General Chat

Last nights Heir Hunters had a short clip about searching military ancestry.
They appeard to able to find the wherabouts of a specific army unit during the course of WWI.
Ending the programme without giving the website, even though they had alluded that they would. If there isa site like that I havent found it.
I know they make the searching look easy, which it isn't.

I also noted that - these repeats are worth watching as they do put a few extra tips in them possibly because they are 60 minutes instead of 45 :-)

Have you tried to Google to see if you can find info?

An???try has some also tips how to search.

The chap mentioned the National Archives...

They probably were looking at the Regimental Diaries, as we know that most of the service personnel records were lost in WW2. Around 75% were destroyed.

The regimental Diaries can be found in one of 3 places

1: The most common is at The National Archives at Kew
2: Some are to be found at The Imperial War Museum
3: Some are to be found in the Archives of the relevant Regiment

Hope this helps..

www.forces-war-records.co.uk

has collated the information. An initial search is free, but after that you have to purchase the information as normal.

Thanks for all the replies.
I thought as much, never mind.
My grandfathers records are likely among those that have been lost, cannot even find him in the 'Burnt Collection'
I've searched down those roads, and am hoping to get out to Kew again this weekend, weather willing
I will look at a re run of the programme, thanks for that ElizabethK.
On a plus, I do now have my father's WWII record, took nearly 12 months to arrive.
Thanks again

I also watched the program last night and wondered about finding information from WWI. My uncle wrote a one line diary but I couldn't read where he went to in France. On the 26th Feb 1917 he went to Boulogne and by March 8th 1917 he was in hospital. He has made two entries on February 27th and February 28th but I cannot read the location. I know he was in the 2/5 Sherwood Forresters.
I will try the information that Piglets Pal has provided unless there is anywhere specific for WW1 or the Sherwood Forresters.-jl

Curious Fish

You can also look at WW2 War Diaries at the National Archives, assuming those for your fathers units have survived.

Janet

You can download the War Diary for 2/5 Battalion Sherwood Foresters for Feb 1917 onwards from the National Archives website. It costs £3.36

My uncle was in the Sherwood Foresters in WW1.

I have found out exactly where was when he died on the 27th September 1917.It was the Battle of Polygon Wood.


3 sites for the Sherwood Foresters have a read.


http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Sherwood_Foresters_World_War_I.pdf

http://www.1914-1918.net/


http://www.1914-1918.net/notts.htm

The above site for Notts is where the Sherwood Foresters and all the battalions were.

Good Luck.

You could try 'Roots Chat as. I found both this site really helpful when researching my grandfather's time in WW1, and my father and stepfather's time in WW2. I found that there were a a lot of kind people who would look up relavant information, and usually managed to run to earth what I was looking for. Good luck in your research.

Thanks, was plain ann now annielaurie, I will certainly look for that at NAt Archives.
Yes, LilyL, I agreee ther are a lot of very helpful kind folks out there, only hope I will be able to play it forward one day

Can I also say thanks to Annie-sue in Leeds and Lily L.-jl