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  1. #1
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default How to find some British Army records

    There are an enormous number of records available for the RN, RM and British Army and a large number of these are held at The National Archives (TNA) at Kew.

    Our site sponsors Forces War Records hold over 27 million records of military ancestors going back to 1350 so their site is a good place to start.

    https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk

    It is well worth using the The National Archives (TNA) web-site - start at their home page. This gives you a choice of entering your search term in the box at the top RH of the page or you can click on the red Menu dot at the top of the page then you have main areas of interest from which to choose. If you need to cut it down further under the heading Help With Your research there is the Research Guides A-Z menu. Clicking on this allows you to choose the initial for the area you are wanting eg A for Army which then gives more breakdowns for all research areas beginning with A.

    You need patience. Don't expect to just click on links and be taken straight to what you want, you will need to read and understand the information given. Explore TNA's site - you can't break it and might learn something.


    This link takes you to "Armed forces held by other archives" Use this guide if you are researching the British Army, the Royal Navy and/or the Royal Air Force and are interested in collections which are held by archives other than The National Archives.

    The Army List is a useful source for officers - copies can be viewed on: Forces War Records' Historical Documents Library. Please note that Full Membership to the site is required to view the documents in full, but sample pages are available.

    You can also find, Navy, Army and Air Force lists at the National Archives in Kew.

    The London Gazette for officers, and campaign reports, awards of gallantry medals is availableonline

    NB - Guards regiments retain their own records. Use a search engine for 'Guards museum' - their web-site has contacts for the various guards regiments.

    Also, Soldiers' Documents (WO97) have been electronically scanned 1760-1913 and are available on 'findmypast'; surviving WW1 records are on 'ancestry'

    The main aim of this thread is to tell you how to search TNA's catalogue to identify one type of document relating to soldiers and their service, prior to then.
    Last edited by christanel; 18-02-2023 at 7:55 PM. Reason: Link Repairs and Replacement

  2. #2
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default Searching TNA's catalogue up to the mid-19th century

    TNA's catalogue is a powerful tool. Documents relating to soldiers, mostly up to the mid-1850's (there are a few later documents) are easily searched.

    In the word or phrase field - enter a surname
    In the year range - if you can narrow down when someone served, do so but add a little leeway
    In the department or series code enter - WO

    Then search. You will need to look for results which are prefixed

    WO121 - (Certificates of service)
    WO97 - (Discharge papers)

    When you carry out a search, you'll see that the information in the centre of the screen is underlined. This is a link Click on it and across to the right of the screen you'll see a button 'Request this' - by selecting that and filling in required detail, you can order a copy of the document.

  3. #3
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default How to search for documents from 1855-1872

    The army was reorganized a few times and the way records are stored changes with those reorganizations.

    For soldiers who left the army between 1855 to 1872, soldiers records are catalogued online according to whether someone was in the infantry, cavalry, artillery, or corps (There are a few exceptions, see below) - regiments are also indexed. You have to know a regiment. You might find this out from census returns, birth certificates of children or marriage certificates (search the registers of regimental returns, or army chaplains' returns). There are a few ways to search the catalogue.

    Using the catalogue hereand entering the information you have eg name of regiment, dates range and whether you want to search All records or just those held by TNA click on search
    and note that all entries will end with information as to where the record is held, and give a reference number. Clicking on this will take you to the record which will give
    Ordering and viewing options
    This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded.

    You can order records in advance to be ready for you when you visit Kew. You will need a reader's ticket to do this. Or, you can request a quotation for a copy to be sent to you.

  4. #4
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default Searching for for cavalry and artillery 1855-1872

    In looking for cavalry or artillery for this period, I think the best way is to keep a search simple and to either put the word cavalry or royal artillery in the word or phrase field.

    You get these hits for cavalry and these hits for artillery
    Note that for artillery, the first 4 pages are mostly individual records; the records for artillery units appear from the bottom of page 4 onwards.

    Records are again recorded alphabetically and relate to the first an last name within each file. Again, records can be ordered via the TNA.

    Note that if you just put the word 'artillery' (leaving out royal) in the word or phrase field, you get a slightly different set of results)

  5. #5
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default Searching for records 1873-1882

    Record searching for this period is slightly changed.

    For cavalry and artillery search as in the previous message.

    For army service corps, just enter corps in the word or phrase field.
    For Infantry - just enter that in the word or phrase field
    For Royal Engineers - just enter Engineer in the word or phrase field.

    The year range needs to be 1873-1882 and the department or series code is again WO97.

    Note that for each search you will get the abbreviated first and last name in each file. I find it easier to just enter Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry or Service Corps and thumb through the search results, rather than trying to guess what the abbreviated surnames might be.

  6. #6
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default Searching records 1883-1913

    From 1883 onwards, army records were kept in one alphabetical list.

    In the catalogue, entries are again shown by first and last name in each file, but this time, complete surnames are shown.

    In searching for surnames, I generally use the asterisk wild card as this means that I tend to pick up names for which there are very few documents and which only appear in the middle of a file.

    For example:
    In the word or phrase field, enter - Lowther
    In the year range, enter - 1883-1913
    In the department or series code, enter - WO97

    Now search and you get no hits.

    Change this to search as follows:
    In the word or phrase field, enter - low*
    In the year range, enter - 1883-1913
    In the department or series code, enter - WO97

    You get these hits in which you can pick up which files would alphabetically contain the name LOWTHER.

    As before, you can request TNA to supply documents relating to an individual within a file.

    There are some misfiled documents
    The reference range (class/piece) of misfiled documents is shown here
    They are arranged by surname and searches are best carried out using partial surnames and the asterisk wildcard. Some of the misfiled records are now available through TNA's documentsonline.

    If all else fails (unless you are searching for Smith, Jones or other such common surnames) just enter a surname in the word or phrase field, roughly narrow down the year range and in the department or series code, enter WO. Then hit search.

    This thread just covers one small aspect of searching, experiment with the catalogue and you will get used to it. TNA has written loads of guides and they are there to help.

    Most of the army documents cannot be viewed directly online - but as I have indicated, you can search for them and order copies.

    Remember TNA's catalogue, is just that; a catalogue - an index - something to help you locate where records are held. You cannot carry out a search of the catalogue and click on a button to view the original record. You have to order it.


    Note - to locate Officers' services in WW1 using TNA's catalogue, you may have to carry out two searches. In the word or phrase field, enter a surname, in the department or series code enter WO339. If that comes up with no hits, try WO374. Officers' services may also be traced in part using the London Gazette.
    Good luck

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