Free war records websites

[robsnicta]

I'm trying to find out if my great grandfather served in WW1 or was in a reserved occupation but seem to be drawing a blank on the main genealogy websites.

His name was John Metcalfe and was born in 1873, when the 1911 census was taken he was aged 38 and living at 11 Oxford Road, Darlington Co. Durham. In 1914 he would have been aged 41, would he have fallen within the age group to serve or would he have been to old?

Could some one help me with a search please? Can anyone recommend some free military websites I could look on for any records?

Thanks

[Neil Wilson]

What was his occupation in 1911?
Assume that you have tried BGs sponsors website?

[robsnicta]

He was a blacksmiths striker. Yes I have tried that website

[christanel]

On our sponsor Forces War Record site I narrowed down the possibilities by ticking 'British' in the nationality box and ticking the box 'survived the war' This narrowed the possibilities down to
6 x J Metcalfe
2 x John Metcalfe

Many other John Metcalfe but with a middle name.

No way of telling if one of these is your man because birth place is only specific in a few, others say British or nothing at all.
As 60% + of the full WW1 records were destroyed by bombing in WW11 it is only a few of us who are lucky enough to find our ancestor's among them.

Christina

[G.V.Ford]

I would understand from my grandfather's diary that soldiers (in 1917) were discharged at age 43 "time expired".
If this is so then quite possibly it wasn't considered worthwhile for your man to sign-up.

Geoff

[Neil Wilson]

Blacksmiths he could have been involved with mining. Just a thought

[thewideeyedowl]

Good morning...

It is always worth checking TNA, where you can find the digitised medal index cards for WW1. Basically, if your soldier served abroad, he will have qualified for at least a campaign medal. I used the search terms "Metcalfe" AND "John" and got over 300 hits on 15 pages. (Many, of course, will not be to do with WW1.). Here is the link for the results: https://discovery.nationalarchives.go...e%20AND%20John. I noted that a lot of these Metcalfes were from the north of England. On p2, entry 9, there is a John T Metcalfe who was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. Any good??

For lots of WW1 info, check out The Long Long Trail. This is the page about recruitment: https://www.1914-1918.net/recruitment.htm

Oh, dear, battery's almost drained. Must go.

The Wideeyed Owl

[Allan F Sparrow]

In 1914 he would have been aged 41, would he have fallen within the age group to serve or would he have been to old?

Thanks

My understanding is that conscription was not introduced until 1916, and then applied to men up to 40. Every man who joined up before that was a true volunteer. Most of them were young, of course, but older men would be readily accepted if they had something to offer: e.g. a great-uncle of mine who had been a full-time soldier volunteered in August 1914 at the age of 44, and was accepted because his experience could be valuable.

If your relation knew blacksmith's work, he would have been very welcome, as the armies of WWI were mainly horse-drawn.

Allan