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British Army

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Absent Voters’ Lists: 1918- c 1923 (UK)
The '''British Army''' is the land-based forces of the United Kingdom. The British Army was heavily involved in Imperial affairs in India and most regiments (both infantry and cavalry) served in India at some point. Throughout the nineteenth century, a significant number of British troops were stationed at India at any one time. In 1847, for instance, around 20% of British Army regiments were on the sub-continent. The General staff were supported by the Staff Corps and the Office of the [[Quarter Master General]].
A Up until the early 1860s, a British man, or man of British descent could also be a soldier/officer in one of the [[Presidency Armies]]. These were seperate from the British Army, instead consisting of regiments formed by the [[East India Company]] and under their control.
==Regiments==
===Army Lists===
''Army List''s are useful if you are researching an officer.There were Monthly, Quarterly and Annual editions published. At least during the [[First World War]], only the Monthly Lists cover the officers in “battalion order”.<ref> rflory [http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=228278&p=2267381 Army List - copies at Kew?] ''Great War Forum'' 27 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014<br/ref>The Monthly Lists are available on the open shelves at the National Archives and major libraries. For volumes available online, see '''[[Military periodicals online]]'''
===The [London] Gazette===
[[Image:72nd Married Roll 1877 (close up).JPG |right|thumb|325px| ''Detail from a 1877 Married Roll'']]
<blockquote>"...a comprehensive means of establishing dates of enlistment, movements throughout the world, and of discharge or death. The first entry may show age on enlistment. An entry on the form "Men becoming non-effective", sometimes to be found at the end of each quarter's musters, shows the birthplace, trade, and date of enlistment of any soldier discharged or dead during the quarter. From about 1868, at the end of each muster, may be found a Marriage Roll, which enumerates wives and children for whom married quarters were provided." </blockquote> An 1877 example of data from a Marriage Roll can be seen in the image on the right.
From '''1878 to 1898''', all muster rolls are in [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/details?Uri=C14227 '''WO 16''']. The majority of the records for the years 1878 to 1888 contain detailed pay lists with names. From 1888 onwards (WO 16/2917-3049) the series consists of company muster rolls only, and these do not contain pay lists.
An 1889 example of data from a Marriage Roll can be seen Muster roll records are unfortunately NOT available on [[LDS]] microfilms. If you are are unable to visit Kew, the [http://webwww.archivefibis.org/web/20040417222802research/members.ozemail.com.au/~clday/married.htm hereFIBIS Research team] on Cathy Day’s archived site.should be able to assist
Muster '''Please note that muster roll records are unfortunately NOT available on [[LDS]] microfilmsmay be missing for some Regiments and periods''', in India and generally. If you For example, there are are unable to visit Kew, read the National Archives' guide[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/virtually no muster roll records/paid_research.htm Paying for Research]. FIBIS also has a research service for FIBIS membersthe Royal Artillery in India.
=====Online records=====*Ancestry (pay site with a free search) has a collection [http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60546 UK, British Army Muster Books and Pay Lists, 1812-1817]*Findmypast has the records '''Please note that muster roll records may be missing for some Regiments and periods1861 Worldwide Army Index'''extracted from the National Archives April-June quarter Paylists held in WO 10 (Royal Artillery), WO 11 (Royal Engineers) and WO 12 (Cavalry, Guards, in India Infantry and generallyother units) series War Office records, including men serving overseas. For exampleSearching the records is free, there are virtually no muster roll but charges apply to view the records , although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription). Also on Findmypast is the Royal Artillery in India.'''1871 Worldwide Army Index'''
Findmypast has the records '''1861 Worldwide Army Index''' extracted from the National Archives April-June quarter Paylists held in WO 10 (Royal Artillery), WO 11 (Royal Engineers) and WO 12 (Cavalry, Guards, Infantry and other units) series War Office records, including men serving overseas. Searching the records is free, but charges apply to view the records, although they can be viewed for free at TNA (and other institutions with a FMP subscription). Note that soldiers of the East India Company Armies in 1861 would not generally appear in these records as most of these soldiers appear to have been transferred to the British Army after June 1861, although some soldiers appear to have transferred earlier and are included in these records. Also on Findmypast is the '''1871 Worldwide Army Index'''
====Service and pension records====
**[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmysoldierafter1913.htm Looking for records of a British Army soldier after 1913]
*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.westernfrontassociation.com/about-the-wfa/175-pension-records/2961-pension-record-cards-manual-lookup-request.html Pension Record Cards: Manual Lookup Request] 31 March 2013. A fee applies. It is intended that these records be digitised in time.
====Prisoners of War - ========= ICRC Archives=====
*[http://grandeguerre.icrc.org Prisoners of the First World War - ICRC Archives]. Free online records of the International Committee of the Red Cross. These records may be quite complex to search, and there are many helpful hints about searching on the Great War Forum.<ref>Evers, Maureen [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2015-01/1421673008 Online WW1 Red Cross records (two free datasets)] ''Rootsweb India Mailing List'' 19 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015</ref> Include soldiers of the Indian Army taken as POWs on the Western Front and sent to Germany.
*[https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/icrc-archives/ ICRC Archives] in Geneva has records for the [[Second World War]]
=====Other=====
*[[Findmypast|findmypast]] includes a database "Prisoners Of War 1715-1945" (located in Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records) which appears to contain some records from FO 383, including some for Indian Army soldiers.
====Medal Rolls====
*[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]
 
====Absent Voters Lists: 1918- c 1923 (UK)====
Generally arranged by Electoral District. Mainly contain military personnel, but also men and women who were engaged in war-related work who were still living away from home . Some are available online, other sources are major libraries and record offices nearest to the place in question.
