Researching Your First World War Ancestors

SEARCHING FOR CLUES

Researching your Firs t Wor ld War ancestors

It is easier now than ever before to research the military service of a family member. Much of your research can be done online, and even with only a name it is sometimes possible to piece together at least part of your relative's story. Clues of a relative’s war service can often be provided by the mementos that many families still have. A lot of useful information can be gleaned from the following:

• artefacts such as medals, military cap badges orbuttons from uniforms

• souvenirs such as 'trench art' – letter openers,ashtrays or fireside ornaments

• a name carved on a war memorial or a gravestone• local newspapers, parish or school magazines,

postcards and letters written at the front and senthome

• photographs, official papers, drawings and maps• oral evidence, such as family stories handed down,

interviews on tape or video.

This resource provides brief notes on some of these items and has been inspired by The Great War Medal Collectors Companion, an excellent book on the subject by Howard Williamsom.

SEARCHING FOR CLUES

Researching your Firs t Wor ld War ancestors

Researching your WW1 ancestors

Call up Papers The first men 'called to the colours' in 1914 were the part-time soldiers of the Territorial Army and former soldiers and sailors who had returned to civilian life but remained Reservists, liable to serve again in time of need. Most men flocked to join their units as soon as they saw the news in the newspapers, but telegrams were also sent out.

Rowland Lloyd received this telegram on 5 August 1914 notifying him that as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve he was to report immediately for service.

The call to arms, spearheaded by Lord Kitchener, had encouraged over a million men to enlist by January 1915. However, as the war continued and the casualties increased, the voluntary system soon proved insufficient. In January 1916 the Military Service Act was passed, which imposed conscription on all single men aged 18 to 41, with exemptions for those in essential war time employment, those deemed medically unfit, religious ministers and conscientious objectors. Men were allocated into a Class according to age, and were called up by Class by a Public Proclamation, placed in prominent spots. This was deemed to be sufficient notice, but generally each man also received an individual notice. It was the individual's responsibility to be alert to such notices and to report for duty. There were penalties for not reporting and for inducing or assisting a reservist to absent himself.

Reservists of the Grenadier Guards reporting for duty in August 1914


Exemption from Military Service Britain needed men at home as well as in the forces. The everyday economic life of the country needed to continue and certain industries were vital to the war effort. Chief among these were the Merchant Navy, the coal industry and the munitions industry. When conscription was introduced in 1916, men working in these industries were exempted from military service and were issued with special exemption papers. Those men who were called up could appeal against their conscription on a variety of grounds and local and County Tribunals were set up to hear the appeals.

Some men were granted a total exemption from having to serve, whereas for others enlistment was deferred for some months while they settled their business affairs or took care of their dependants. However most exemptions weren't granted and even men working in the key industries could be liable to serve. At the start of the war many miners had enlisted and been replaced in the mines by men from other occupations – some of whom became miners in the hope of avoiding having to enlist. As the war progressed there were various efforts to get these men out of the collieries and into the services.

On War Service Badges With many families facing the risk or the reality of losing a loved one serving in the armed forces, those of military age who remained at home came under close scrutiny. Anyone thought to be shirking their duty was liable to be treated with contempt or even violence. To prevent those on genuine war work being subject to such treatment, various official 'On War Service' badges were produced. Unofficial badges were also produced.

Official badges

Unofficial badges

A munitions worker


Regimental Cap Badges

The Monmouthshire Regiment This regiment was part of the Territorial Army and consisted of three battalions raised in the eastern valleys of the South Wales Coalfield and the old county of Monmouthshire. All three battalions served in France, the 2nd Battalion landing in November 1914 and the 1st and 3rd Battalions landing in February 1915.

Welsh Guards This new regiment, consisting of a single service battalion, was raised in February 1915 and served in most of the major battles on the Western Front as part of the Guards Division.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers In the First World War this regiment consisted of Regular, Territorial and New Army battalions; they were mostly recruited in north Wales but the 15th Battalion was raised in London. Battalions of the regiment served in all the major British campaigns around the world.

The Welsh Regiment In the First World War this regiment consisted of Regular, Territorial and New Army battalions mostly recruited in Carmarthenshire, Glamorganshire and Pembrokeshire. Battalions of the regiment served in most of the major British campaigns around the world.

