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British Army

554 bytes added, 08:00, 27 May 2012
m
info re Klimainham records
====Service and pension records====
 ==Chelsea Pensioners==Discharge papers ([http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=13157&CATLN=3&Highlight=&FullDetails=True '''WO 97''', (to '''1913''')]), usually containing service/attestation information, and pension records ([http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=13082&CATLN=3&Highlight=&FullDetails=True '''WO 22''']) may also be found at TNA. Records in WO 97 are usually only for men discharged with a pension (ie having served 12 years or having been invalided) as these were the papers sent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea and preserved, but from 1883, most causes of discharge, (apart from death<ref>There are WO 97 records for a few men who died in the Anglo- Boer War (and papers in the Ancestry "WWI" series for men who died during the Anglo-Boer War) according to this [http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=3511&start=15#p23904 Victorian Wars Forum post] dated 1 October 2011 </ref>) were included. Note however, '''the survival rate of discharge papers appears to be low for men discharged overseas<ref>''My Ancestor was in the British Army'', page 63 by Michael Watts and Christopher Watts 2009</ref> [ie not in Britain, and therefore low for India]. If a man went on to serve during World War 1 then his records would normally have been removed from WO97 and placed with his WW1 service records<ref> ''My Ancestor was in the British Army'', page 64 by Michael Watts and Christopher Watts 2009 and [http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/DEVON/2010-03/1269096802 Chelsea Pensioners] dated 20 March 2010 from Rootsweb Devon List.</ref>. WO 97 records are also unlikely to include men who immediately went on active service with a Milita unit, (whose discharge papers may have been transferred to the Milita unit)<ref>India List [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/INDIA/2011-06/1308580161 post] dated 20 June 2011</ref>. The records do not include those men discharged through the Kilmainham Hospital in Ireland''', (out-pensioners to 1822 and in-pensioners to 1929). The records often contain a wealth of genealogical information, including birth date and location, next of kin, physical description, service locations, medical history and medals. They may include information about marriages, births of children or deaths of family members.
The National Archives has worked with findmypast.co.uk to scan and place online '''WO 97''' (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers' Service Documents 1760-1913) All WO 97 records, for the years '''1760 to 1913''' are currently available on [http://www.findmypast.co.uk/chelsea-pensioners-service-records-collection-search-start.action findmypast.co.uk]. 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).
==Kilmainham Pensioners==
The records online atfindmypast do not include those men discharged through the Kilmainham Hospital in Ireland, (out-pensioners to 1822 and in-pensioners to 1929). These records, held under TNA reference WO119, are currently (2012) being digitised and will be hosted on the findmypast website in due course. For more information see [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/548.htm TNA News Archive] which mentions that names with brief service descriptions can now be found in [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/ The National Archives Catalogue] and this could provide a welcome break for family historians.
 
==Other Pension Records==
Another useful TNA source is the '''WO 22''' subseries "Army and other pensions paid out locally in India, Ceylon and China" detailing names and payments made, including [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/browser.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=13082&GPE=False&DOWN=TRUE&MARKER=216000&MARKERSCN= '''WO 22/228-230'''] Bengal, [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/browser.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=13082&GPE=False&DOWN=TRUE&MARKER=228000&MARKERSCN= '''WO 22/237-238'''] Bombay and [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/browser.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=13082&GPE=False&DOWN=TRUE&MARKER=265000&MARKERSCN= '''WO 22/266-270'''], mainly Madras.
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