WW1 army records?

[Punchs Mum]

Not being very savvy with regards to these records, can anyone tell me if the Medal Roll index cards records on Ancestry 1914-1920 would be the same as what is on TNA site? I have found him listed on there but the download of 2 pages will cost and I have a feeling it will be the same as that obtained for free from Ancestry. Not much info on the medal rool cards at all.

I am trying to help someone trace their fathers WW1 records. Bearing in mind she is in her 80's I don't want her to have to waste her money and get the same result!

Are there records available for WW1.......Royal Field Artillary is what I am looking for? Any helpful suggestions?

Lesley

[Shona]

As far as I remember! they are the same.

[Punchs Mum]

Thanks Shona....... I thought they maybe. Especially as the first page is usually the one with the NTA emblem on it and the whole download was apparently only two pages!

Was hoping to get a bit more info on it.

Lesley

[Shona]

There are three main sets of records on Ancestry with regard to people who served in the army in WW1.

1) Medal index - as far as I recall, this is the same as the NA.
2) Service records - many records have been lost, though.
3) Pension records - again many of these were destroyed.

If you post the name of the person and where they were from, I'm sure members will point you in the right direction.

[Punchs Mum]

I am looking for Bertram Pinner service No835645.Royal Field Artillary The Medal card gives this number and also another number 1683. Can't understand why there are two numbers on the card.

He was born Birmingham 7/6/1892 and died 24/7/1987 aged 95 so no need to search for a War Grave!! That is all the info I have been given.

Thanks Lesley

[Shona]

He was a driver for the RFA and was awarded the Victory, British and 1915 Star. He served in France in 1915, arriving there on 1 April that year.

This prob means he worked with the horses that pulled the guns.

As the war went on, people got moved around and into different regiments, units, etc. If this happened, then they were likely to have been given a new service number.

There don't appear to be any surviving service or pension records.

[kiterunner]

The medal index cards on TNA site only show you the front of the card, whereas the ones on ancestry show both front and back. Usually there is nothing significant on the back but sometimes there can be.

[Punchs Mum]

Many thanks for that interpretation of the Medal Card Shona! Also for checking for service and pension records. I did think I had read somewhere that not many records survived.

It makes more sense now you have explained it.


Also kiterunner, thanks for your reply. Glad I didn't bite the bullet and pay to download it from TNA site. I wouldn't have been very impressed!

Lesley

[JBee]

I vaguely remember that they had an Army No which was a good number of digits but that the smaller 4 digit number was a Regimental number.