Posted on Mar 10, 2015
Does anybody know how to get access to WWI British Military personnel info for their ancestors?
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I learned recently that my paternal grandfather served in the British Army at Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915 and in the trench warfare of France and Germany after that. I have what seems to be a service number and know that he was injured during the war but I don't know how to get any more information such as when, where and what units did he serve with, enlistment date and location, when and where he left the service.
WWI
Genealogy
London
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 5
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You can try Ancestry.com or Familysearch.org. Just a thought. Or the war museum.
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LTC Stephen F.
PO1 Michael Fullmer one of my paternal cousins lives in London. She has offered to help to contact the offices of the war ministry which are working to restore what they can from the enlisted records from WWI. I am hopeful all of my grandfathers war records were not destroyed in the bombing during the battle of Britain.
I may try Familysearch.org to see if they have any British records there. Thanks for the suggestions.
I may try Familysearch.org to see if they have any British records there. Thanks for the suggestions.
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The Imperial War Museum and the UK Nation Archives have resources online that can help. Try the archives first:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/first-world-war-soldiers-pension-records/
First World War soldiers' service and pension records - The National Archives
How do I view these records? Search and download these records on: You can search and download () surviving First World War service records (WO 363) and p
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LTC Stephen F.
Thanks Maj Mike Harbert. I will try to check out that resource. I know that many of the WWI enlisted records were destroyed during the bombing of London. I have been able to track down records on my paternal grandfather but not his brother who was killed with his wife by a German bomb during the Battle of Britain.
On another note I was interested to learn that you live in Leesburg. I live in Sterling, VA.
On another note I was interested to learn that you live in Leesburg. I live in Sterling, VA.
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I a saw this post yesterday and did a little research of my own
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/research/military-records/british-soldiers-ww1-service-records.htm
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/?source=ddmenu_research0_e
These sites are a good start, also finding a phone name and making a call is a great way to get help
Looking into the past and finding out how you became you is often a daunting task, many times you will come to a dead end and think you have found all you can, when that happens back up a step and look at every thing you have found. Sometimes even the smallest thing can be the key to great discovery.
I also have others contacts for military records. please feel free to reah out to me if I can be of any help.
http://www.greatwar.co.uk/research/military-records/british-soldiers-ww1-service-records.htm
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/?source=ddmenu_research0_e
These sites are a good start, also finding a phone name and making a call is a great way to get help
Looking into the past and finding out how you became you is often a daunting task, many times you will come to a dead end and think you have found all you can, when that happens back up a step and look at every thing you have found. Sometimes even the smallest thing can be the key to great discovery.
I also have others contacts for military records. please feel free to reah out to me if I can be of any help.
British Army WW1 Service Records, 1914-1920 (Soldiers)
Information for family historians about Service Records for British Army soldiers who served in World War 1
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Sir, I don't know if you can do this remotely, but if you go to the Royal War Museum in London they have a computer where you can type your relatives' names and date of births and get British military records.
For my part, having a German heritage, I found out that one of my relatives died a prisoner in an Australian POW camp during the First World War.
For my part, having a German heritage, I found out that one of my relatives died a prisoner in an Australian POW camp during the First World War.
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LTC Stephen F.
Robert, thank you for the information. I have cousins in England, France and Wales. I plan on passing on the information you sent to my cousin in London. Was your relative captured during the fighting in East Africa? I know the Australians fought there as well as in Turkey. Respectfully, Steve Ford
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Based on Captain Kobold's suggestion I searched for the Royal War Museum which is now known as the National Army Museum. I learned that many of their enlisted records from WWI were burned during the Luftwaffe, V1 and V2 bombings of London. There is an effort to restore and digitize the information they were able to salvage. I have asked a British cousin of mine to go to the museum to see what she can get. When I searched on-line it took me to Ancestry.com and required me to sign up [14 days free] to be able to dig into what they have.
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LTC Stephen F.
In the 1970s US Army records stored at St. Louis, MO were also destroyed in a fire. I have done my best to save my records especially medical records in hard copy and on my hard drive with backup on DVD. Having my own copies helped my processing with the VA for disability and helped me while on Active Duty to correct financial and personnel records a few times.
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CPT Christopher Webb
LTC Stephen Ford, you reached out to me and I accidentally hit the 'ignore' button!! DANG! I can't figure out how to undo that action ... do you have any idea how? Chris
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