RootsChat.Com
Census Lookups General Lookups => Census and Resource Discussion => Topic started by: jess5athome on Monday 16 February 15 18:07 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I have just been told about the site www(.)forces(-)war(-)records and was wondering if anyone has used it in there research, if so do you get the same results as per Ancestry and find my past or do you get much more as far as military information.
Regards
Frank.
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Have you read this ;)
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=669502.0
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Hi rosie99, thanks for the link :)
My brother in law was speaking to my wife today about there Grandfather, he served in WWI and I have a lot of records for his time serving, Medal Index cards, medal roll, MM card, Gazette list, war diary extracts etc, However he has been somewhere over the weekend visiting a museum and they were running a first world war exhibition and he just typed there Grandfathers name into a computer they had at the exhibition and it gave quite a bit of information regarding the winning of the Military Medal.
I have just read the link and all of the answers, I think after reading the very last reply I will pay for a months subscription and take a chance (making sure the auto renew tab is unchecked ;D )
Many thanks again for the reply, I will let you know if anything turns up.
Frank.
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You will probably have more success if you pay for a month´s subscription at any of the major sites that have genealogical records including military collections. I wasted my money on Forces War Records and subsequently found what I was looking for on ancestry and findmypast.
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How very said that we "recommend" the bigger sites rather than those who offer a more limited resource. Depends on what you want, or need! :o
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I too found Forces War Records quite useless.
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How very said that we "recommend" the bigger sites rather than those who offer a more limited resource. Depends on what you want, or need! :o
Perhaps, but what I wanted and needed was not there. It was on the bigger sites :)
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I tried using this site but it did not have the information I was looking for.
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Hi all, well I had a look at the site and have mixed feelings :-\ I searched for someone who served and survived the first world war just to see how it was and was shocked to find they did not bring up a result, this was a disappointment as I know there are his records available as I have them.
Secondly I entered another name and up came this chaps Gallantry award, this I was quite impressed with, it gave his name, resided town at enlistment, rank, secondary rank (he was acting corporal at the time) and along with a description of the history of the Military Medal it then gave the date of the Gazette, the issue date of the Gazette along with the page number of the Gazette, I thought that would save a lot of potential searching through the London Gazette if someone knew an ancestor had been awarded a Gallantry award as everything is in one place.
I'll continue to dig a little more but at the moment it's a none runner for me.
Frank.
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Forces War Records
Telephone Number: No number for public use
Second Telephone Number: No number for public use
I have nothing more to say!
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What it appears that this site has done it get all the available war records and put them on their site. And then charge for the privilege of using their site.
They have NOTHING that cannot be found on others sites.
So, as for WW1, if Ancestry etc., does not have it, it does not exist.
We have always been told that only 30% of WW1 records survived WW2. A lady from the National Archives was on telly about 4 weeks ago and she actually confirmed that it is only about a 25% survival rate for these records.
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Hi, yes, that's the conclusion I have come to, I just thought I would ask opinions.
I use Ancestry on a regular basis and always find it OK for my needs, after looking at the site over the last couple of nights I shall give it a miss, tho' as said I did think the Gallantry award search was OK.
Many thanks to you all for your time and valuable input.
Regards
Frank.
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http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=673240.msg5182931#msg5182931
Some of the later replied relate to records included on this site.
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What it appears that this site has done it get all the available war records and put them on their site. And then charge for the privilege of using their site.
They have NOTHING that cannot be found on others sites.
So, as for WW1, if Ancestry etc., does not have it, it does not exist.
We have always been told that only 30% of WW1 records survived WW2. A lady from the National Archives was on telly about 4 weeks ago and she actually confirmed that it is only about a 25% survival rate for these records.
All very well BUT Ancestry et al also charge for the privilege of viewing records, so why discriminate against FWR who are doing exactly the same thing?
My grandfather's WW1 papers are on FindMyPast, but not on Ancestry.
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Have you found FWR useful yourself BumbleB ?
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I have to admit that I haven't actually used it :'( I already have subscriptions to Ancestry and FindMyPast, and therefore do not need to subscribe to another site. I have limited need for military records.
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Then I find it difficult to understand why you are so sceptical about the recommendations made by those of us who have tried it and are trying to give helpful advice based on our negative experiences :)
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I am not entering into any confrontation :-X :-X I have my views, and you have yours.
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I couldn't find all that I wanted on FindMyPast and Ancestry, so signed up for a short sub for Forces War records because they advertised that they had records no other site had. That may be true but they didn't have records covering the period I was interested in. I was looking for records from 1790ish to 1830, no-one seems to have much coverage of this period - presumably records haven't survived because it was so long ago.
For me it was a waste of money, they only had what I had already found through my subs for the other two sites and no more.
It was about a year ago, so they may have improved now.
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What it appears that this site has done it get all the available war records and put them on their site. And then charge for the privilege of using their site.
They have NOTHING that cannot be found on others sites.
So, as for WW1, if Ancestry etc., does not have it, it does not exist.
We have always been told that only 30% of WW1 records survived WW2. A lady from the National Archives was on telly about 4 weeks ago and she actually confirmed that it is only about a 25% survival rate for these records.
This is the problem with military records and the amazing marketing Ancestry have done and so most people believe this common misconception that if it's not on Ancestry then it isn't anywhere which simply isn't true.
I would recommend you take a look at each sites collections list, you will see practically every site has exclusive records not available on any other site, it is of course an obvious business tactic.
There are always obscure collections that the sites transcribe from time to time, otherwise why are we are still subscribing hoping for new info to come to light if all the collections have already been done, and yet just about every site sends us regular emails telling us they've just added new collections!
There's lots of collections outside Ancestry worth looking at, whether your ancestor is in any of them is another matter of course.
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Hi all,
How about Chelsea Pensioner Records. I have a great/granduncle admitted as an In Pensioner on 1st Jan 1863 after 20yrs service in 12th of Foot. He died an Out pensioner of Chelsea Hospital in 1880. Any idea's?
Thank you
Shirley
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What it appears that this site has done it get all the available war records and put them on their site. And then charge for the privilege of using their site.
They have NOTHING that cannot be found on others sites.
So, as for WW1, if Ancestry etc., does not have it, it does not exist.
We have always been told that only 30% of WW1 records survived WW2. A lady from the National Archives was on telly about 4 weeks ago and she actually confirmed that it is only about a 25% survival rate for these records.
AND other sites don't charge? :o :o
My grandfather's records do NOT appear on Ancestry but they are on FindMyPast. Every site has it's merits, unfortunately Forces War Records has upset a number of people, who then take it upon themselves to malign the site. Make your own mind up - don't be lead by others, they could be wrong.