General Chat

i am trying to find out about my grandfathers army service all iknow is that he served in the first world war how or where could i trace this thank you ronald

Ronald one way is to look at the military records held on Ancestry...

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
England, The National Roll of the Great War, 1914-1918
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919

You can do this by taking a two week free trial, or if you wish I will take a look for you if you would like to give me a name?

If he came out on a pension his Army record may have survived .Lots didnt though as where they were stored in WW2 was hit by bombs and many documents were lost in the fire , ,for that reason they are known as the burnt records and what survived are held at th Ntaional Archives at Kew, You could try their website and put in his name and if they are still there you can download them from the site for a fee .

thank you rambling rose his name was alexander murray his address was dalbeattie scotland so i think he would be in a scottish regament and i know he survived thank you ronald

Ronald

HE might have survived ......... but it is the records that did not


It is believed that only about 30% of the records from WW1 survived WW2, and many of those that did survive are bady damaged.

....... they were moved from the Ministry of Defense to another building in London at the start of WW2, for safe keeping

That building was bombed, and many records destroyed

The remainder were then moved to a building in Kew, for safe keeping


There was a fire at that building!



As Rose suggested .... it might be good to take out a free 14 week trial in ancestry IF your grandfather's records have survived .......... it's really interesting to read all about your ancestor



I was lucky enough that most of my grandfather's records survived, but I am one of a relatively few people to be so lucky.


EDIT ,,,,,, that should say free 14 DAY trial of ancestry!




sylvia

Had a look through last night, still some to look at images, but it isn't looking too likely that he is there , lots of Scottish Alexander Murrays, but not right area...have Pmd Ronald for a possible date of birth, or if there are known next of kin that might show on records.

hi rambling rose my grandfather alexander murray was born in 1890 at 26 mill street dalbeattie scotland he married mary rennie in 1915 there address was 22 copland street dalbeattie his father alexander murray was born in1857 address mill street dalbeattie my grandfather had a son david murray born 1920 i hope this will help you thank you very much for all your help ronald

There are 34 Alexander Murrays born ca 1890 +/ 5 years on the WW1 service records on ancestry.co.uk

None show an address in Dalbeattie



to help me get my head around this guy ...... and not incidentally, to find out which COUNTY Dalbeattie is in


is this your Alexander in 1891??


1891 Census

Name: Alexander Murray
Age: 5 Mo
Estimated birth year: abt 1891
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: Alexander
Mother's Name: Margaret
Gender: Male
Where born: Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire
Registration Number: 864
Registration district: Dalbeattie
Civil parish: Urr
County: Kirkcudbrightshire
Address: 11 Mill St

Alexander Murray 33 b.ca 1858, Kircudbright, Kircudbrightshire, Paper Mill Worker
Margaret Murray 29
Alexander Murray 5 Mo
William Thompson 9 Stepson
John Thompson 6 Stepson
Robert Thompson 4 Stepson




sylvia

Ronald I sent a PM yesterday which is still closed...

"Nothing showing in either the pension or service records that I can see unfortunately. I have checked through the images where a place of birth is not shown on the index and none match. "

No Alexander Murray showing as born in Kircudbrightshire


No potential Alexander Murray showing when no birth year used


179 Alexander Murrays are shown on the Medal Cards ......... but impossible to separate as do not use date or place of birth or place of rsidence ....... just name, regimental service number and regiment(s)



I fear that you are going to be one of the unlucky ones where the records have not survived.




sylvia

i would like to thank rose sylvia and shirley for all your help sylvia tthis is my grand father in 1991 cencus i am going to try the scottish british legion i know he was a member to see if they have his army number i will keep trying thank you all for your help ronald

Good luck with that Ronald, hopefully they will be able to help :))