British Military Records: Difference between revisions

''[[United Kingdom]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|RTENOTITLE]] [[British_Military_Records|Military Records]]''  

== The National Archives ==

The National Archives at Kew in the London area is the caretaker of most of the military records.  It is important to understand the "fonds" or the way records are grouped.  There is a Department code (ADM for admiralty, WO for War Office, etc) and a series number.    

'''1914-1918''' - First World War. About 35,000 Welsh servicemen died.<br><br>  

'''1939-1945''' - Second World War. About 20,000 Welsh servicemen died.  

These records are the service files of soldiers who were discharged from the British army between 1914 and 1920. They are a collection known as the "unburned documents." They represent about 8 percent of the soldiers who served during those years.<br>The files usually contain the soldier’s unit name and number, birthplace, age at time of enlistment, name and address of next of kin, and date and reason for discharge. They may also include the names of his parents, spouse, and children. Some mention his occupation before he enlisted in the service and show the assignments he had in the service. Some files contain death certificates.<br>The files are arranged alphabetically, but many documents are missing. Therefore, you will not find every soldier in these files.  

<br>The original files are at the Public Record Office in England. The Family History Library has microfilmed copies, which are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:  

<br>Holding, Norman H. More Sources of World War I Army Ancestry. 2nd ed. Solihull, England: Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd., 1991. (FHL book 942 M24hnr.)  

These records often contain details of an individual’s reason for pension, his fitness on discharge, and sometimes the address where pension payments were sent.<br>Army pension records start in 1690. Pensions were awarded for length of service, disability, or wounds to most individuals who legally left army service. Sometimes the widows or children of military men received the payments. Payments to retired officers, called half-pay, were not considered pensions. Many different types of pension records covering different time periods still exist.<br>Naval pension records begin as early as 1617 and give the name of pensioner, reason for discharge, and sometimes next of kin, birthplace, age, and physical description.<br>Widow’s or children’s pension records often include marriage or baptismal certificates in support of the claim for assistance.<br>There are many other pension-related records among those of the Paymaster General (Class PMG) at the Public Record Office. The Family History Library also has some pension records.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<br>  

It was possible to have a qualified pension commuted to allow a soldier to immigrate to British colonies.&nbsp; A list of those who did, between the years 1830-1839, is found online at [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/passengerlists/chelseab.htm TheShipsList.com].  

The Public Record Office has a computerized index to the soldiers’ documents from 1760 to 1854. The index shows the name, age, birthplace, year of enlistment and discharge, the regiment, and the reference to the original document.  

These records, similar to soldiers’ documents, were kept for army officers from 1771 until 1911. However, they are incomplete before 1828. They contain the officer’s birth date and place; promotions; transfers; marriage date and place; his spouse’s name; and his children’s names, birth dates, and birthplaces.  

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*Colonial armies were forces raised in other countries. Records of these forces are usually in the country where the forces were raised. A notable exception is the Indian Army, for which many records are held at the British Library Oriental and India Office Collections, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB England.  

The [http://www.icrc.org/eng/index.jsp International Committee of the Red Cross ]has an [http://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/protected-persons/prisoners-war/index.jsp incomplete list of all known POWs and internees] of all nationalities for both World Wars.&nbsp;Searches can be made only by a written request and an hourly rate is charged. To learn more about how to obtain a copy of a listing use the&nbsp;[http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/order.htm contact information ]located on their website.