Free Ancestry UK Military Records – November

maceill · Post by **maceill** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:32 pm

AT last manage to print Oliver Blackburns medal card
thanks
maceill

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 10:18 pm

Hi All

I must be lucky

Only three to look for and they are all there.

One in particular tells a little story. What it means though, I don't know.

George left Scotland in 1913 to go to The States. The person he was to stay with was his wife's sister, Margaret and her husband. He left his wife, Elsie behind with 4 kids and she was 2 months pregnant!!! Did George know this when he left

Up until finding his service records the next thing we know of him is that he in the informant to his wife's granny's death on 20 Dec 1916.

So we knew he was back in Scotland at this time. Never knew if Elsie ever joined him in the States or not.

Now on finding his service records, we know that he came back to Scotland, alone, docking 15 Dec 1916 in Glasgow. He just made it back to the Highlands in time for Elsie's granny's demise

It cost him £7.10.00. (Seven Pounds Ten Shillings) to sail from New York to Glasgow. He then joined the army 23 Dec 1916 and went off to war.

He might have stayed until Xmas, at least.

Best wishes
Jean

Flo · Post by **Flo** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:32 am

Hi everyone,
I'm so thrilled, cos after a long time searching I have found my Grandads uncle. I knew he had died in WW1, but there were so many James Boyds to search through that it was going to waste way too much money!! Now, thanks to Ancestry's free military records I've found him! I'm so pleased!!

kathp · Post by **kathp** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:27 pm

Must be hit or miss, as the records for my G Uncle George Wilson who was with the Canadian Expeditionary Force ( and who was killed in 1917)are to be found on this site. I wasn't expecting anyone that far through the alphabet to be there, and I had his records already, but just proves it is always worth checking.
Kath

Lest we forget

Post by **paddyscar** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:45 am

I'm having my usual success with the military records on Ancestry

My grandfather Joseph Patrick Smith, born 1882 in Tradeston was with the Scots Guards in World War I and would have enlisted in Glasgow. He was married with children when he enlisted.

There are over 134,000 records found and those I did check were not him. What I can't understand is why there are many returns that are not for Joseph Smith, but for all sorts of other names.

In some instances their surname is Smith; in others, neither name is correct; then there are those, it would seem who had assumed the name Smith upon registering.

How is anyone finding anything? Surely I'm missing something in how I'm searching.

Frances

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:30 pm

Hi Frances
I'm having a bit of a hit or miss time too. Despite a lot of hours spent searching when I should be doing other things, I can only locate service records for ONE of the five men I'd hoped to find. Surnames are (just incase the position in the alphabet coincides with names others can't find):

Dick: soldier died in WW1, found his service records and those of his brother who survived and who I had not been aware had served!
Duff: also died in WW1, no sign of the one I'm looking for. (was an officer though, so may not be in this series)
McAulay: also died in WW1, no sign of the one I'm looking for, and of his three brothers who I'm sure must have served, and who survived, no sign either.

also couple of other names in my tree which I've been trying to find service records for:
Pratt: survived WW1, no sign of the one I'm looking for
Goalen: I can find none of the service records for the several who have medal cards, all of whom appear to have survived WW1.

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:46 pm

Hmm.
It seems that service records I searched for under Mc/Mac the other day, and so few Mc/Macs were returned which led me to believe that they were perhaps amongst those destroyed are now turning up in a search.

I've not found the precise men I'm looking for, but at least there are some to look through now.

Not sure I'm following this. Either records are being added daily or the search engine has its "wee moments"

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **joette** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:41 pm

Found two out of the six I was trying to locate.
The first was very informative had all his papers from his attestation to the telegram to his parents telling of his death to the family info needed-all living blood relatives ie parents & siblings & their addresses for his inclusion on a War Memorial. Very poignant reading of this cousin of my Granny's who was killed after about seven months service.
My Grandpa's papers we have but was looking for his medical records or details of his injuries-unfortunately his records were mixed with those of John Donaldson(I can see why as my Grandpa's name is the same as Donaldson's employer) It is also frustrating that his records are so readable & legible.
I was also hoping for details of his service in SA but nothing much just length of sevice & South African Rifles.
I hadn't realised that he was in a tunneling company but makes sense as he was a miner(one of the reasons he enlisted for the Boer war).

I was looking for Thomas Waddell's records too-especially details of how he died but nothing but his Medal Records.
William Scott nought either.
My Grandpa was awarded £2 gratuity in 1917 after he was injured-would this be a "one of" payment does anybody know?

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 3:57 pm

I think I'm suffering from "Ancestry overload"

I seem to be going round and round in circles now... forgetting what I've checked and which records I've seen already.

I'm beginning to feel I know some of the guys who are not "my lot" as I've read thier records a few times now!!!

winger · Post by **winger** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:16 pm

just wanted to say thanks for posting the notice about free records on ancestry - I finally found my gfather William McCann - I knew he had served and was invalided out but didn't know anything else - now I know he served with the Inniskillen Fusillers - that was a surprise, to finaly find him on rememberance Sunday seems especialy poinant.
thanks again for posting the info.