The South Wales Borderers In the First World War this regiment consisted of Regular, Territorial and New Army battalions mostly recruited in south Wales. Battalions of the regiment served in most of the major British campaigns around the world.

Royal Artillery In the First World War this regiment consisted of The Royal Horse Artillery, The Royal Field Artillery and The Royal Garrison Artillery, all of which served in the field.

Royal Engineers The Royal Engineers consisted of skilled men from a wide variety of trades and engineering disciplines and grew into a large and complex organization of 295,668 officers and men.

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps was created in October 1915. Operating their machine guns left the crews in an exposed position and their casualties were high. Out of total of 170,500 officers and men, 62,049 were killed, wounded or missing.

Tank Corps Tanks were used in battle for the first time in September 1916. Their numbers grew until in July 1917 the Tank Corps was formed. The men were often drawn from the Motor Machine Gun units, with drivers from the Army Service Corps.


Royal Army Service Corps An Army of two million men needed a vast and complex organization to run the supply lines from the ports to the front line. The RASC numbered 325,881 officers and men. It also controlled tens of thousands of Indian, Egyptian, Chinese and other native labourers.

Royal Army Medical Corps The evacuation and treatment of wounded and sick soldiers was a huge undertaking requiring over 100,000 British medical troops on the Western Front alone. The RAMC was assisted by the British Red Cross, St John's Ambulance, the Voluntary Aid Detachments, the Friends Ambulance Unit and hundreds of private and charitable ventures.

British Infantry Regiments As many, if not more, Welshmen served in English, Irish or Scottish infantry regiments, as served in Welsh regiments. Many south Wales men served in West Country regiments, such as the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, the Dorsetshire Regiment and the Devonshire Regiment. In north Wales men could find themselves in the Lancashire or Cheshire regiments. Grammar school boys from all over Wales would often be found in the Royal Fusiliers.

Royal Naval Division The Royal Naval Division was formed from Royal Navy and Royal Marine reservists and volunteers who were not needed for service at sea. They fought on land as infantry in battalions named after famous British admirals, each of which had its own cap badge.

Royal Navy In 1914 the Royal Navy was the most powerful navy in the world. With nearly 500 capital ships it was larger than the two next largest navies put together. The manpower of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines expanded from 250,000 at the start to 450,000 at the end of the war. Total naval casualties were 34,642 dead and 4,510 wounded. Most ship’s crews had the name of the ship on which they were serving on the tally 'ribbon' of their cap.

Royal Flying Corps & Royal Naval Air Service In 1914 Britain had some 113 aircraft in military service split between the RFC and the RNAS. Beginning as aerial observation platforms for the forces below, the planes and pilots increased in capability and numbers throughout the war. The RFC and RNAS were combined to form the RAF in April 1918 and Britain ended the war with an air force of 290,000 men and a total of some 22,000 aircraft.


Regimental Shoulder Titles Shoulder and collar titles, made of cloth or metal, were also used to identify a soldier’s unit.

Division Patches Like regimental insignia, Divisional Patches were used to identify which formation a soldier belonged to. They were worn on the upper sleeve in pairs, on epaulets, on head gear, painted on unit vehicles and used on road signs. It was also quickly found that the signs created a morale-boosting esprit de corps as the individual battalions within the Division came to take pride in their own symbol.

38th Welsh Division 52nd Welsh Division 13th (Western) Division

Other Cloth Badges A soldier’s uniform also displayed many other badges, such as rank insignia, trade and proficiency badges, Long Service, Good Conduct and Wound stripes.


Uniform Buttons Most uniform buttons included a representation of the Crown, to represent the state and the monarch. Alternatively they could include the Monarch’s personal cipher e.g. the Royal Engineers, or the personal ciphers of other members of the royal family such as the Prince of Wales e.g. Royal Welch Fusiliers. For regiments from the Celtic countries, national symbols such as the dragon, thistle or harp could feature on the button. Regimental numbers and the Arm e.g. Royal Artillery were also used on some badges.

