Fruitless search on Ancestry!

[forester]

Yes Jill, they are the "Saturday Night Soldiers".
They retained their Territorial identity.

http://www.1914-1918.net/tf.htm

I think you are in the same boat as the rest of us; neither of my grandfathers' records have survived.

Allegedly, all of the Pensions Records are now on Ancestry and as the Service Records are now up to G, unless he turns up amonst the mis-files later on, there is virtually no chance that his record has survived.
The NA will not carry out personal research; it's a case of going there yourself, or paying for a private researcher.

Phil

[suegill]

Don't forget that about 70% of the records were burnt in a bombing in WWII.

Sue

[jillruss]

So basically, I'm wasting my time looking for any more info on my grandfather. 

Yes, I knew a lot of the records had been destroyed in the WW2 blitz but I suppose I was hoping that something might have survived. The Medal Cards are pretty useless - they tell you very little. How did they manage to survive when the important documents didn't?

All very frustrating - it sort of sums up for me how little the ordinary soldier was thought of, or surely the records would have been moved 'out of harm's way' during WW2? For me, it just underlines the 'cannon fodder' argument and I feel rather angry - I bet you anything that officer records managed to beat the blitz!! 

Jill

[liverpool annie]

No you're not wasting your time ... because you never know you may be able to still find out about your Granddad !

I've been looking for years but haven't given up yet ... 

I know you're frustrated Jill ...... but just know ....... we'll all keep looking for you .... sometimes we find information in the most unlikely places !!

Annie   

[jillruss]

Thanks for those kind words, Annie.

I was just letting off steam! 

I try to imagine what my grandfather and all those other men must have gone through - my auntie says he didn't like to talk about it, and how many times do we hear that - and our government couldn't find a way to keep the records of these men's sacrifices for all future generations to know about! I'd say it beggars belief, but unfortunately it doesn't, does it (she says, cynically!!)?

Oh look, I'm off again!

No, I won't give up - perhaps something will come to light sometime. 

Jill

[liverpool annie]

I love it when people are passionate about their families ( especially soldiers !! )

Makes the finding of information that much sweeter !! 

I'll keep looking .... in the meantime ..... take your blood pressure pills !! 

Annie 

[mmm45]

Jill
Did he have family in Dewsbury at the time? Parents etc? There may have been something put in the Dewsbury Reporter reference his enlistment etc?
Theres a red book in Dewsbury Library giving service outlines of men from Crackenedge and Soothill areas so if he lived/had family there you may be in luck.

Ady

[liverpool annie]

OK Jill ! ...... first of all let me just say ...... that the Artillery ties me up in knots but I asked my friend Dick ... and this was his reply !

His regimental number indicates that he served with either the 50th Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA in the 50th Division or the 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA in the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division

So then I found these .... so now we have to see what else we can find .... !  ( slowly but surely !!  )

http://www.1914-1918.net/50div.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/63div.htm

Annie 

[Rena]

I've found that I can search just by entering the name of the town my relative resided in
Rena