Any military record experts around?

[kiterunner]

At last, I've found my 2xg-grandfather John Galway's army papers, unexpectedly as they were in the latest tranche of Chelsea Pensioners to go online on findmypast - those discharged between 1855 and 1872, and I know my John Galway served as a Barrack Sergeant at Curragh Camp, County Kildare, until some time after 1879. The papers I've downloaded show he was discharged from the army in April 1866 with 21 years 292 days' service (he joined up in 1843 but his first six months didn't count as pensionable service because he was underage). He had served in the Mediterranean, Turkey, the Crimea, India and China. Then at the end of his service details it says
"I 11.835 dis doc to WO 3/5/87
I 1209 7 DD returned
I 23/35 Incd to 28 1/2 for 20 years service as Barrack Serjeant I Bd - 1A8.88",
which I think means he served as Barrack Sergeant from 1867 to 1887 or thereabouts. What I would now like to know is, would there be separate service papers for his time as Barrack Sergeant at Curragh Camp, and if so, where would they be? The first few of his children who were born while he was there don't seem to be on the Irish Civil Registration indexes and I always hoped their details would be on his army papers!

[Kit]

Can't help you Kate, sorry.

I'm just jealous you know who your Chelsea pensioner is. OH or I have one but he is a distant relative and I didn't know what one was when I read it on the census.

[Oakum Picker]

I'm not an expert Kate, but as it was still the British Army I think they should be at Kew. However all of these haven't survived although I've never seen any mention of it - not like the 'burnt records' of WWI. My gf & his 4 brothers were all serving in 1901 but I have been able to find nothing for my gf & one of his brothers. I did find the record for that brother in another regiment from 1890-1893 when he was dishonourably discharged.
My searching was done at Kew going through the boxes including misfiles.

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Glen. Maybe more records will turn up when they upload the other series.

[JBee]

I have 3 soldiers in the 71st Regiment of Foot all discharged before 1862 but could only find one's service docs at Kew - admittedly one had died (so probably destroyed) but the other was pensioned off so should have been there but wasn't.

[annswabey]

I researched someone who was discharged from the Army then became a Barrack Serjeant. There were discharge papers for his stint in the Army but nothing on his later "service" Was it a civilian, rather than a military occupation? I'm not sure.

LOADS of men's records are missing from the WO97 series who you'd expect to be there!

[kiterunner]

Thanks for that information, Ann.