Findmypast Friday – November 20 2020

Findmypast

New British and Irish military records available to search this Findmypast Friday

Throughout November, Findmypast has been honouring family heroes in commemoration of Remembrance Day 2020. This week’s new additions will enable even more users to explore the incredible sacrifices made by their military ancestors.

British Armed Forces Soldiers’ Wills 1850-1986

Covering over 130 years of British military history, discover the last wishes of British privates and non-commissioned officers who served in the Army and Air Force. Originally collated by the War Office, each indexed record will reveal the serviceman’s next of kin, name, regimental number and date of death.

Soldiers on active service were encouraged to make a short will, which had to be in their own handwriting and signed. This would give names and addresses of beneficiaries and all sums and articles to be left. This was usually completed in their pay book, and if they were killed, it would be extracted and sent back to the War Office.

The majority of these wills were extracted from pay books, but a number have been written as formal wills, statements from next of kin to confirm last wishes or letters that express similar sentiments.

Ireland, Londonderry (Derry) War Memorial 1914-1918

In 1919 the Mayor of the city of Londonderry (Derry), Sir Robert Anderson, set up the War Memorial Fund, dedicated to the creation of a memorial to commemorate the lives of the 756 soldiers from the city who fought and died during the Great War. Forms were sent out by the Secretary of the War Memorial Committee to next of kin of every fallen soldier, to confirm or amend held information prior to it being included on the War Memorial itself.

These records contain details of their service and next of kin, enabling researchers to learn more about the lives and deaths of these brave men.

Findmypast’s War Memorials Register is another resource that can help researchers discover the stories behind the names etched on monuments across the British Isles. It features over 780,000 records that reveal birth years, service numbers, military honours and more.

British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List, Wounded & Missing, 1914-1919

These new records can unearth valuable details pertaining to the wounded and missing of WW1, many of which won’t be found in other sources.

Between 1915 and 1918 The British Red Cross & Order of St John published regular lists of men missing in action during the First World War, about whom enquiries had been made. These lists were published at regular intervals, each list cancelling all lists previous to it.

Typical information includes a man’s name, regiment, battalion and company (for infantry battalions). Ranks are rarely given, but details about the date of casualty, the place where this occurred, and sometimes extensive additional information are included.

There are over 158,000 records in this collection which is published in partnership with the Naval & Military Press. The vast majority of these men will have complementary records already published in Findmypast medal index card, service and pension records, and prisoner of war collections.

Newspapers

Three new papers as well as substantial updates to six existing titles are now available to search on Findmypast. Brand new to the site are:

  • Widnes Examiner from 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1902, 1904, 1906 and 1908-1909
  • Runcorn Examiner from 1873 and 1891
  • Helens Examiner from 1891

While thousands of additional pages have been added to the following publications:

  • Drogheda Conservative covering 1852-1888 and 1890-1896
  • Halifax Evening Courier covering 1940-1943 and 1959-1960
  • Kinematograph Weekly covering 1931-1944, 1946-1947 and 1953-1960
  • Civil & Military Gazette (Pakistan) covering 1876-1883 and 1885
  • Daily Record covering 1897
  • Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer covering 1904-1910, 1912-1962

With Thanks to Findmypast

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