RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Gwil on Sunday 27 March 16 17:12 BST (UK)
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Many initial responses to a query are often in the negative i.e 'over 2/3rds destroyed etc etc' but is it true nowadays to say that nothing can be found on a man just because he cannot be readily found in the 'Service' and 'Pension' datasets?
It might have been the right response at one time but there are so many other sources now available* that it is often the case that a reasonable pen picture can be drawn up of a man's service.
I realise that these types of replies are factually correct but most enquirers will not know that it refers to a narrow set of data and might very well go away thinking 'no records exist'
* eg
Medal Rolls
Absent Voters Lists
Casualty Lists
Soldiers Effects Register
Newspaper info
etc etc
edited ( a few times!)
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Probably the best source are the war diaries.
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Yes indeed Jim. Another great source especially for the fatalities but also often in conjunction with the Medal Rolls.
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Using the map references & the Scottish maps you can usually pinpoint a man on any given day.
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I have to disagree with you. Most answers I have seen that advise that only about one third of service records survive also list other sources.
Maybe the moderator should consider keeping your question as a stickie, to save having to write out the alternatives each time.
You can add that 'if the man served after 1920 their record would still be with the MOD' and normal electoral rolls as very few AVLs were produced.
Ken
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Ken's suggestion of a sticky saying in effect "service and pension docs may be destroyed but have a look at x,y and z" is surely the answer to Gwil's very valid point, particularly when looked at from the point of view of an inexperienced amateur.
I was a bit surprised that there wasn't one already on the lines of "How to get WW2 records" and "Links to Absent voters' list" for example to which folk can already be directed. I for one would feel much happier recommending a poster to look at a well composed sticky than trotting out my own reply which is likely to miss something.
maxD
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I have been researching medal recipients service with some degree of success even though I do not have his service records. Mainly his MIC will exist which gives in the majority of cases his accurate Name Unit and service number or numbers.
If KIA the effects register gives a name who the effects were given to. War Diaries are good for officers names the OR's are fairly poorly registered, but unit magazines are a great source of information. The London or Edinburgh Gazette are good for citations promotions officers etc but can be difficult to operate. Then there is the professional registers Medical for example, By simply putting the individuals name in to a good search engine can throw up some real gems, I use Bing rather than Google. There are lots of other site one can log on too, to find out stuff and that builds up as one get more experience at researching a subject, I have a favourites list which over 60+ all in relation to subject research. For example I have a site that will tell one where a Unit/Regiment of the British Army was by Location Barracks, Country from 1945 up to date. Here is a link to that site also the Anglo Boer War site, so you can try them out and save them to you favourites.
http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/infantry.html
http://angloboerwar.com/
These are just two good research site of hundreds which are a great aid to the military researcher or just for looking to find out more on a family members service.
The idea of a sticky for this is a credible idea but what would be very helpful would be a sticky listing all the research site like the two I have listed, this would enable researchers to trawl this one threat and use what ever site meets there research criteria and members can add to it through time.
Kind regards
Hiram
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An interesting development occurred last week when new evidence was found by a NZ Defence Force Historian that twice as many Kiwis fought in Gallipoli than was previously thought.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/twice-as-many-kiwis-served-in-gallipoli-than-previously-thought-2016032121#axzz44F1IlUny
So - never give up hope - things do miraculously turn up at times!
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Good evening,
Two very good sites Hiram but I have to say not 100% accurate. I had a look at the movements of my old regt and their predecessors only to find that apparently, we didn't go to the gulf in 1990.
But we did and acquitted ourselves very well in the process.
All research has to be taken lightly unless you can find more than one source. All must then show the same findings to be more conclusive.
John915
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I failed to find any evidence of my Grandfather's involvement in the Great War until I looked at the newspapers on Findmypast for one of his brothers who was awarded the MM....The article mentioned that my Great Grandmother had fours sons fighting in the war including my Grandfather....and mentioned where they were.... And one who was being held in Saltau POW camp in Germany. Luckily...they all came home.
Carol