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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: brianz on Thursday 15 May 14 14:41 BST (UK)

Title: An easy question
Post by: brianz on Thursday 15 May 14 14:41 BST (UK)

Are service records available for casualties of WW1? I cannot seem to find an answer.

Thanks

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 15 May 14 15:45 BST (UK)

The short answer is yes, however whether they survived WW2 is another question as about 2/3 were destroyed during the Blitz.

jim

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: brianz on Thursday 15 May 14 16:28 BST (UK)

Thanks jim1
                   I am trying to establish if family rumour is correct about how  my great uncle died. Rumour has it that he was delousing using petrol or fuel oil and it caught fire and about 20 service men were badly burnt or in his case died. This was 3 December 1917 in France/Flanders. He was in the 457th Field Co Royal Engineers.

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: t mo on Thursday 15 May 14 16:30 BST (UK)

hi
as he died on active service have you checked the commonwealth war graves site for him .
regards
trevor

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: brianz on Thursday 15 May 14 17:17 BST (UK)

Thanks Trevor
                    I have all the details from the CWGC. No info there on how it happened.

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 15 May 14 17:26 BST (UK)

Not sure the RE would be involved in de-lousing.I would have thought that was down to the RAMC.

jim

Title: Re: An easy question
Post by: brianz on Thursday 15 May 14 18:02 BST (UK)

Sorry jim I should have put that they were delousing themselves after being in the trenches.