Ancestry Military Records

[valbenson]

Hi All

Does anyone know how complete or accurate the above records are for WW1? I do Ancestry sessions in the library and 2 people have asked me to find records for a Grandfather and a Father with no success. They were Albert Hallsworth who was maybe in the KLR and may have been a guard at Knockaloe and Leonard Vincent Woodcock who was in the army maybe the Cheshires but went to Archangel. I know there are mistakes with the transcribing because my Grandfather's records had been transcribed under his daughter's name and I only found them because I have a family tree on Ancestry and they sent me a hint.

Regards

Val

[Blue70]

Historical Background:

The British Army World War One Service Records are War Office (WO) records also known as the WO363 records and the ‘Burnt Documents.’ In 1940 there was a World War Two bombing raid on the War Office in London where the records were held. During this raid, a large portion (approximately 60 percent) of the 6.5 million records was destroyed by fire. The surviving service records have become known as the ‘Burnt Documents’.

Although many of these records suffered water damage following the bombing raid, all surviving service and pension records were microfilmed by The National Archives, where both collections are held, as part of a major TNA conservation project.

Tips and Notes:
•Some records may have been stored and/or filmed in incorrect alphabetical order.
•Some records may appear to be out of order due to a misspelling or misreading of the name.
•Some soldiers did not record their first names; some of them only used initials, and others used nicknames or diminutive names.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=1219


Blue

[valbenson]

Thanks Blue that was certainly a quick reply.

Regards

Val

[Katie]

I have nothing for Albert Hallsworth, but I do have a and entry for:

12th-Sept-1917
Royal Field Artillery
Gunner
Leonard
L/16806
Woodcock
Liverpool
Wounded


Service records are available on Ancestry for Leonard and his home address is listed as

123, Latham Street, Liverpool.

[Katie]

There is a Medal card for a Leonard V Woodcock, Royal Fusiliers GS/131263

According to the Medal Rolls Records the above soldier's full name is Leonard Vincent Woodcock.

[valbenson]

Hi Katie

Thanks for your replies, unfortunately we had already disregarded this gentleman the Leonard Vincent Woodcock I am looking for had a father called Thomas, none of the 11 records on Ancestry fitted the bill.

Thanks again for looking.

Regards

Val