can't find WW1 service record for Horace Dolton, can you help please?

[treslade]

I found Horace Dolton listed as......No.33621 1st Batt, Bedfordshire Regt, formerly 2459 Beds Yeo.

Died in France ( he is on the Arras Memorial) 23 April 1917
I found 2 medals listed for him, the Victory and British, but I can't find his service record showing when he enlisted.
He was from Woburn Sands, Bedfordshire born in 1892, possibly late 1891.

I checked the Birth Regs and didn't find a Horace Dolton and the nearest one I found with the reg dist of Woburn was for a Harold Horace Dolton, Dec quarter 1891. I then searched through the Military records for a Harold Horace Dolton/Harold Dolton/Dalton/Doltan.........I looked up as many records for the Beds Regt that I could find, and found no trace for him..........and then I look again, because I think it's there and I must have missed it....
I would be grateful if anyone has any tips, or better way to search the records for me.....

Thank you,  Lee

[mosiefish]

Hi,

It is estimated that around 60% of these records were burnt in WW2 when the building they were housed in was bombed.  This may be the reason you can`t find him.

Regards,
Mo

[treslade]

Thank you for that Mo,

I didn't know so many records were missing.....what a shame.

Lee

[noxas]

Hello Lee,Have you tried the national archive at Kew,I know they hold alot of military records,it might be worth a go.
Regards Diarmuid.

[treslade]

Hi Diarmuid,

No, I never did think of looking there, I have been looking through Ancestry trying to get my monies worth for my membership.....although if I can't find him then I will have a look there...

Thank you for that, Lee

[bedfordshire boy]

You might be in a loop here - Ancestry's British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 are copies of all service records held at the National Archives

[treslade]

You might be in a loop here - Ancestry's British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 are copies of all service records held at the National Archives

Thank you for that piece of information, something else I didn't know, I spent all day going through the records, and although the men I'm searching for all live in the Wobun Sands/Aspley Guise area of Bedfordshire, I can only find about 50% of the men I'm looking for..........so maybe they are missing

Lee

[forester]

Lee,

Have a look for men with similar service numbers.

My hunch is that he was one of a batch transferred from one of the Home Service battalions of the Beds Yeo to the Bedfordshire Regiment, some time before early 1917 when the Territorials were re-numbered.

Phil

[treslade]

Hi Phil,

I think you are right, but not sure of how to go forward, I contacted the Beds Regt Museum in Luton and I have to phone back next week to see what can be found.........4 cousins joined about the same time and what started off as a little look to just 'see' has ended up being a bit obessive about finding them...

Lee