Who Do You Think You Are? Encyclopedia of Genealogy (27 page)

    
  The main series of records for the militia can be found in WO 68. This series (along with officer records) includes enrolment lists, description books and casualty details. The casualty records may also give details of marriages and children.

    
  Muster and pay lists for the militia can be found in WO 13 (1780–1878).

    
  Records of militia men who were entitled to pensions can be found in the registers in WO 23 (1821–29). Admissions into Chelsea Hospital are located in WO 116 and WO 117.

    
  Militia men did not generally receive campaign medals but were awarded the Militia Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. The medal roll can be located in WO 102/22.

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Militia lists may give details of occupation, age, marital status and children
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Along with information on earlier militia records, information on other volunteer units – and the records that survive for them at The National Archives – can be found in W. Spencer’s
Records of the Militia and Volunteer Forces 1757–1945
(Public Records Office, 1997). Volunteer organizations include:

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Volunteers – raised in 1794, these were separate to the organized militia units but were disbanded in 1816, only to be revived in 1859 as the Volunteer Force. The cavalry equivalents of the Volunteers were the yeomanry and imperial yeomanry. Most of the relevant documentation, including musters, pay lists and officers’ commissions are held at The National Archives, and are summarized in a research guide online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

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Territorial Force – formed in 1907 when the Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry, with the Territorial Army created in 1921. Documentation is held in relevant regimental museums, although officers’ service records during the First World War will be held at The National Archives in series WO 374 (see above).

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Home Guard (Local Defence Volunteers) – service records are closed to the public for 75 years, and can only be obtained by those who served, or their next of kin, by writing to the Army Personnel Centre, Glasgow. There are some records at The National Archives, such as copies of the Home Guard Lists, histories of some regiments in series WO 199 and unit war diaries for the Second World War in WO 166, which provide details of operations and movements.

Suggestions for further reading:

•  Tudor and Stuart Muster Rolls – A Directory of Holdings in the British Isles
by J. Gibson and A. Dell (Federation of Family History Societies, 1991)

•  Records of the Militia and Volunteer Forces 1757–1945
by W. Spencer (Public Record Office, 1997)

•  Militia Lists and Musters, 1757–1876
by J. S. Gibson and Medlycott (Federation of Family History Societies, 2000)

For researchers interested in discovering more about the military history of the First and Second World Wars, and the part each unit played in fighting, the best place to turn to is the war diaries (mentioned above). They were kept by individual battalions during the First World War, from the years 1914 to 1922. A junior officer would be responsible for recording the daily movements of the battalion, the operations of conflicts they were involved with and other relevant information (including lists of casualties, although names of officers would only be mentioned and other ranks would mostly be listed by total number killed only). As such they are an invaluable detailed source for understanding the military conflict in a very microscopic fashion. They can be of great use if your ancestor’s service papers do not survive, as the war diaries can act as a substitute service history.

Copies of battalion war diaries were sent to the War Office at the time, and these are kept at The National Archives (series WO 95). However, individual units also retained copies and these can be found in the appropriate regimental museum (where other records for regiments may also be found).

War diaries were also kept during the Second World War and are also retained at The National Archives. They are arranged in a number of series in the WO class arranged by the Order of Battle and then by Command.

It is also possible to trace the history of a campaign or military operation from a wide variety of papers, reports and observations filed at the War Office and other government departments. Most of these official papers are now deposited at The National Archives, and help can be found via research guides online at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Another useful source for tracing campaigns is the muster rolls (described above, page 165). As well as tracing an individual soldier’s career they are also useful in finding out the details of the campaigns each battalion was involved in. The lists would state exactly where each battalion was stationed and also give details of any casualties or deaths that occurred during the quarter.

Most regiments have a proud tradition, and the oldest were created many centuries ago. As such individual regiments often have specific histories written about them which will often detail which campaigns the regiment was involved in and the contribution made by that regiment. They may also contain biographical details of eminent soldiers of that regiment. These histories are often published and can be viewed at The National Archives, The Imperial War Museum, The National Army Museum and other large reference libraries. It is also possible to purchase certain histories, if required, particularly from the regimental museum concerned. A good guide to the range of regimental histories can be found in
A Bibliography of Regimental Histories of the British Army
compiled by Arthur S. White (London Stamp Exchange, 1988). Additionally, individual regimental museums should also contain this information.

There have also been numerous publications on the many campaigns and wars the British Army has been engaged in through its history. Many will have detailed information on specific battles along with helpful footnotes leading you to primary documents if you wish to research these. These books can be found in the major archives and libraries relating to army history, and in larger reference libraries. Many bookshops will also stock the more popular histories. If applicable, it is also worthwhile researching conflicts through contemporary sources such as newspapers to provide information that may not have been included in later histories.