert Tucker, Son of George Tucker, 10 Jubilee Street, Sittingbourne, Kent. 6th Sherwood Foresters, Derby Scheme enlister December 1915, Mobilised 23-3-1916, Discharged 25-8-1916. Did not serve overseas. There are 3 images forward from the Index point, and another half-a-dozen are back from the Index point.

Steve.

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Hi, would be very grateful for some help. I have a subscription for Ancestry.co.uk, have found the soldier and pension records I want to view but for some reason they won't download - even after I download the image software thingy! I think it may have something to do with me having Windows Vista but I'm not sure. Due to internet restrictions at work I can't even get to it from there.

If someone who has access could download and send them to me that would be fantastic

Any help appreciated.

Soldier details are

William Wiltshire, Wiltshire Regt

Reg Number 7638

Born abt1888 in Bulkington, Wiltshire

Should be first record that comes up.

Many, Many Thanks :rolleyes:

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Has something changed on the Ancestry website? Originally when I wanted to search I could type in a details for forename, surname, service number etc. Now when I go on to the webpage, I have select the first initial of a surname, then the second, then the third - then I'm expected to trawl through all the records that start with the same three letters!! What if I'm looking for a MacDonald?

What the hell am I doing wrong? :(

Barrie

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Hi Barrie,

I just typed in Duncan :closedeyes: and came up with 515 hits.

Are you putting an * after the third letter by any chance? That is the wildcard option.

Doug

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Hi Doug

I dont get an option to type in anything - as soon as I click on the link to the pension records, i'm giving a list of the alphabet to select for the first letter of the surname - so I click on V. The I get all the options for the second letter of the surname - so I click on Vi. Finally, I'm given a third list with all the possibilities for the third letter of the surname - so I click on Vic. After this - it tries to open up a record, and i'm guessing they expect me to trawl through the 4000+ hits that it brings.

Where has my little search box went to - where I could TYPE in a name and service number etc, rather than have to mess about picking bleeding letters?

Can you link me to the page you use to search please? I tried the link at the start of this thread and it took me to the same list of surname initials :(

Barrie

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