*[http://mlfhs.org.uk/guides/researching_absent_voters.pdf Absent Voter Lists]. Guide by Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society. May 2015
*[http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/avl.html Finding soldiers through the 1918 Absent Voters Lists] 1914-1918.net
====Attestation books from 1920====
Many online sources are mentioned in other sections. Other miscellaneous sources may be found by searching the database information of websites such as findmypast and Ancestry.
*See [[Findmypast|findmypast]]. Under the tab "Search records" is a category "A-Z of record sets" which is a listing of all the record databases.
**Includes [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/royal-naval-division-records-1914-1919 Royal Naval Division Records 1914-1919]. The Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29 April 1916.**Includes a database "Prisoners Of War 1715-1945" (located in Armed forces & conflict/Regimental & service records) which appears to contain some records from the National Archives records FO 383, including some for Indian Army soldiers.** Includes a database "British Army Schoolchildren and Schoolmasters 1803-1932" (located in Education & work/Schools & education)*[http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/CardCatalog.aspx Ancestry Card Catalogue of all Record Databases]. Select the Military filter on the left hand side of the page. Also includes a database for Birmingham, and some of north Warwickshire, Absent Voters Lists (located in Census & Electoral Rolls/Midlands, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1955).
===Army personnel serving after January 1921===
*[[Doctor]]
*[[Duke of York's Military School]]
*[[Hill station cantonments and camps]]
*[[Mailing lists]]
*[[Medals]]
*''The Royal Military Calendar, Or Army Service and Commission Book: Containing the Services and Progress of Promotion of the Generals, Lieutenant-generals, Major-generals, Colonels, Lieutenant-colonels, and Majors of the Army, According to Seniority: with Details of the Principal Military Events of the Last Century Third Edition'' by John Philippart 1820 Google Books [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ETmnfShFw-8C&pg=PR1 Volume 1], [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=vg6zfusHsSAC&pg=RA1-PR3 Volume 2], [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=uQt4PleGb8QC&pg=PP11 Volume 3], [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=bNbre3lCAawC&pg=PP11 Volume 4], [http://books.google.com/books?id=e_BhWkIKNUoC&pg=PP15 Volume 5]
*''A History of the British Army'' by Sir John William Fortescue. Archive.org. This [http://www.naval-military-press.com/fortescue-s-history-of-the-british-army-complete-set-20-volumes-including-six-separate-map-volumes..html link]<ref>Naval and Military Press</ref> describes the contents of the volumes.
**[http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish02fortuoft#page/n7/mode/2up Volume 2, 1713 to 1763] (1899), [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish03fortuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Volume 3, 1763-1793] (1911), [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish04fortuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Volume 4, 1789-1801] (1906), [http://www.archive.org/stream/ahistorybritish00fortgoog#page/n9/mode/2up Volume 4, Part II 1789-1801] (1906), [httphttps://wwwarchive.org/details/historyofbritis05fort Volume 5, 1803-1807] (1910) with [https://archive.org/stream/britisharmy06fortuofthistoryofbritis05fort#page/n7n465/mode/2up 1up Maps], [https://archive.org/details/historyofbritis06fort Volume 6, 1807-1809] (1910), with [https://archive.org/stream/historyofbritis06fort#page/n480/mode/1up Maps], [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritis07fortuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Volume 7, 1809-1810] (1912), [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish08fortuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Volume 8, 1811-1812] (1917), [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish09fortuoft#page/n7/mode/2up Volume 9, 1813-1814] (1920), [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish10fortuoft#page/n7/mode/2up Volume 10, 1814-1815] (1920), [https://archive.org/details/historyofbritish11fort Volume 11, 1815-1838] ( 1923) With [https://archive.org/stream/historyofbritish11fort#page/n566/mode/1up Maps]. [https://archive.org/details/historyofbritish12fort Volume 12, 1839-1852] ( 1927) (Maps were in a separate volume) [https://archive.org/details/historyofbritishmap13fort Maps and Plans for Volume 13)] (Two maps of India appear to be missing)**Relating to India: [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish02fortuoft#page/170/mode/2up Volume 2, page 167], [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish03fortuoft#page/48/mode/2up Volume 3 page 49], [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish04fortuoft#page/402/mode/2up Volume 4 page 402], [http://www.archive.org/stream/ahistorybritish00fortgoog#page/n137/mode/2up Volume 4, Part II, page 711], Volume 5, 1803 to 1807, includes detailed treatment of the situation and operations in the East Indies and Ceylon, [httphttps://www.archive.org/stream/britisharmy06fortuofthistoryofbritis06fort#page/40/mode/2up Volume 6 page 40], [http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritis07fortuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Volume 7 page 563]:The following volumes are available to read online on the [[Online books#Digital Library of India| Digital Library of India]] website: Volume 5, 1803 to 1807, includes detailed treatment of the situation and operations in the East Indies and Ceylon. Volume 11,1815-1838, includes the War with Nepal, the Pindari War, the War in Ceylon and the War with Burma. Volume 12, 1839-52. This volume is mainly concerned with India, and covers operations in Afghanistan and on the Khyber Pass, together with internal security operations in India itself. ::Volume 13, 1852-1870, includes the Indian Mutiny, is available to read online on the [[Online books#Digital Library of India| Digital Library of India]] website.
*''British Battles on Land and Sea'' by James Grant. First published c 1873 [https://archive.org/details/cu31924091765655 Volume I: to 1743] [https://archive.org/details/cu31924091765663 Volume II: 1745-1826]. [https://archive.org/details/recentbritishba00grangoog ''Recent British Battles on Land and Sea''] [1875-1884] by James Grant 1884. Later called Volume IV. Archive.org
*[http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofscottis00murrrich#page/n5/mode/2up ''History of the Scottish regiments in the British Army''] by Arch. K. Murray 1862 Archive.org
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