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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: aliyaze1999 on Monday 29 March 10 19:31 BST (UK)

Title: Military records
Post by: aliyaze1999 on Monday 29 March 10 19:31 BST (UK)

I have a relative from Ireland who is said to have joined the British military and traveled to India some time around 1890.  Is anyone familiar with how to obtain military records for that time period?  I have tried looking into it and can't figure it out.  If anyone can help, I would really appreciate it.

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: shanew147 on Monday 29 March 10 20:09 BST (UK)

I believe that many of these records are held in the National Archives in Kew (London), but you may need to know his regiment.

Some are now available on the Find my past website


Shane

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: km1971 on Monday 29 March 10 20:39 BST (UK)

You don't need to know his regiment. If he was discharged between 1883 and 1900 his papers may be on Findmypast - http://www.findmypast.co.uk/media/news/news-item.jsp?doc=CHEP.html

As you can see the ones for men discharged 1900 to 1913 are due in the summer.

btw..he may have transferred to the Army Reserve after 6 or 7 years. This was not the same as been discharged. This happened 12 years after enlisting, and only service after the age of 18 counted. So 'time expired' men were at least 30.

Ken

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: aliyaze1999 on Monday 29 March 10 21:24 BST (UK)

Thanks for the help.  What would they do with records if a man died during his service.  Any ideas?  We are not sure what happened to this relative but we are thinking that he could have died some time between 1890 and 1895.

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: km1971 on Tuesday 30 March 10 02:54 BST (UK)

It was standard practice to destroy the records of a man dying in service 20 years later. Any widow's pension would only have been paid for a limited period, so they had no reason to keep it.

Ken

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: DianaMC on Tuesday 06 April 10 10:47 BST (UK)

Quote from: aliyaze1999 on Monday 29 March 10 19:31 BST (UK)

I have a relative from Ireland who is said to have joined the British military and traveled to India some time around 1890.  Is anyone familiar with how to obtain military records for that time period?  I have tried looking into it and can't figure it out.  If anyone can help, I would really appreciate it.

I also have an Irish relative who served in India (1870 - 80). I have not been able to find any military records (even on Find My Past), but I have established his whereabouts by records of his children born there on the LDS site.
If he was married or if any of his children were born there, you may find a reference.
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

There is a site dedicated to Indian records - nothing on my relative, but you may find someone:
http://www.fibis.org/

Good luck!

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: km1971 on Wednesday 07 April 10 17:24 BST (UK)

If you follow the link to FindMyPast you will see when they are hoping to put other records online. He may be in the batch for men discharged 1873 to 1882.

Ken

Title: Re: Military records
Post by: DianaMC on Wednesday 07 April 10 17:43 BST (UK)

Thanks Ken.
I will watch out for FindMyPast updates and keep my fingers crossed.