3rd Royal Scots WW1

[Tara Claire]

How do I go about finding my great uncles Edward Sweeney's war record? I know that his army number was 52162 of the 3rd Royal Scots. He was a W soldier which I think means in a reserved occupation as he was a coal miner however I am trying to find out if he ever served in the army. Thanks

[CaroleW]

Hi

Over 60% of WW1 service records were burnt during the WW2 blitz.  There is no Medal Roll Index entry for him under the number you gave

There are 3 MRI entries under different numbers for Edward Sweeney's in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and one in the Royal Scots Lothian Regiment

[Tara Claire]

thank you CaroleW, what does the fact that there is no medal roll index entry for his number mean?

[CaroleW]

You may have the wrong regimental number.  What document did you get that number from?

[CaroleW]

Just found an MRI entry for him.  Used the wild card search edw* swee* and found him spelt as Edw Sweeney  5216 2 (gap in figures)

It was the Royal  Scots Lothian Regiment and he was a Private

Enlisted 10.12.1915 discharged 24.2.1919 under KR 392 XV1  nothing shown re medals

http://www.military-researcher.co.uk/KingsRegs1912/Para392Introduction.html

[Tara Claire]

Carol that is great thanks so much. I got the army number from his hospital record at Merryflats, Glasgow which had been a poor house but was then turned into a hospital for soldiers. It says on his record that he was a catagory W soldier, I looked that up and it means that he had a reserved occupation as a coal miner. Do you think he would have actually served in the war as in fighting in France? What do the numbers KR 392 XV1 refer too?

[Tara Claire]

ah I see no longer fit for war service - does that mean he did serve then? Or does the absence of medals mean he didn't?

[MaxD]

No medals indicates no overseas service but so also does service with 3rd Battalion which was a training unit of the Special Reserve who were in UK throughout.  The Silver War Badge was awarded, if a man was discharged with illness or injury, for service whether overseas or not.

MaxD

[Tara Claire]

Thank you MaxD - does that mean that Edward would have got a Silver War Badge rather than a medal? It says on his death cert that he had an army pension - is that normal if you have never fought over seas? He was ill when he was discharged and died a year later