Great War's front line goes online

Posted by Guga, Rockall

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:11:27 GMT

All of these records are, or should be, in the public domain, and they should all be free to access. If they are not, then it's time they were.

Posted by williamx, delta

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:21:46 GMT

Nice. My Dad was wounded in 1916 but I did not access the site as I am well aware of the "free game please supply your credit card and phone from the other side of the world to cancel" One would have thought that the records of those who defended their country would have been free to their relatives.

Posted by Ken S., England

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 10:49:16 GMT

The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Kew, Surrey, England

http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?htx=List&dbid=11...

"This database contains service records of non-commissioned officers and other ranks who were discharged from the Army and claimed disability pensions for service in WWI. ...This first release contains records for surnames beginning A & B. Full surname range coverage will be realised in Release 2.

The British Army World War One Pension Records are War Office (WO) records ....
# These records are unlikely to contain information on individuals who did not claim a pension...
# These records are unlikely to contain documents on soldiers who were killed in action and had no dependents (as there would have been no one to claim a pension)...
# These records are unlikely to contain documents on soldiers who were discharged from demobilization at the end of the war and did not claim a pension (since they were generally not eligible for one).... "

I hoped to find out more about my Dad. Fortunately for him (but unfortunately for my research!) he was not disabled in Flanders, therefore this is not quite the breakthrough I'd hoped for.

Nevertheless it's wonderful that so much effort has gone into putting all sorts of records on the internet.
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk is of course one of the leading genealogical sites.

Posted by IWright, Edinburgh

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 10:19:01 GMT

And which National Archives? The Scottish one or the English one?

Posted by Raethen

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:28:49 GMT

Nice news item about the WW1 records. Problem is Ancestor.co does not seen to have been told that this is on their website.
You should check before you write.

Posted by Scullion, Canada

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 03:04:28 GMT

This is what the Internet is supposed to do-help us search, learn and respect.