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  1. #1
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    Default WW1 service records

    I have found and bought online a copy of my grandfather's medal card from his service during WW1 but can't find any record of his actual service. I believe these would be held by the WO but how do I find out if the records are available before paying the £30 fee required? Would this fee be repaid if the records are not available.

    My mother has filled in the Next of Kin forms and paid the £30 for a copy of her late brothers RAF service record and I found that information for her but cannot find any info on grandfather, Norman Walters (surname Schroeder but he had to change it before he was allowed to serve), South Wales Borderers, Reg. No 33122. A ref no on the medal card reads 372/20/208500 - does anyone know to what this refers please?

    Hoping there will be someone who could enlighten me a little, thanks.

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice gortonboy's Avatar
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    Approximately two thirds of all WW1 service records were destroyed by bombing in WW2...so it is a case of pure luck if a mans service record survives. Records for men serving after 1920 are still held by the ministry of defence. If you cant find your mans service record on Ancestry,,it is likely it does not survive.
    The number on the medal card probably refers to the medal roll number.The Nation archives guide says there may be

    •often a roll reference that can be used to consult the medal roll in series WO 329 which may reveal the specific battalion, brigade or battery in which the individual served

  3. #3

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    Where did you look?
    I've had a look on Ancestry, and he doesn't seem to be mentioned in the databases for surviving service records or service pensions. As Gortonboy said, it doesn't look as though his records have survived.

    Since he's also not mentioned in Soldiers Who Died in the Great War, I assume that he survived the War?

  4. #4
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    Thanks to you both for your quick replies. It doesn't sound too hopeful, does it? I have been looking for quite a while now and can't say where I've looked just every place that I could find online and putting his name and number out there 'just in case'! Grandad did survive the war but he was injured by shrapnel (the story is that an officer jumped onto a grenade thrown into the trench where they were and grandad got shrapnel in his ankle) and then taken prisoner. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp in Germany. Unfortunately, we don't know where, or any other details. Thank you both again, at least if I know the records are not out there I can concentrate on other family things.

  5. #5
    thewideeyedowl
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    Default Refer to thread POW

    I suggest you take a look at the thread POW, which has been very active today. It is all about trying to find WW1 POW records and where to look for background, e.g. TNA, Europeana1914-1918, and the Wartime Memories Project (which includes a list of POW camps). There are lots of links in that post.

    Owl

  6. #6
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    I'm sorry to say that I should have updated here to say that I did find my grandfathers records of where and when he was a POW. Also, managed to get a copy of his battalion's war diaries, all this about 4 years ago.

  7. #7

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    Thanks for the update!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lesley Robertson View Post
    Thanks for the update!
    I'm just sorry I didn't realise before. Very rude of me not to give feedback before. I will try harder in the future as I am most thankful for all the help received.

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