The Princess Mary 1914 Christmas Gift In November 1914 Princess Mary, the seventeen-year-old daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, created the Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund. The Fund provided everyone wearing the King's uniform and serving overseas on Christmas Day 1914 with a 'gift from the nation'.

Each person received an embossed brass box containing a Christmas card and a picture of the princess but the rest of the contents varied:

• officers and men on active service at sea orat the front received a box containing apipe, lighter, 1oz of tobacco and twentycigarettes in distinctive yellowmonogrammed wrappers

• non-smokers and boys received a bulletpencil and a packet of sweets

• Indian troops often got sweets and spices• nurses were treated to chocolate.

The wounded on leave or in hospital and the widows or parents of those killed were also entitled to the gift. Prisoners of war at the time had theirs reserved until they were repatriated. Less than 20 per cent of the gifts had been delivered by Christmas 1914 but eventually more than two and a half million boxes were distributed. If your relative received one of Princess Mary's gift boxes, they were in the armed forces and overseas by Christmas 1914.


Trench Art Trench art is a term used to describe decorative items made by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians. Trench art first began to appear in quantity during the Napoleonic Wars but flourished during the First World War due to the large number of participants involved.

Items made by soldiers Items such as rings and paper knives were often made by soldiers, especially in quieter parts of the line. They used the materials to hand – coins, cap badges, spent brass shell cases, bullets and lead from shrapnel balls. They also engraved existing items such as snuff boxes, water bottles and watch cases. Much trench art includes representations of regimental badges, dates and place names. Wounded soldiers were encouraged to do craftwork as part of the recuperation process, and embroidery and simple forms of woodwork were common.

Items made by prisoners of war and internees POWs had good reasons to make decorative objects – unending days with little to occupy them and limited food and money. Much POW work was therefore done with the express intention of trading the finished article for food, money or other privileges.

Items made by civilians Some items were made by civilians in and around the conflict zone for the troops to send home. Others were made by sweethearts at home to send to the troops. In the area occupied by troops the production of embroidered postcards quickly became a cottage industry. Civilians bough the surrounds and embroidered the panel of gauze with regimental crests, patriotic flags or national symbols. Millions were produced over the course of the war. When the war ended the trade continued to supply tourists visiting the former battlefields and military cemeteries. Over the ensuing twenty years the mountains of discarded debris, shell casings and equipment, along with tonnes of surplus materials sold by the government, were slowly recycled; mass-produced town crest motifs were stuck onto items including bullets, shell casings and fuse caps and sold to tourists.


Medals Medals are one of the best sources of information. Most had the soldier’s name, rank, number and unit impressed on the side or rear. Campaign medals were awarded for service in a military campaign overseas. Gallantry medals were awarded for special courage in a particular action.

Campaign medals Pip, Squeak and Wilfred These were the popular names given to the trio of medals issued to members of British and Empire forces. Pip (a dog), Squeak (a penguin) and Wilfred (a rabbit) were characters in an extremely popular comic strip in the Daily Mirror and the issue of the medals coincided with the rise of the comic strip’s popularity.

PIP: 1914 Star and 1914-15 Star. The 1914 Star, also known as the Mons Star, was issued to those who served in France and Belgium during the period 5 August 1914 to 22 November 1914. 378, 000 were issued. The 1914-15 Star was issued to all who served in a theatre of war between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. 2,350,000 were issued.

SQUEAK: British War Medal 1914-1920 Awarded for service in the British and Commonwealth forces or certain voluntary organizations in all theatres of war and certain categories of service in Britain. Six million were issued in silver and 110, 000 issued in bronze to natives of various labour corps. Medals were also issued for service in Russia and minesweeping operations.

WILFRED: Victory Medal 1914-1918 A bronze medal to commemorate victory in the war. It was awarded to those who had received the 1914 or 1914-15 Star and to most of those who received the British War Medal and could not be awarded alone. It was awarded for service in all theatres of war and certain categories of service in Britain. Some 5,750,000 were issued.

Miscellaneous Campaign Medals There were several other medals awarded for individual actions and campaigns. Chief among these were the Khedives Sudan Medal, the African General Service Medal and the Territorial Forces War Medal. The most numerous of these miscellaneous medals, with over 250,000 being issued, was the Mercantile Marine War Medal. This was a bronze medal awarded by the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom to members of the Merchant Navy who had made one or more voyages through a war or danger zone.


