Missing Service Record

[theldb]

Hello everyone,

I recently started looking into the Military shades of my family tree, however even though I have been at the main records for a long time, the military ones are proving a bit more illusive.

My ancestor, Thomas George Callow was born in 1893 in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He served in World War I.

I have a Medal Card on Ancestry that seems to fit for a Thomas Callow, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (24531) and South Wales Borderers (40780) though the latter is a bit of a mystery.

However I cannot find a Pension record, or more importantly a Service record for him at all.

I was wondering if maybe I was missing something as I know spellings are sometimes different, people lied about ages etc, or if i'm just one of those unlucky people who's record is lost.

I would be grateful for any advice anyone has on how to proceed...

LDB

[mmm45]

LDB
Only about 30% of WW1 records survived the Blitz in WW2.
Those that do survive all pretty much on ancestry

Soldiers could have served in one or more Regiments usually if they were wounded or ill OR manpower dictated.If you have any photos of your man you could post to confirm any Regiment cap badges.Also if you have any medals his details will be on rim.
I suspect you have the right Medal Index Card
just to add the man on this card didnt go to war until after Jan 1916 as he wasnt entitled to the 1915 star

Ady

[weste]

I've just heard back from the south wales borderers museum as i have a military man from ww1 who was in the welsh pioneers.  I told them no records had survived and wondered whether they had anything on him.  Particularly important as was granddads half brother. I gave them his number and regiment and they did send me a little bit of info, most of what i sent but told me when he went abroad, in this case it was to gallipoli and the welch battallions that went.  They did say no photos from this era have survived. There is a suggestion of a £10 fee to cover search expenses which i will send. I did n't email from the regiment site itself as i had tried this with cardiff castle which is an associated museum and it obviously had n't gone through and so i just put the email address into my own email .  Although i could have sworn years ago before i knew about this man i had seen a photo of the pioneers in cardiff castle.  There was an exbition was in the progress of being put together when i went last year and so i will have a trip to cardiff at some point. At least i had a little more info. He used a false name when his dad had already changed  his name anyway and we can't find my granddads war records eithaer and we can't finhis father's partners name , we don't find anything till he has a second marriage later and so anything we could have found out was useful.

[theldb]

Thanks for the replies,

Unfortunately I dont have a photograph of him in Uniform so I cannot see a cap badge or any other insignia.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that there is no surviving record, but I will consider contacting both regiments direct to see if either of them have any further information.

LDB