Old military records?

[Rascal]

I live in Canada.  I have one grandparent born in Scotland and the other in England and both emigrated to Canada around 1910-ish.  Both served in the military.  I know one served in the Boer war, and that's all I know plus I have a photo of him on a horse in a military field camp somewhere.  My other grandfather was in the Canadian army and fought in the trenches in northern Europe and he may have had some early military training in Scotland or England before emigrating to Canada.  Is there a way of researching old military records and if so, are there a lot of obstacles and barriers in the way of obtaining information or is it straightforward?  And where to go for military records?

Interestingly, I stumbled across this website by accident yesterday, and lo and behold, someone has been looking for info. on my grandfather.  I learned a few things from the posts that I never knew before.

[Nookie]

Welcome to rootschat

If you give the full names of the grandfather who served in the Boer War I will see what I can find on him here in South Africa.

[aghadowey]

Interestingly, I stumbled across this website by accident yesterday, and lo and behold, someone has been looking for info. on my grandfather.  I learned a few things from the posts that I never knew before.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=641887.msg5518253#msg5518253

[Rascal]

My grandfather that was in the Boer war was William Percy Nicholls and some information about him is in the thread posted above.  My other grandfather was Alexander Gordon Paterson, born in the Isle of Whithorn.  Apparently there is a public memorial in the Isle of Whithorn with the names of those that  served in WWI and my grandfather is on that list.  Not sure if that list is for those who were born there and served or lived there until the time they served in the military.

Thanks!

[Nookie]

I have been unable to trace William Percy Nicholls in the Boer War records.  There were a number of W. Nicholls though.  However it looks like Walthamstow participants joined the East Surrey Regiment.  If I am correct then this battalion  took part in the Battle of Colenso, the Relief of Ladysmith, the Battle of the Tugela Heights and Laing's Nek.

Unfortunately it is a lot easier finding soldiers who died in the Boer War than it is finding those that fought and then went home

Possibly the East Surrey Regiment could give more information.

[Nookie]

Forgot to mention.  I believe that Ancestry has free access to WW1 records until the end of the month.  Maybe you could find more information on your other grandfather there.

[Rascal]

If it were to help at all, I have one war medal that says Cheshire on it and another that has a Union Jack shield in the centre and says around the perimeter "for those that served at the front".  I have no idea which belongs to either grandfather.  From the little research I've done, there was a Cheshire regiment in England which IIRC was something of an elite regiment.  Perhaps that one came from my grandfather who served in the Boer war?  Or maybe both are?

[Rascal]

A little update on the medals.  It is the one in the photo and was given to Canadian Expeditionary Force members who served at the front and had retired or relinquished their commissions, been honourably discharged, or returned to or retained in Canada on duty.  I know that my Grandfather Paterson was gassed in the trenches.  It looks like he may have been discharged after that.  He suffered permanent lung damage from the gassing and lived to age 77 in Vancouver, BC where he died.

I just learned a little more family history today.  I highly suspect that the Cheshire medallion is from my grandfather Nicholls.

[km1971]

Forgot to mention.  I believe that Ancestry has free access to WW1 records until the end of the month. 

I believe it is until the end of today (the 29th)

Ken