Forces War Records.co.uk

[DH999]

Hi Milly,
I guess this is what's most frustrating for us being experts in the military side of genealogy, there's so much more than just the record sets Ancestry has, not just with us, with lots of others as well.

We aren't told here much about this person such as what Corps, Regiment or Battalion they were in, whether they were a regular soldier or officer, whether they had a special job or not, there is a ton of info out there not held in the obvious collections.

Speaking for FWR on top of our exclusive record collections, we have a historic Document Library. For example if a soldier happened to be a tank driver lets say, we have the actual manuals they would have had to learn to drive from, if they were in the Artillery, we have pamphlets they would have been issued with, etc.etc.

However FWR is so much more than just a me too records site, we employ 60 people in the UK, including many military expert researchers than can help decipher military records for customers. Obviously the military love their acronyms, and we can help with that. We can help identify uniforms and cap badges etc. our staff are also genealogists themselves as well as military experts.

Regarding our collections I did list them earlier so rather than list them again, I'll just answer the other questions, complete? I don't like that word as it suggests one thing to one and something else to another, but we have transcribed the whole works, if that's what you mean. We only have the data we don't hold original images. We use a UK based transcription team and all data goes through four levels of checking to ensure at least a 95 percent accuracy from original source.( soon to be independently verified).

Well also soon be publishing videos of our staff at Who Do You Think You Are Live so those that couldn't attend get a feel for their passion.

[millymcb]

Thanks- interesting

If you don't have the original documents - do you signpost where people can see them? Personally I don't like just to have a transcription. I like to see the original if at all possible. Not just for accuracy but because I just like looking at them.

I guess confusion starts, especially with beginners who are most likely to be researching WW1 or WW2 ancestors rather than earlier,  when people see the name Forces War Records and the big adverts saying you have so many "records", they think they are going to able to see the actual Service Records for their ancestors (ie attestation, service,medical and pension etc ). When they subscribe they find out that is not the case they are disappointed.  Rootschatters on the Armed Forces board here quite rightly flag this up if asked

Also - in those early stages many people are less concerned with the background detail such as those manuals and regimental histories etc. They want to prioritise the main info and will fill all that in later if they are interested. 

If FWR were to make more of the unusual collections they have rather than trying to attract people who want those basic records I think Rootschatters would be more able to point users in their direction as an exclusive and easy way of accessing that info. Just my own personal thoughts of course.

Milly


PS - There are a LOT of very experienced and knowledgeable military history and genealogy experts here on Rootschat too 

[giblet]

Am I likely to get anything new by subscribing to this site? or will it just repeat what I already know?

It appears to me that the OP's original question has been forgotten with all the who did and who hasnt's that has been posted.

iolaus the answer is yes it will most likely repeat what you already have 

[DH999]

I do agree to a point, but actually most of our members aren't beginners they've usually already exhausted sites such as Ancestry and come to us for more military knowledge/records so there's little point us being a me too site, and we all have limited resources so have to choose what path to take for best.

We have a million visitors a month, so know it's far less than one percent who come on forums such as this to complain, but we don't like to disappoint anyone. Anyone whose contacted our support will know that as they bend over backwards to help people.

Just a small point but imho most beginners don't know what they're looking for such as service records, they just want info, and in fact some collections hold more data than service records. Sorry, just a pedantic but important point.

[millymcb]

Thanks Giblet for reminding us about poor Iolaus looking for an answer

Milly

[mmm45]

DH999
Thanks for clarifying the records you hold FWR sounds like it holds some interesting info.
The IWGC info sounds really interesting is it the original paperwork that was collected from the casualtys NOK back in the twenties?

If so that could be very useful to some research I'm doing.

Ady

[DH999]

DH999
Thanks for clarifying the records you hold FWR sounds like it holds some interesting info.
The IWGC info sounds really interesting is it the original paperwork that was collected from the casualtys NOK back in the twenties?

If so that could be very useful to some research I'm doing.

Ady

Hi Ady,
yes we have transcribed an awful lot of the original memorial registers and are still continuing to transcribe them.

these original documents can also be seen in our Historic Documents Library.

[iolaus]

Thanks all (both for the personal feedback and the interesting discussion)

I don't think I'll gain much information so think I'll leave it for now (his NOK was on the commonwealth war graves site and tied in with what I already knew - down to their address being the one they lived at in the 1911 census)

The long, long trail has given me a fair bit of info on the RGA in general and a distant relative has given me a transcript of a letter he wrote to his sister during the war years so am building up a good picture of him

[iolaus]

We aren't told here much about this person such as what Corps, Regiment or Battalion they were in, whether they were a regular soldier or officer, whether they had a special job or not, there is a ton of info out there not held in the obvious collections

He was a gunner in the 41st siege battery of the RGA and died at Messine, along with the 4 other members of his gun crew
Was in 33 Company of RGA in 1911 before being sent abroad