what items did next of kin receive

[Ryegate]

Hello All

I have been away on hols so only now read the messages posted.

thank you Paul for your posting. I am very pleased some of you appear to have a list of these very personal belongings.

When arriving back I had received my 'personal affects' report from Kate of the NAM. It is literally just an amount of money paid to my uncle's NOK (i.e. my grandfather and grandmother).

she informs me she has had several requests from Forum members for lists of 'personal affects' but wishes to stress the title of these lists is misleading as no record they hold contains lists of personal items. she has asked me for the web address of the Forum so she may post a message to this effect herself.

She informs me the personal items (if recovered) were invariably autioned off by the army war office as a means of collecting money for the soldier's dependents.

I am wondering if those members who have posted up these wonderful lists of very personal items would please confirm they received them from the NAM as Kate is quite adamant the records they hold only relate to monies paid to NOK.

I am still please to have this record but how much nicer it would have been to see personal items that my uncle had with him!

Regards

[SimonM]

Hi everyone,

Just to clarify what the NAM holds, as there seems to be some confusion which has arisen:

The National Army Museum holds a set of records called the “Soldier’s Effects Ledgers” which date from April 1901 – March 1960 (the National Archives have the Ledgers for 1862-1880/1881). These Ledgers were created as a list of the monies owed to a soldier who died in service – they do not list any of his personal items that may have been returned to the Next of Kin. The information they typically contain is: Full Name, Regimental Number, Date of Death (and sometimes the place), Next of Kin, Monies paid to the Next of Kin. The records from 1901 – 1914 also detail the Date of Enlistment and Trade on Enlistment.

These records are particularly useful in helping to identify an individual soldier through their Next of Kin, especially when a high proportion of the First World War service records have been lost or burnt.

As these records are not held in the main collections of the National Army Museum but in off-site storage, there is a fee (currently £10) charged for the provision of a transcript of an individual’s entry. Please contact:

The National Army Museum

Royal Hospital Road

Chelsea

London

SW3 4HT

apfs@national-army-museum.ac.uk

I hope this clears up any confusion which has arisen through rumours etc.

Many thanks

Simon Moody

Department of Archives, Photographs, Film and Sound

[Jon6640]

I was once saw on TV a veteran saying that before an assault soldiers would leave behind an pornographic photos that they had 'acquired' as they did not (understandably) want them sent back to their families if they were killed and the soldier recalled the trench floor being covered in such photos.

[Rob B]

It was and still is policy to check kit before returning it to next of kin, Death is bad enough but destroying fond memories with an inapropriate picture, letters or some thing that will be offensive would be destroyed.

As to honesty that was another issue Swords and what we now term Gucci kit were prone to be appropriated, in fact if they could benefit the troops at the front they in many cases stayed at the front.

I know that in recent days equipment was exchanged if the deceased was of beter quality. That said and done personal effects were returned.

Cheers,

Rob

[carol cooper]

Hi Ryegate,

I guess you have still had no response to your fax and calls, I have tried an e-mail to them today. if answered will tell all.

Best Regards

Colin

Did you ever receive any reply to your queries? I am interested in finding the same for my great uncle.

carol cooper

[Ryegate]

We appear to have had confirmation from SimonM that the 'Soldiers Personal Effects' is simply a list of monies paid to the NOK.

Forum members on this thread have posted up lists of very personal items and that is what I would really have liked when I faxed the NAM to ask them for the personal effects list.

Would any member reading this thread and who posted up one of the personal effects lists, please let the rest of us know where you obtained it from?

That would be great, thanks

Regards