29,533
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
For information about interpreting some of the abbreviations used in these records, the Great War Forum thread [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6898&st=0&p=51928&hl= Army Standards] explains the medical classification used for new recruits during the [[First World War]], and other abbreviations used during their subsequent service. In addition, the Great War Forum has a sub category [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showforum=31 Interpreting service records and medal index cards] which however, is only accessible to logged in Great War Forum members.
=====Other publications=====
*The [[Society of Genealogists]] has published the book ''My ancestor was in the British Army : how can I find out more about him?'' by Michael Watts and Christopher Watts 2009. This book is available to buy from the [http://www.new.fibis.org/products-page/3-other-books-about-colonial-india/military-history/bkx-0030-my-ancestor-was-in-the-british-army FIBIS Shop]. Also available at the [[British Library]] on open access.
no edit summary
===Locating a regiment===
There are many ways to find out locations at which a regiment was stationed. More labourious methods include tracking through the muster rolls, army lists or station lists published in newspapers. Many of our regiment articles include a timeline of major stations. One online source providing incomplete but highly useful information, is:
*[http://wwwisp.ans.com.au/~rampais/genelogy/india/indexes/indexkitz1.htm Indian portion of ''In Search of the 'Forlorn Hope': A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and their Records (1640-WWI)'' by John M Kitzmiller] - lists the location/year of all British regiments that served in India and related regions. (Archive.org links [https://web.archive.org/web/20110220120900/http://wwwisp.ans.com.au/~rampais/genelogy/india/indexes/kitz.htm Regiments], [https://web.archive.org/web/20110220120900/http://wwwisp.ans.com.au/~rampais/genelogy/india/indexes/kitz2.htm Locations]) . From Bob Holland’s Rampais website.
*[http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/carl/nafziger.htm The Nafziger Collection of Orders of Battle] hosts a PDF catalogue including lists of “Stations of British Troops in India” (and a wider list for the whole army) transcribed from the sources such as the ''Army and Navy Gazette ''. The website says "Download the collection's [http://cdm16040.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4013coll11/id/1277 Finding Aid] (pdf format) to assist in navigating the titles available for viewing".
An interesting series of selected records is [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C11584?v=r '''PIN 71''': Selected War Pensions Award Files for Service Prior to 1914]. This series consists of personal case files on disablement pensions arising from service in the Army or Navy before the First World War and case files concerning widows of such servicemen. The files contain medical records and details of place of birth, age, names of parents and siblings, religion, physical attributes, marital and parental status. The series appears to consist of approximately 6,300 individual files which are searchable by name online on the [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/ Discovery catalogue]. The actual files however are not available online.
Service and pension records from '''World War 1''' from the National Archives are available on the pay site [http://www.ancestry.com Ancestry .com], and from May 2014 on the pay site findmypast [[British Army#External links| refer below]]. They do contain some papers for men who did not serve in WW1.<ref>Victorian Wars Forum [http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7266&start=15#p31162 post] dated 17 July 2012 by Meurig</ref>
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1219 British Army WWI Service Records, '''1914-1920'''] are [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14567?v=r '''WO 363'''] records also known as the ‘Burnt Documents.’ These are the records which survived a fire, about one third of the total documents.
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1114 British Army WWI Pension Records '''1914-1920'''] are [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/browse/C14568?v=r '''WO 364'''] records
====Courts martial and desertion====
**[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/british-army-tracing-soldiers.htm British Army: Useful Sources for Tracing Soldiers (Military Records Information 14)]
*The National Archives has published the book ''Army Records: A Guide for Family Historians '' by William Spencer 2008. 160 pages. It is mainly about records in the National Archives and the India Office at the British Library. It contains a chapter "The British Army in India and the Indian Army", in addition to over twenty chapters about British Army records. Available at the [[British Library]].
