Medal Rolls

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The medals article has details of medals awarded for various military campaigns. Most of the nominal medal rolls for these awards are at the British Library. Many of the rolls are reprinted in books on the open access shelves. Details of the India Office Records' reference numbers can be found at Your Archives - Medal Rolls in the India Office Library.

FIBIS resources

See also

The National Archives

Research Guides

WO 100 Medal Rolls

The National Archives records WO 100 Medal Rolls are available to download free of charge as pdfs. These records are available on the pay site Ancestry, (refer below) but those do not have access to Ancestry may find the downloads useful. They are large pdfs, which require a broadband connection . For full details refer the National Archives advice page Digital microfilm

The records are mainly in respect of British Army regiments, although there are some in respect of the Indian Army. Some medals do not appear to have rolls in the WO 100 records, and appear to be only available in the India Office records at the British Library, refer above.

The catalogue entry is WO 100 Campaign Medal and Award Rolls (General Series) The following subseries have been noted , following the order of the National Archive’s Discovery catalogue

WO 102 Medal Rolls

The National Archives records Long Service and Good Conduct Awards, Registers: WO 102 are available to download free of charge as pdfs. The records are Registers of candidates noted for, and recipients of, the Long Service and Good Conduct awards between 1831 and 1953. They are large pdfs, which require a broadband connection . For full details refer the National Archives advice page Digital microfilm

ADM 171 Naval Medal Rolls

The National Archives records ADM 171 Admiralty, and Ministry of Defence, Navy Department: Medal Rolls 1793-1995 are available to download free of charge as pdfs. These records are available on the pay site Ancestry, (refer below) but those do not have access to Ancestry may find the downloads useful. They are large pdfs which require a broadband connection. For full details refer the National Archives advice page Digital microfilm

First World War

Medal Index Cards

  • The National Archives research guide British Army medal index cards 1914-1920. Includes a Search facility, information about the medals and how to read the cards, and reference to the Indian Army Medal Index Cards, catalogue references WO 372/25 to WO 372/29, for the period to 31 December 1918. Note however, there are some Medal Index Cards relating to men in the Mesopotamian Railways which are not specifically classified as Indian Army, and are catalogued outside this range.
  • Images of the medal index cards are also available on the commercial site Ancestry. The Ancestry database also includes the back of the cards which sometimes contain information. Additionally the Ancestry cards are in colour, whereas the National Archives images are in black and white. The Ancestry website advises some records including Indian Army cards are not included. However some Mesopotamian Railways (and perhaps other) entries which are not classified Indian Army may be included on the Ancestry database.
  • How to interpret a campaign medal index card The Long, Long Trail

Note: The Medal Index Cards appear to only contain some of the medal entitlements for soldiers in the Indian Army. It appears that some of the medals may have been issued in India but there are no known records for these medals.

Medal Rolls

  • WO 329. The Medal Rolls for some records may contain information additional to that in the Medal Index Cards.
Catalogue reference: WO 329 War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War includes a free download Index and Key to War of 1914-1918 medal rolls. This guide was written prior to the current catalogue, and the relationship between the original index references and the modern WO 329 are described here [1]
The medal rolls for the Indian Army in this series include British War Medal and Victory Medal: officers and other ranks WO 329/2384-2391, Officers WO 329/2303 - Described at item level, WO 329/2304,W0 329/2347-2352; 1914-15 Star: WO 329/2940, WO 329/2941; Territorial Force War Medal: Officers: WO 329/3272- Described at item level.
Note: The WO 329 medal rolls available at the National Archives appear to only contain some of the medal entitlements for soldiers in the Indian Army. It appears that some of the medals may have been issued in India but there are no known records for these medals, except possibly for Aden.
Transcription of some/all of the WO 329 medal rolls are available on the pay site "Naval and Military Archive". See External links below.

British Library records

As stated above, many of the medal rolls are reprinted in books on the open access shelves at the British Library.

Catalogue references are

  • Medal Rolls IOR/L/MIL/5/42-141 1799-1911 with links to the sub categories. (These records are those covered in the "Your Archives" link above, but the catalogue references are given again, as the accompanying information may be slightly different)

Additional to the catalogue references for Medal Rolls IOR/L/MIL/5/42-141 the following list contains both medal roll catalogue references and some catalogue references which do not specifically mention rolls but which may possibly contain medal rolls, listed (approximately) according to date of the military action.

Medal Rolls for Indian Native Troops

The information in respect of Medal Rolls IOR/L/MIL/5/42-141 1799-1911 states that the names of Indian recipients rarely appear (except, however, in L/MIL/5/87-103). These latter records are detailed Your Archives - Medal Rolls in the India Office Library, which also lists a few entries such as L/MIL/5/60 Nominal rolls of Indian Army native troops. 1870-1878. These entries may possibly be included in the Ancestry website, refer below, but it is not known whether they are or not.

For details of some medals awarded to Indian troops in the Boer War, see Boer War

Publications containing Medal Rolls

Books currently available

Books currently available (November 2012) which have been noted:

External links

  • The Fee Paying Website "Ancestry" (allows a free search) now hosts
    • UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949, based on the National Archives records WO 100 "This database contains lists of more than 2.3 million officers, enlisted personnel and other individuals entitled to medals and awards commemorating their service in campaigns and battles for the British Army between 1793 and 1949" Campaigns in India are included - but not WWI or WWII medal and award rolls. WWI medal information is available in the next collection.
    • British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 Based on records from the Army Medal Office WWI Medal Index Cards. "The Medal Index Cards collection is the most complete listing of individuals who fought in the British Army in WWI, containing approximately 90% of soldiers’ names"
    • UK, Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Based on the National Archives records ADM 171. "The rolls include medals awarded for British campaigns and service in Europe, India, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and elsewhere during the height of the British Empire and into the 20th century. This database also includes medal rolls from the First and Second World Wars".
  • Naval and Military Archive. A pay website associated with Naval and Military Press. Includes "Campaign Medal Rolls of the Great War", transcribed from National Archives Medal Rolls, for 1914 Star, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  • Medal Roll for India General Service Medal with clasps 1919-1935: RAF personnel. Surnames A-Brymer only. Includes the Squadrons present. html version pdf version naval-military-press.com. Retrieved 9 August 2014
  • Geoff Sullivan’s Geoff's WO 373 Lists: Recommendations for Honours and Awards, Second World War includes

Historical books online

  • The first part of Deeds of Valour Performed by Indian Officers and Soldiers during the period from 1860 to 1925 by P P Hypher, Army Department 1927 printed at Simla, is available to read on the FIBIS database as pdf files. Pages to 228 are available. These appear to cover the period to 1913. The years 1914-1925 are not available on the FIBIS database. Total pages c 500. Available at the National Army Museum, but does not currently appear in the British Library catalogue. There is a previous book Deeds of Valour of the Indian Soldier which won the Indian Order of Merit, during the period from 1837 to 1859 by PP Hypher 1925. Available at the British Library and the National Army Museum

References

  1. ↑ aussienoel WO 329 Medal Rolls - Index Download Great War Forum 6 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014
  2. ↑ Moreman, Tim Indian DSM Great War Forum 12 February 2014 Retrieved 28 September 2014

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