Cannot find Enlist record!

[flora-mae]

Hello all, cannot find anywhere the enlistment record for Charles Murray,  Royal Engineers, reg no. 41541.  He hadn't fallen in WWI, so am surprised I cannot find what I'm looking for.  I've found one medal record, and that's all. Any suggestions please? Thanks

[JJen]

Hi,

In September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store, London, approximately two thirds of 6.5 million soldiers' documents for the First World War were destroyed. Therefore the documents for the person you are researching may very well be among those destroyed.

JJ

[flora-mae]

You know, I feared it could be something like this.  Many thanks for your quick reply. x

[LizzieW]

And sadly, out of 3 brothers, 2 records are available and they're the brothers who survived WWI so I could find out lots about them in normal records.  Not surprisingly, the record I want for the 3rd brother appears to be amongst the burned ones.

[jim1]

Unfortunately RE operated at Divisional level & so without a company number it's not possible to say where he was during the war.
However I can tell you (if you don't already know) he went overseas to France on 11/5/1915.
He was a Pioneer which is a rank that differs from a Sapper in that Sappers were skilled & Pioneers unskilled & had just basic RE training.
He went into reserve (Z list) 22/2/1919.
If you can find him on the Absent Voter's list where he was living at the time it may give a Coy.