Genealogy Chat

a huge thank you to every one for the onfo about militray records
kind regards kirsty

WW1 records aren't name indexed on National Archives site. You would need to actually go there, or get someone to go for you. Medal cards on documentsonline site are name indexed, but if it's not an unusual name, there will probably be more than 1 man with the same name, and impossible to know, without knowing the regiment, whether you have the right one.

You do not need to know the regiment to research for First W War Army Ancestors at TNA Kew. A name search should throw him up on the TNA site, even if it is just W War 1 medal entitlements. It may help to know his regiment if you are researching a common name like John Smith.

If you are unsure about how to research for all army ancestors then I suggest you download some of their excellent leaflets from the following TNA website as many army records are best researched through actually visiting Kew. Ancestors appear to have most records that have survived, and I found those without knowing the regiment and despite several of the same name. If you happened to be researching soldiers pre 1876 then you would need to know the regiment but TNA leaflets are excellent and will give you all the info you want. What is or is not online is constantly changing and updating.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Janet North London Borders

thanks for that info patricia
kirsty

i know his name but not his regiment? brick wall.......
kirsty

Army Service Records

Army Records for those who served or finished serving after 1920 are not available on line or at TNA at Kew, they are only available to next of kin. You’ll need to apply to the MOD:
Army Personnel Centre
HQ Secretariat
Historical Disclosures
Mail Point 400
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Tel: 0845 600 9663, option 1, then option 3

http://www.army.mod.uk/contacts/divisions/records.htm

Prior to 1920
For those who served during WW1 there’s a possibility that there details may be on Ancestry’s Pension database.
There may be a medal card for them – on FindmyPast

As with all army records some are very detailed and other show the minimum - if what you have shows attestation dates, next of kin, medal entitlement, locations of service etc. then you'll probably not get anything better by visiting Kew. Other than to look at what you already have electronically. There may be other records ie muster rolls, medal entitlement registers for his regiment, but that's not going to help you identify your relation.

WO/363 are the 'Burnt Records' this series of WW1 (1914 - 1920 service and sometime service prior to 1914) War Office records were destroyed by fire in WW2. IF and it’s a BIG if the service record service record survived, only 33,000 did, it MAY be in this series which is available at Kew.

Only other place is at National Archives in Kew. They hold many more WW1 service records. What was his name and do you know his regiment?

is there another site where i can view militray records i have sub to ancestry but who i am looking for is not there unless he used a different name and date of birth if that is the case i am at a dead end just unsure if there was any where else i can view ww1 records
regards kirsty