Genealogy Chat

My GGrandad served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the Second Boer War and First World War.

It looks like his WW1 record is one of the one that was destroyed but I went down to Kew yesterday to look for his Boer War record in the WO97 section and it wasnt there.

I know he definatly served and he was discharged sometime in 1901 and 1902 as he was recorded at being in the barracks in Wrexham, North Wales in the 1901 census and when he married in 1902 his occupation was a miner.

Does anyone know if the service records from the Boer War are kept somewhere else under a different reference in Kew as I can't understand why his records weren't in the WO97 reference

Not all of the records have survived in WO97 and also they may have been amalgamated with his WW1 records. You could check the medal rolls for the Regiment for the Boer War - I think they are in WO 100 - haven't checked that reference though, so double check it! They are arranged by regiment. There's no chance he was in the Imperial Yeomanry in the Boer War, is there? Those papers are held separately at Kew although Kevin Asplin has an index to them on his site.

thanks for the tip

I did start looking at the WO100 files but microfiche readers and I aren't the best of friends!!!!!!

We definatly know he was in the Royal Welsh and we have his regiment number and my dad thinks he was something to do with catering?

I do hope that they weren't amalgamated with his WW1 records as there is no trace anywhere and I have tried to trace my other g granddads WW1 record who was also in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and his record is nowhere to be found. I have a feeling that if that regiments records were stored in the area that was bombed

I've looked for hundreds of WW1 records at Kew and unfortunately so many just haven't survived. Just a matter of luck whether they have or not - there doesn't seem to be a pattern to it.

You could try the Regimental Museum - they may have a little information on him.

I've emailed the Regimental Museum yesterday on my way back from Kew. Their website says

SUSPENSION OF ENQUIRY SERVICE

Pending the re-location of our archives the Enquiry Service is currently suspended until further notice. Re-commencement of the Service will be notified on the Museum website.

All enquiries received by the end of April will be dealt with as soon as possible.

So hopefully they will get back to me via email giving a date when its back up and running again.

On the other hand there is a family rumour that as he was a bit of a miser and didnt want to pay for his Boer War medal, which apparently you had to then, its actually on display at the Imperial War museum. Apparently my aunt saw it there 10yrs ago, whether this is true or not I might have to visit to find out

I don't know about having to pay for the medal - it sounds a bit unlikely to me.

You could email the Imperial War Museum to see if they have it - I'm sure it must be catalogued if so.

That's what I thought, but apparently my nana said she remembers an arguement in the house when she was younger between her dad and her mum about it and he said that he wouldnt pay for the medal as he earned it

Knowing the stories about my g grandad this sounds about right as he was a bit of a miser, it could also mean that he may not have wanted to pay for it to be posted to him but I also know that or knowing my g grandad pay for the bus fare to pick it up!!!!

My nana said she also remembers another arguement when it came to picking up his WW1 medals to the point that he finally received the WW1 medals 6yrs after the end of the end of the war when the family decided they would club together the money to get them