Should I already know the answer?

[Viv in Herts]

After 8 years of researching my family history I feel I should already know the answer to the question I'm about to ask. If a soldier was Killed in Action in WW1, would there be records other than medal card/CWGC information? I suppose what I'm asking is would there be service records anywhere?

[Phoenix]

I went to a talk pre Ancestry putting the records online where it was stated that if you were kia (as opposed, for some reason to died of wounds) then no, the records didn't survive.

I assume that records were only kept in order to pay out pensions etc and anyone kia would have been sorted out immediately.

I went to a more recent talk, different speaker, where I asked if anyone knew the rationale behind what survives today - ie gaps equally across all letters of the alphabet. I'd wondered if particular regiments lost more records than others, but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

[Merry]

I have the service records for several people who were kia in WW1 (all from Ancestry burnt records), so they cant have all been destroyed.

[Merry]

Thinking about it, would it have made any difference as to whether they kept the record if a body was buried or the person was actually missing presumed dead? I don't think any of mine have a known grave.

[annswabey]

It seems to be a common misconception that there are no service records for those KIA. Definitely not the case, as Merry says.

[Phoenix]

Ann, has any serious statistical work been done on what has survived?

I know the figures are fogged by stray papers turning up in the wrong files etc, but now that we can get beyond the anecdotal, it would be fascinating to get a proper idea of what survives

[Viv in Herts]

Thank you all, I don't feel so daft now! My K in A has no known grave - he died in the 2nd Battle of Gaza in Palestine 1917.

Phoenix, I wondered about the alphabet angle as well. My man's surname was Blythe and on talking to someone else at the weekend, she said she couldn't find service records for men with surnames of A, C, D who were K in A.

Viv

[annswabey]

I believe various informal studies have been carried out but no obvious rhyme or reason to what has survived or not.

I've looked for hundreds of WW1 service records but it would be a major exercise to try to find any sort of pattern - anyway, I don't think there is one.

[Langley Vale Sue]

My OH's grandfather was kia in 1918 and is buried in France. I must have just struck lucky as I found loads of information about him on Ancestry, even a transcript of his disciplinary hearing for injuring himself when he fell off his pushbike whilst riding back to Camp after a night out in the local village!

[Asa]

Viv, I think it's very random - I've got an Adams killed in action who has records on Ancestry but his brother hasn't :s

[Lemon Nelly]

Can I suggest you try local newspaper archives for the area, I did and not only found a story but a picture which though in bad nick was wonderful to see. It gave information about how my wee soldier died in Loos WW1

[Nell]

I understood that about 2/3rds of WW1 records were destroyed in a fire and the ones that survive, known as the "burnt records" are therefore only 1/3rd so its quite possible that the person you want isn't there.

I've been lucky with my side of the family but ex's grandfather and his brothers' records are all missing.