Finding World War I Service Records

[RichardMarcJ]

My great-grandfather George Gravestock served in World War I. He was in the Royal Marines. According to my grandmother, he served in Malta, Russia, and possibly Belgium. He was born in 1899, and lied about his age to join the armed forces when War broke out.

I have emigrated to the United States now. I was wondering if there was some kind of online list of people who served in the Royal Marines (in World War I). Perhaps some kind of war record list with his enlistment records? I am unaware that he won any sort of medal during his time in the military. If you know of any way of accessing this sort of information, it would be greatly appreciated. I am very interested to see what comes of it.

[Geoffers]

My great-grandfather George Gravestock served in World War I. He was in the Royal Marines. According to my grandmother, he served in Malta, Russia, and possibly Belgium. He was born in 1899, and lied about his age to join the armed forces when War broke out. I was wondering if there was some kind of online list of people who served in the Royal Marines (in World War I).

The National Archives (TNA) at Kew has a web-site with many research guides; one of them is:
https://www.catalogue.nationalarchive...?sLeafletID=56
which should tell you about how to find his service record

The medal card index for WW1 can be searched free at:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/research/
you pay to view the actual medal card.

If he died in WW1 then try the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) web-site:
https://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[johnpritt]

I noticed as I was answering your other post (on your grand father in WW2) that in the odcuments that the Army Historical Records section sent me, they included some contact addresses.

As Geoffers says, the main point of entry for officers or soldiers whose service ended before 1921 is the National Archives at Kew.

However, they also note that "Microfilm copies of World War One Service Records are also held by the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints (mormons). Films can be requested for viewing at their local Family History Centres."

This might be a good place for you to start locally in the USA. However, I think that it only for Army records, not the other services.

For the Royal Marines, the contact addresses given are the national Archives (for officers and other ranks who enlisted before 1925), or, for officers and other ranks who enlisted after 1925:

Historical Records Office, Royal Marines
Centurion Building
Grange Road
Gosport, Hampshire PO13 9XA

Good luck!

[RichardMarcJ]

My grandmother found my great-grandfather's war records. They were really quite interesting. He put his age up by two years, and when he was in the army, he grew four inches. It was quite fascinating and exciting to hold a document that my great-grandfather filled out 90 years ago. I have scanned it to my computer and saved it in my family history files. I have also printed hard copies of it. I am very pleased.

Would anyone be able to answer this question:
On the paper it says next of kin. My great grandfather wrote "Father- Hary Gravestock" and then his address. Then he crossed his father's name out, and above it wrote "Mother- Emma Gravestock." Would anyone know why he might have done that?

[Geoffers]

Would anyone be able to answer this question:
On the paper it says next of kin. My great grandfather wrote "Father- Hary Gravestock" and then his address. Then he crossed his father's name out, and above it wrote "Mother- Emma Gravestock." Would anyone know why he might have done that?

Problem is, you don't know when the record was amended. It could quite possibly be because his dad died and so an army clerk amended this to show his mum as next-of-kin.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[RichardMarcJ]

His father passed away in 1943. He wouldn't ammend it nearly twenty years after the war, would he? Plus he would have been married then with a daughter.

[RichardMarcJ]

You could quite possibly be right. His father never did join, but four of his father's brothers did. His father (a village constable) and brothers were actually in a local newspaper article for their service.