02 June 2020
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Toy Soldiers representing the British Coldstream Guards during the Crimean War era by Imperial Productions, Greytown, New Zealand
FamilySearch has this week released 269,156 new records in its War Office Registers (1772-1935) collection, covering England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
The collection contains regimental descriptions, succession books, commissions, appointments, descriptions, returns of services, casualties, half pay, pensions, gratuities and the original records are held at The National Archives in Kew, London, under WO 25.
These records identify individuals who served or who were eligible to serve in the military and as such are potentially of great use to family historians, since they contain information that can't be found elsewhere.
What information can I find?
The indexed information will give you:
- The name of the person
- Date of service
- The place of service
The collection contains documents of various kinds, including regimental descriptions, succession books, commissions, appointments, descriptions, returns of services, casualties, half pays, pensions, and gratuities.
You might be lucky enough to discover:
- The physical description of a soldier
- Pension details
- Commission/promotion details
- Occupation
Search tip
Before starting your index search, establish the name of the person you're seeking and their approximate date of service.
Start exploring this collection at FamilySearch here.
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