=====British Library Guides=====
*[http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/oldResearch/files/tscInfo4.pdf Information Sheet No 4: Soldiers’ Records 1920–present]
*[http://www.nam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/research-information-5.pdf Information Sheet No 5: Researching Family History at the National Army Museum]
====Post 1920 Attestation books====
Following the restructure of the Army in 1920, new Attestation books were introduced, the originals of which were sent to various Regimental Museums in the early 2000s <ref>
Great War Forum thread [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=214248&hl= Attestation books - where they were sent by the MOD/Nat Archives] started by Justin 11 July 2014</ref>
====Regimental Journals====
==External links==
*[http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/ Great War Forum]
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]
===Encyclopedia articles===
*[http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080116091340/www.regiments.org/nations/europe/uk.htm Regiments.org (Archived Site)], see archived versions of a [http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20080118041521/www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/bargxrefn.htm Numeric list of British Army Regiments] and [http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20071218044939/www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ba1881.htm 1881 Regiments].
*[http://www.britisharmedforces.org/pages/nat_regiments.htm Army Regiments] from [http://www.britisharmedforces.org/index.htm British Armed Forces & National Service]. Includes details of deployments
*[http://www.nam.ac.uk/research/famous-units Famous Units] National Army Museum. "The list is continually being updated and eventually we hope to cover every unit that has contributed to the British Army's history".
*[http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/index.htm Army Museums Ogilby Trust] provides information about regimental museums. There is also a “book search” which lists books about the various regiments. Also includes
**[http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/ancestor.htm Ancestor Research & Military Genealogy]
*[http://www.1914-1918.net/renumbering20.htm Renumbering of the army in 1920] 1914-1918.net. A seven-digit number was issued in 1920 to all men then serving in regular or Territorial units. Once issued, the man retained the same number irrespective of his transfers and postings within the army. Generally the new numbers did not have prefixes but the Royal Army Service Corps was an exception. RASC numbers were prefixed S (Supplies), T (Transport), M (Mechanical Transport) or R (Remounts).
*[http://www.ceylondatabase.net/military.html International Ceylon Database: Military] from Kyle Joustra’s [http://www.ceylondatabase.net/Genealogy.html website]. Includes lists of names by regiment.
*[http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page4-India.html Soldiers of the Queen: The Jewel in the Crown]. Photographs of soldiers in India, Ceylon,The North-West Frontier Afghanistan. Includes [http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page4cIndia-TwoPrivatesaServantaDogandaMonkey.html Two Privates with a servant and pets], [http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page4vindia-SergeantEvansandWifeSergeantEdgarJobEvansandWife.html Sergeant E. J. Evans in the tropical version of his regimental "Mess Dress" uniform, with wife], [http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page4hhIndia-FusilierSergeantandFamilyArtillerySergeantandFamily.html Fusilier Artillery Sergeant and family c 1900]
*[http://www.militarysunhelmets.com/2012/british-army-spine-pads British Army Spine Pads] [Part of the uniform] by Stuart Bates , April 27, 2012 militarysunhelmets.com
*[http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1858/08/13.htm "Transport of Troops to India"] by Frederick Engels from ''New York Daily Tribune'', 13 August, 1858 states that some troops were sent from England by the overland route from 1857. Marxists.org. This route became permanent some years later, see [[British Army#Historical books online|below]].
*[http://adenairways.com/Armed_Forces/page186/page262/page262.html The trooping season between India and the United Kingdom] lasted for about seven months each year, with the full programme being published some months in advance. The gap, April-October/November in India was the same each year – to avoid the worst of the heat in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. adenairways.com. Also see See [[Trooping season]] and [[Deolali]].
*[http://www.movcon.org.uk/History/Documents/DID/D-MCHS%200290.10.htm Troopships and Trooping] by R G Robertson movcon.org.uk
*Bad conditions on troop ships coming to India in the late 1700s are mentioned in [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1081841/?page=14 "The soldier's friend—Sir Jeremiah Fitzpatrick"] by Richard L. Blanco ''Med Hist. 1976 October; 20(4): 402–421'', particularly 415-417
