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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: KN on Tuesday 13 November 18 19:59 GMT (UK)
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Dear Rootschatters
Just starting to investigate WW1 records, and wonder if "disembarkation date" as mentioned in medal award rolls is simply the date of arrival on foreign soil - ie when they got off the boat? Or it it when they arrived at the front for the first time?
KN
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When they got off the boat. Opposed to embarkation ie. when they got on.
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It is the date they reached foreign soil; they would usually have a later date of arrival at the front. You could find this in the unit’s war diary.
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Yes, I too confirm that the date noted for 'Disembark' is the date they get off the boat. My family history research for WWI concentrates of those who served in either the Australian or the New Zealand forces. It is now fairly easy to access digitised copies of their (many pages) service records via either National Archives of Australia or Archives New Zealand. The Australian unit diaries are very detailed and available via the Australian War Memorial website. The embarkation dates and ports and disembarkation dates and ports are clearly shown on most sets. Many of those AIF lads went to Egypt for their further training, and then were off to France and their papers read 'disembarked Marsailles' and followed by 'entrained' so after getting off the boat at Marsailles, they were then on steam trains from Marsailles up through France to the front line.
National Archives of Australia http://www.naa.gov.au/ and http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs63.aspx
Archives New Zealand http://archives.govt.nz/exhibitions/passchendaele/main
Australian War Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AWM4/
Auckland Cenotaph http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/search
and of course, there's the follwing too
https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/
JM
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Thank you jim1, ainslie and majm for your very helpful clarifications.
Despite being an enthusiast in family history for some years I've only this weekend (inspired by the commemorations) began to look at WW1 records and am amazed at the details that are available - seems incredible that such information was kept at a time of such chaos and trauma involving such huge numbers of people.
KN