Medical Records

[Coolraemore]

I have my Grandfather's service record, but want to know more about his medical treatment for a serious injury sustained at Ypres in 1915/16. It must have been ground breaking innovation for the time and I want to know hospitals etc! can't find a lead anywhere. Can anyone suggest please

[Peter Goodey]

Nobody here can help without a name. Most WW1 records were lost. If you can't find his records among the burnt documents (WO363) or the pension documents (WO364) - both series are on Ancestry - you unfortunately don't have many other options. Departmental code PIN is also worth searching in the catalogue. So far as I know, military hospital records are pretty elusive.

[Coolraemore]

Thanks for the reply my Grandfather's name was Michael Reidy Regiment Irish Guards, he made it home and lived into his early 60s, but minus the top of his scull, I have his Service Number and records he was medically discharged in 1916.

[timbo58]

It might, possibly, be in MH106?

Forces war records are transcribing the index to these at present but it's a 1 year job (even for 47 full time staff!).

[Sue Light]

It might, possibly, be in MH106?

Forces war records are transcribing the index to these at present but it's a 1 year job (even for 47 full time staff!).

When you say you're transcribing the index to MH106, which particular sections are involved? Medical cards, medical sheets or admission and discharge registers, or all of them?

[timbo58]

I believe it's just the admission/discharge lists.

TNA were very careful about allowing the entire individual records be digitised en masse as they were worried about the connected families 'privacy'.

I say 'just the discharge etc lists' but that's still a chunk of very useful work I am quite sure!

I will confirm what's likely to be within these files as soon as I know for sure.

[Sue Light]

Thanks - if it's the A&D Registers then I'm familiar with them and understand how sensitive they can be. Also how bad the hand-writing is in some of them and the scope for mis-transcription :-)

[timbo58]

It is indeed the registration/discharge rolls I am assured.

We have some experience in transcription (for sizeable yet smaller collections admittedly), although we are becoming experts on Army (etc) lists and insist on accuracy, so hopefully we'll be better able to quote than most with these very difficult records.
Luckily they come in batches with the same handwriting for most of each batch, so probably a hospital sister or clerk took responsibility in a lot of cases.

I am reminded however even this appreciably large collection will not be ALL that were wounded or visited a field hospital, as many, many records were either lost or destroyed (a theme with WWI records as we all know).
However it's an important collection and a chance for FWR to show it can cover this sort of work with accuracy and attention to detail that is so important to us all.

[gengler50]

Hi,

I am trying to find out if the British Military Hospital in Ranikhet, India, transferred their WW II records (if that hospital closed after the war) and if they are still accessible. My uncle died in Ranikhet (according to the "report of death" form and it lists a cause of death (cerebral contusion) but I would like to know more about the accident. He was in the U.S. Army Air Corp and died when his truck went over an embankment November 15, 1944. They took him to the above-mentioned hospital (listed as "place of death") but gave no more accident details. He was buried in a temporary British cemetery but was later disinterred and sent back to the US.

Thanks for any help you can give me.