***COMPLETED********Chelsea Pensioner Military Record ?

[km1971]

Does anyone on the Armed Forces forum offer a 'Look Up' for Kew or is it just too difficult a search?

It is an awkward search as you have to print off the papers from the microfilm, which you have to pay for in Kew, and the printers are not the best. And then scan them before emailing them to you. Or post the printed copies to you.

Someone with a good digital camera could take a picture of the screen and then email you. Or you could request a handwritten summary. Or you can pay a researcher - the NA have a list. Or you can wait for Findmypast.

Ken

[annieBL]

Thanks for the reply, Ken. I'm a complete novice when it comes to researching military history so I hope my questions weren't too stupid or cheeky.    I'll put this on the back-burner for now until I can get to Kew. 

Last question, I have another ancestor who fought with the Royal Garrison Artillery in France.  He died of his wounds in 1917 in France.  I have the CWGC details but where would I go to find details of his service records?  All I could get from the NA was his medal card.  Maybe I should be asking this question on the WWI forum?

Thanks for all the help to date - I really do appreciate it.

[km1971]

The CWGC entry should give his number. Ancestry have now put all surviving WW1 records online and the NA have forced them to put in a better search. So if you have Ancestry you can try it online. If not, post his name and number and we can try for you.

Ken

[annieBL]

Thanks again for taking the trouble to reply, Ken.  I don't have Ancestry (as yet) but I do have details of Donald Calderhead, my grandfather's brother.  The CGWC certificate records:

In Memory of
Gunner DONALD CALDERHEAD

40304, 108th Heavy Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery
who died age 27
on 16 February 1917
Son of John Calderhead and Mary Wotherspoon Calderhead, of Wishaw, Lanarkshire.
Remembered with honour
ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY

I have tried to find out what a Gunner's responsibilities are, without success. I must be looking in the wrong places.

I'm keen to learn anything about this man as my grandfather was disowned by his family when he married my grandmother (nothing sordid, just plain old sectarianism) and so I have a whole branch of family that I know nothing about.   Any information you can offer would be gratefully received.  I do appreciate the time, patience and effort you have spent helping such a sadly-lacking novice. 

[km1971]

If you PM an email address I will send you a copy of his medal index card. This shows he ‘entered theatre (of war)’ on 16 August 1914 so he must have been a pre war Regular.

This link gives some information - http://www.1914-1918.net/heavy-battery-index.htm This says the 108th Heavy Battery arrived in France on the 17th. The difference of a day is from the 19th century rule that overseas service started the day you left the UK, and not the day you arrived ‘overseas’.

Unfortunately his service record does not appear to have survived. Gunner was the RA equivalent to Private so he would carry out a multitude of tasks from getting shells, to digging the gun placement to operating the gun itself. Or basically anything he was told to do.

Ken