British Army WWI service records on Ancestry

[Uncle John]

Is it just me, or is the indexing of these records a complete dog's breakfast?
The McK section seems to consist mostly of the complete service record of one David Scott Henderson Grieve, with some bits for a Mr Balchin to keep him company.

Doing a surname search, nearly 3/4 of the entries have an alternate name which bears no resemblance to the indexed name.

[Phoenix]

UJ
They've only got up to H. Anything for a later letter in the alphabet is a mis-sort or an alias.

[Uncle John]

Thanks for reminding me. That explains it (sort of).

[annswabey]

Having looked at loads of WW1 service records at Kew, I must say it's fairly common for records to have other names mixed in with them, which presumably, although I haven't checked, the Ancestry search won't pick up.

[Val and George]

Glad I'm not the only ones having problems. I started with the leter S and discovered so many other names mixed in with them it really wasn't worth going on. They need completely re-doing. Under SMI on pages 65 & 66 I discovered a death certificate for a Charlotte Langton aged 60 in Bethnal Green the wife of James Langton a toymaker. ???
On page 72 is a list of wounded at the Military hospital in Endell Street, which gives some excellent information. But you would never know where to find it, except, as I did, coming upon it by accident. All very bizarre.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Having looked at loads of WW1 service records at Kew, I must say it's fairly common for records to have other names mixed in with them, which presumably, although I haven't checked, the Ancestry search won't pick up.

I had my McDonough uncle searched for at Kew, 20+ years ago, to no avail.

Nothing on Ancestry at first, then about 3 months ago, his record suddenly "appeared", under a different name, with one of those little alternative name triangles.

It WAS my man!! The images before and after the ones for my chap are for a completely different surname (the one given on Ancestry.)

As he died in Jan 1919 and additional papers (re relatives) were added to his record, I think the record was then misfiled, in with someone else's papers.

My sgt McDonough was transfered from the Northumberland Fusiliers to the Yorks & Lancs. The chap his sheets were amongst was also in the Yorks & Lancs.

If it hadn't been for Ancestry, I would never have found the record at all.
So, don't give up hope - just keep checking the site time and time again. It was the post-death additions about relatives that confirmed he was my father's half-brother and also gave the name of a wife and son/stepson, which was a complete surprise.
(His death cert has arrived & marriage cert is on its way.)

[Phoenix]

There has been a valiant band, working through the mis-sorts at Kew. Anyone who has seen the banks of filing cabinets containing the microfilm will appreciate what a task this was. I assume this project was halted once it was realised that Ancestry would be indexing the documents.

It is worth checking TNA's catalogue if you can't find a name: mis-sorts that the volunteers found are listed individually.


Have documents too fragile to consult made available on microfilm was a wonderful step forwards, but speaking as someone who has trawled through many reels in my time, your chances of finding someone are hugely increased by having the information on Ancestry as it is just so easy to miss someone on the film.

[KiteRunner]

I'm still clutching onto that faint hope that my great-uncle's papers will turn up misfiled under someone else's name!

[Val and George]

What was his name and I will check through the few records I have looked at, as I made a note of them all. Cheers Val

[KiteRunner]

Wow, that's very kind of you, Val. His name was Reginald Hugh Bristow.

[Val and George]

I am sorry that I haven't come across your Reginald Hugh Bristow, but don't give up just yet because I looked through the letters SEL - SWI, and I had been finding the letter B in with the letter S. For example, in with T Stringer was JH Bratton - with TE Swift was CE Bravant, so it looks as though RH Bristow wouldn't be too far away. Maybe you could start by looking through the letter T section. Sounds pretty daft I know, but that seems to be the way the names have been lumped together. Good luck, and I will keep looking too for you.

[Val and George]

Another interesting document that I discovered amongst these WW1 service records was in with the letters SCH
Pages 1-3 were about a J Scholes, but the remainder of the pages in the document 4-14 were about a John George Buckley from Saddleworth in Yorkshire who signed up in 1874 and in 1876 was charged with being illegally absent. Not too sure just what all this has to do with WW1 service records, but it makes interesting reading.!!?

[KiteRunner]

Thanks for that info, Val. I won't give up hope just yet!

[briansplace]

Hi

Just joined and came across your reference to Endell Street military hopsital. I know my grandfather was a patient at Endell Street. Where do I find the list you mentioned on the Ancestry website? Your help would be very much appreciated.

[KiteRunner]

Brian, I'm pretty sure that Val was talking about some papers she had looked at at The National Archives in Kew, which aren't on ancestry yet. Sorry.

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

It gives me some hope that my grandad Francis Stowell, might be hidden somewhere, he has been searched for with no joy.

[briansplace]

Thanks .....I thought I was going to be extremely lucky. Maybe a visit to Kew is needed. Best regards, Brian.

[WendyPusey]

I keep looking for my Grandfather Arthur Richard Horne, but he doesn't come up when I search, only another one with the same name. Knowing my luck, his papers didn't survive.

[Val and George]

Apologies folks - the Endell Street Military Hospital list was on the WW1 records on ancestry. Page 72
Sorry I hadn't been back to clarify that - and Brian - I have pm'd you
Just goes to show that you should keep checking posts - - I'm learning!!
Val

[Janet]

I am hoping that Ancestry will be the answer eventually to most 1 W War Docs as I have found the Microfilm Records at Kew are not only in a bad state, but very difficult to read as your eyes get older! It is not helped by poor microfilm readers. I had to give up on my quest when I was there last month, and settled instead for the easier access to all the medal records which did not help me much, but saved me many £3.50 pences!!! If I had paid £3.50 each time for the info I gathered I would not have been particularly happy. As it was I must have saved myself about £30!

Janet