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    Hi, im'e trying to find out more about my Grandad who served in ww1..and wondered if anyone has any advise to help me? I subscribe to Ancestry uk and have found records of him including his singing up papers/discharge papers/medals etc..but as he was captured and subsequently released in the prisoner exchange agreement due to his injuries im'e wanting to know if there's more detailed information to be found regarding where he was captured and where he was imprisoned until he was released and sent home?..if there's more information about him does anyone know who i could contact as im'e quite knew to all this and lost as to where to start looking..lol..any advise will be very mush appreciated.

    Regards,

    Nigel.

  • #2
    Hi Nigel and welcome to the forum.

    There is some information here about researching POWs of WW1



    You may want to try the Great War Forum. There is a section on that forum that deals specifically with prisoners of war. I don't know if this link will work, but if not just Google Great War Forum.



    I'm not trying to put you off asking on here and someone may come along with more information but the GWF often have more detailed knowledge. In the meantime, please feel free to post any other queries you may have
    Jackie

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    • #3
      Use the information on Ancestry as a starting point ...

      The key to finding about the detail of army service in WW1 is to identify the battalion (not just the regiment) he belonged to - that should be listed in his service record (if you have been lucky and found one - many were destroyed in WW2). You can then find the battalion war diary at the National Archives (many are becoming available on-line through their website now) and that will give you day by day information about where the battalion was and the action they were involved in.

      If you visit the Archives at Kew you quite often get much more than just the diary when you order the documents - I was there last week researching a Tank Corps Battalion and in the same box as the diary were a much more detailed account of their activities written by one of the officers as a memoir, lists of tank crews and casualties, maps, operation orders and communications - really fascinating stuff.

      Even where service records don't survive, it is usually possible to trace the battalion from the medal index card.
      Retired professional researcher, and ex- deputy registrar, now based in Worcestershire. Happy to give any help or advice I can ( especially on matters of civil registration) - contact via PM or my website www.chalfontresearch.co.uk
      Follow me on Twittter @ChalfontR

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      • #4
        Thanks for the advise form above members, it's a starting point..lol..

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        • #5
          Nigel,

          if you give us some details [providing that they are no longer alive] then maybe we can help you in your search for information.
          Julie
          They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

          .......I find dead people

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          • #6
            Thanks his name was George English born 1879 died 1964 served in Yorkshire Light Infantry Regiment, Private 6696. Was captured/wounded in France (I was wondering where in France) held prisoner in Germany and released on Prisoner exchange in 1915.

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            • #7
              The Pension Record for George, on Ancestry shows that he joined the army in 1900 and left in 1907, and was then part of the Army Reserve. As such he would be first in line to be called up in 1914, which he obviously was. The statement of service shows that he joined the 3rd Battalion on 6th August (a training battalion) and was posted to the 2nd Battalion on 11th September 1914 (who were in France by then) and reported missing on 30th October 1914, being confirmed as a prisoner a couple of months later.

              The Battalion War Diary for the 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry is available to download from the National Archives (costs £3.36)



              As an "Other Rank" it is extremely unlikely the diary will mention him by name (officer's get that privilege) but if you read through that, you should be able to work out exactly where your Grandad was for every day of the war up to his capture, and identify what action happened on or about the 30th October that resulted in him being taken prisoner.
              Last edited by AntonyM; 17-01-13, 09:53.
              Retired professional researcher, and ex- deputy registrar, now based in Worcestershire. Happy to give any help or advice I can ( especially on matters of civil registration) - contact via PM or my website www.chalfontresearch.co.uk
              Follow me on Twittter @ChalfontR

              Comment


              • #8
                Interesting discrepancy - though probably just a clerical error I guess when the medals were assigned - but his Medal Card gives 11th November 1914 as the qualifying date for the award of his 1914 Star (the date of entry into France/Flanders) - a bit difficult if he was reported "wounded and missing" on 30th October

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                • #9
                  Does appear that his qualifying date is wrong but I suspect a simple error (it was 11th September, not 11th November) , I would always recommend looking at the Medal Roll itself - it may show different information.
                  Last edited by AntonyM; 17-01-13, 16:11.
                  Retired professional researcher, and ex- deputy registrar, now based in Worcestershire. Happy to give any help or advice I can ( especially on matters of civil registration) - contact via PM or my website www.chalfontresearch.co.uk
                  Follow me on Twittter @ChalfontR

                  Comment

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