Grandfather Served in WW1 in the British Army

hdowney

Hi. As the above title suggests my Grandfather served with the British Army during WW1. I wondered if any of ye knew about how to go about getting a copy of his military record/getting his medals etc?

Thanks

Beano

Start here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmysoldierafter1913.htm

hdowney

ooh 1 edit. my bad. I was reading all stuff to do with ww1 today and accidentally put that when I meant ww2. so same question. different war!

johnciall

hdowney wrote: »

ooh 1 edit. my bad. I was reading all stuff to do with ww1 today and accidentally put that when I meant ww2. so same question. different war!

I'm in the same boat, my grandad was Royal Navy, you need their next of Kin to request the records, Either a surviving spouse or eldest child

Beano

you can try here but you need to be next of kin http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

If you are not next of kin it will be difficult as the MOD as some of it is still classified. Try the links here http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Learning_C&childpagename=UKLearningCenter%2FLearning_C%2FPageDefault&pagename=LearningWrapper&cid=1265124423100&o_xid=51719&o_lid=51719&o_sch=Email

hdowney

Next of Kin. Ok so does that HAVE to be the eldest surviving child or can it be one of his children? Also back in them days did they nominate a specific next of kin? Like my mam was the only one living at home with him when he passed, is it likely she would have been down as his next of kin, and therefore would still count? I know I could ask her and I likely will but I don't want to bombard her with questions that might upset her - remembering his death etc yakno

johnciall

I'm not sure to be honest,
I know with us it would need to be my uncle who is their eldest son, as both my grandparents are dead,

Best bet is get onto the guys in MOD and find out, myself & my cousin have found them quite helpful

johnny_doyle

hdowney wrote: »

Hi. As the above title suggests my Grandfather served with the British Army during WW1. I wondered if any of ye knew about how to go about getting a copy of his military record/getting his medals etc?

Thanks

Ancestry may have the service record and/or pensions record (not all survive). They will have medal index card if he served overseas.

http://johnny-doyle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/irish-soldiers-ww1.html


You won't be able to get replacement WW1 medals. You might have to get replicas made.

Pop his name in this thread or on the WW1 forum.

hdowney

So the mother was his next of kin. Down official, she was who the hospital contacted etc. Was looking on all the links above and from my understanding - to get copies of his service records we need to have his next of kin (yep), and his death cert (getting a new one!). Then to get his medals (he never got them himself so they are still with the MOD) we need his death cert (as above) and proof of kinship (which she has). That and the costs involved for the various things. It's £30 for the records, £9.25 for the death cert and I can't see a cost so far for the medals but I am sure there probably will turn out to be.

johnny_doyle

WW1 medals not collected/issued were destroyed after a short period of time. See following link and look under World War 1 medals

https://www.gov.uk/the-ministry-of-defence-medal-office

Also see note 6 re Replacing and Claiming Medals at the UK National Archives page at

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/medals-british-armed-services-campaign-service.htm

MOD will not have the service records for WW1 soldiers unless they stayed on and served after WW1. The biggest exception to the rule re service records on Ancestry and other genealogy sites is if your ancestor served with a Guards regiment.

You may want to spend a few minutes looking at the Research a Soldier thread on the WW1 forum or pop along to the Great War Forum.

johnciall

Johnny - If you check the 3rd post he typo'd & meant WWII

HDowney - you probably won't be able to get the actual medals that were prepared for him,
however a reproduction bar of the miniature medals he most likely would have been awarded would cost about 15STG and the full size would be about 60STG