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WW1 help please

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  • WW1 help please

    I have found one of my relatives Howard Dyer, he was killed in WW1.
    On the CWGC site I found that he was buried in France and on Ancestry I found a medal card for him.
    Where could I find info of his next of kin, where he was living when he joined the army, etc?
    I've looked on Ancestry and can't find anything.
    Popping out for a short while, doing my meals on wheels bit. :D
    Be back soon.

  • #2
    Morfydd

    His next of kin would be listed on his joining papers, but if you've looked on Ancestry and not found them, they may have been the ones that were destroyed.
    Do you know where he was born? It's possible there might have been a memorial notice in the local newspaper.

    Sorry I can't suggest anything more useful but hope someone else can help further.
    ~ with love from Little Nell~
    Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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    • #3
      I am told, but don't know how true this is, that if a man was killed in action, his papers were destroyed.

      If he died in action, then there is a chance that his papers survived. They should be in WO 363. I can't remember, but I think Ancestry only has WO 364.
      Phoenix - with charred feathers
      Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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      • #4
        His records, if they survive, will be in WO363. Ancestry has WO364 and just A-C at the moment of WO363. I heard too, that if someone was killed in action there wouldn't be any service papers for him, but it's not true! I've found lots for men who were KIA.
        The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
        Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

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        • #5
          If you have his regimental number you could always get John Aspinal to do a search for you and get his military records. He doesn't charge a lot, and if he can't find anything he doesn't charge at all.
          Wendy



          PLEASE SCAN AT 300-600 DPI FOR RESTORATION PURPOSES. THANK YOU!

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          • #6
            It seems strange that his next of kin is not on the CWGC cert
            My grandfather's eldest bro (died in France) has his parents on his



            (I'll re-check that in case I'm dreaming)
            In 'additional information' it has his parents' names and their address
            Last edited by Rachel Scand; 06-04-08, 16:26.
            ~ FOR PHOTO RESTORATIONS PLEASE SCAN AT A RESOLUTION OF 300-600 WITH THE SCALE AT 100% MINIMUM ~ http://restoreandcolour.brainwaving.co.uk

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            • #7
              Nat ARchives say war records of those killed in action will be available on ancestry by end 2008:

              News | British army World War One service and pension records go online
              ~ with love from Little Nell~
              Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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              • #8
                Ooh goody!

                Just because one researcher has never found a kia, doesn't mean that none exist.

                Perhaps it was the kia that were in the centre of the fire.

                Have you any idea, Anne, why the losses appear to be so uniform? There appear to be gaps all over the place and I would have thought a fire would have taken T-Z or perhaps the first drawer in each filing cabinet. I doubt we can know the answer until everything is digitalised, but I do wonder whether they were sorted by geographic region or regiment or type of claims.
                Phoenix - with charred feathers
                Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Rachel Scand View Post
                  It seems strange that his next of kin is not on the CWGC cert
                  My grandfather's eldest bro (died in France) has his parents on his

                  (I'll re-check that in case I'm dreaming)
                  In 'additional information' it has his parents' names and their address
                  Certainly true of most of the ones I've found (either parents if unmarried or wife if married). In one case the CWGC citation gives his wife's second married name as well (he died in 1918 and she re-married in 1921).
                  Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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                  • #10
                    Phoenix

                    Someone I know who worked at Hayes, where the records were kept before they were sent to Kew, tells me that they were filed in Regimental number order. Not sure whether that's true, but it would seem a likely explanation for why not most of one letter, or not most of a regiment is missing
                    The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
                    Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

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                    • #11
                      Thanks everyone for your replies.

                      On the CWGC info it has his name, nationality, rank, regiment, unit text, date of death, service number, casualty type, grave ref and cemetery.

                      Nothing about his next of kin.

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                      • #12
                        As I understand it all soldiers in First W War had to write wills, and I have certainly found a few next of kin by perusing these wills. I looked in the Probate Office in High Holborn London where I found 4 soldiers and wills for next of kin, most only leaving a few pounds, but the info contained in the wills of wives I did not know about was very useful. Try the following website for a list of Probate Offices Country Wide.

                        Wills and Probate - Probate Office Details

                        Janet
                        Last edited by Janet; 06-04-08, 17:41.

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                        • #13
                          Thanks Janet.

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                          • #14
                            I looked at the National Archives for details of one of my relatives KIA and found that his details were among those that did not survive .

                            note from National Archive site
                            If he was killed in the war or demobilised after the war, there is only about a 25% chance of finding his service record, as most records were destroyed by bombing in 1940. The records that do remain are known as the 'burnt documents'.
                            Jan

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                            • #15
                              Janet

                              Thanks for that info I hadn't thought about them having written wills . Will certainly look into that
                              Jan

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                              • #16
                                Jan, how do I search on the national archives please?
                                I just seem to get lost when I go on there.

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                                • #17
                                  Janet emailed my local probate office, waiting for reply.
                                  Going to visit library when I have time to see what newspaper stories they have from 1917, there may be something in one of those.

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                                  • #18
                                    You could also try looking on the Roll of Honour site: Roll of Honour - About us
                                    Although most of the details on there are the same as on CWGC site, sometimes there are more details from local newspapers or other sources.
                                    Sarah

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                                    • #19
                                      Thanks Sarah, I'll take a look at that now.

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                                      • #20
                                        Sarah, no info on Pontypridd, Glamorgan unfortunately.

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