1st Lincolns India

[BAK51]

Due to a great tip given here, I believe I've found records to confirm my g-uncle, Sydney J. Turner, was a Sergeant (marksman) in the Army in India. I have his marriage in 1903 and children born there through at least 1909. Would like to know more about his service record and return to England (possibly by 1912). The NA website overwhelms me a bit. Maybe someone here can help with that, or where can a go from here?

Thank you -
BAK

[keith9351]

Here is there deployment if you haven't already seen it.

1st Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment

1892 Aldershot
1895 Malta
1897 Egypt
1898 Sudan
1898 India: Secunderabad
1905 Kamptee
1910 Aden
1912 England: Portsmouth 9 Bde

Keith

[Peter Goodey]

Let's hope he was well out of it before the Great War.

From what you say the chances are that his discharge papers will be in the National Archives in series WO 97 presumably between WO 97/4232 and WO 97/6322.

They start here in the catalogue:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=693170&SearchInit=4&CATREF=WO+97%2F4232

You can either engage someone to search and extract the papers for you or you could work out from the catalogue which piece his papers ought to be in. If you know the piece you can order remotely using Shop Online from the National Archives menu.

[BAK51]

Thanks Keith, I didn't have that info and it matches up with: marriage, 1903 Bombay, children born 1904 & 1905 Secunderabad, 1907 Kamptee and 1909 Poona. He died in Southampton in 1951.

[BAK51]

Peter -

I'm kind of thinking he was out of the Army by 1912 because I have his sister visiting that year from the US (no other known relatives & he would have been 40 years old). My problem with the index searching at NA is that while he spelled his name "Sydney" it is, of course, also found as "Sidney" so without other details, there are so many to wade through without knowing if I have the right guy. I don't see a way to narrow the search by Regiment, etc... Am I missing something? If I engage someone, what will they need to know? So many questions....sorry to be so thick about how this works.

Appreciate your insight and experience!!

BAK

[Peter Goodey]

Am I missing something?

I'm afraid so!

They aren't indexed by name in the catalogue for the period you're interested in.

That URL I provided was bad. Sorry.

Go to this one:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/

In the box in the top left marked 'type reference here', enter WO 97/4232 exactly as shown - note the space after WO. Then click 'Go to reference'.

This is the first entry in the block that you're interested in. You'll see that only ranges of surnames are shown.

Select 'Browse from here' and look for the piece where your man should be.

It looks to me to be WO 97/6117

Now you can use Shop Online. Quote the reference and the man's name. Be cautious here because you don't know exactly how it might have been recorded. Place of birth may help to avoid ambiguity but, again, be cautious. With luck that all should work.

[BAK51]

OK - now it makes more sense. I'll give it a go. What kind of information will the discharge papers likely contain? Since I am nearly bankrupt from ordering certificates, I try to be practical by requesting those documents that will yield the most unknown details. I think I know what a gambling addiction must feel like, WHEW!