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How to trace grandfathers World War I - history and service
Posted: 18 Sep 2010 13:07
by akabob
Hi all
How difficult would it be to find my grandfather's (and other members of family) war record?
Can it be done over the internet?
likely to be expensive?
Posted: 18 Sep 2010 14:33
by daggers
You will find very helpful guidance on this site:
http://www.1914-1918.net/
Only about one-third of WW1 period soldiers' documents have survived, thanks to a blitz period fire, so you may or may not be lucky.
If you have any papers, badges, medals etc they will gives you clues to regiment etc. Did your men survive the war? If not there will be records of their burial or commemoration on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website:
http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp
D
Posted: 18 Sep 2010 17:01
by Hilary
If your grandfather's records were one of the ones that has survived you should find them on the Ancestry website. If you are in the UK most library servcies have a subscription to the Ancestry Library Collection and you can search for free. Otherwise you have to pay a subscription to Ancestry.
Hilary
Ed Officer
Posted: 23 Sep 2010 22:00
by Ken Lees
Bob,
If you know any details at all of your relatives' military service that will help enormously, especially if they have common-ish names.
Service numbers would be the biggest help, which can be found on the rims of any medals (or reverse in the case of a star). Other than that, photographs can yield numerous clues.
Tell us what you know and someone may be able to advise you further.
Ken