Gallantry Awards Victoria Cross (VC) The highest award for gallantry, awarded ‘for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy’. All ranks of the armed forces were eligible and it could also be awarded to civilians if they were under military command at the time of the act of bravery. 615 were awarded during the First World War. Until 1918 medals awarded to naval recipients had a blue ribbon.

Distinguished Service Order (DSO) Mostly awarded to senior officers for an act of meritorious or distinguished service, usually when under fire or in the presence of the enemy. It was also made available for officers in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The medal was issued plain with no name but some families and individuals engraved their details on the reverse of the suspension bar at their own expense.

Military Cross (MC) Awarded for gallantry during active operations in the presence of the enemy to officers with the rank of Captain or below and to Warrant Officers. The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) was the Royal Air Force equivalent of the MC and the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) was naval equivalent. Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) Awarded for gallantry in the field in the face of the enemy. It was the 'other ranks' equivalent of the DSO. The reverse is inscribed ‘For Distinguished Conduct in the Field’. The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM) was the equivalent of the DCM awarded to other ranks for an act of gallantry against the enemy at sea or in the air.

Military Medal (MM) Awarded to other ranks for gallantry and devotion to duty when under fire in battle on land. The reverse is inscribed ‘For Bravery in the Field’. The Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) was the Royal Air Force equivalent of the MM and the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) was naval equivalent. Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) Awarded for gallantry or distinguished service, and could be awarded in the field. The criteria for the award was slightly different in each of the three services and the number of medals issued was also restricted within each service.

Mentioned in Despatches (MID) If an individual was mentioned for an act of gallantry or noteworthy service in an official Despatch written by the field commander of an army they received a certificate and a bronze oak leaf which could be worn on the ribbon of the British Victory Medal.


Foreign Medals Britain and all of the allied countries awarded medals to foreign nationals serving with or alongside those of their own armed forces. The Commanding Officer of a battalion would be asked to nominate a man for a foreign award. It could be an opportunity for a Commanding Officer to put a man forward whose efforts had hitherto gone unrewarded or to further reward an already decorated man. Typical medals awarded were the Belgian Croix De Guerre, the French Médaille Militaire, the Russian Cross of St George and the Serbian Order of Karageorge.

Belgian

Croix-de-Guerre

Nurses’ Medals and Badges The Royal Red Cross Medal Introduced in 1883 by Queen Victoria the decoration was awarded to army nurses for exceptional service, devotion to duty and professional competence in military nursing. There were two classes:

• 1st Class - Royal Red Cross Medal (RRC) • 2nd Class - Associate Royal Red Cross Medal (ARRC)

The 2nd Class medal was added in November 1915 and bars to the 1st Class RRC were introduced in 1917.

British Red Cross Society

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service

Queen Alexandra's Imperial Nursing Service Reserve

The Territorial Force

Nursing Service

Voluntary Aid Detachment

St Johns Ambulance & Red

Cross


Honourable Discharge

The King's Certificate on Discharge

By the end of the war nearly two million men had been permanently disabled, with over 40,000 losing legs or arms. As well as a certificate from the King most of those with obvious disabilities received a pension from the Government. Even men with no apparent injuries were sometimes badly affected by the rigours of front-line duty and the lasting effects of gassing and shell shock. Many miners, like Frank Richards DCM, MM of Brynmawr, were denied a pension after the war but were no longer fit enough to return to the collieries. In 1922 there were still around a million former soldiers without a job.

The Silver War Badge The Silver War Badge was awarded to men who were honourably discharged on medical grounds, having been made permanently physically unfit to serve. The badges were individually numbered and, as with campaign medals, it is possible to trace the recipient of the badge from its number using online resources. The War Badge rolls carry useful information. The man’s date of enlistment, number, rank, regiment, unit at time of discharge, date and cause of discharge, whether he had served overseas and sometimes his age are given.


Casualty Notifications Officially, families heard of the death of a loved one in a telegram from the War Office. The telegram the families of NCOs and other ranks received was a fill-in-the-blanks type form. There was often a delay in the family being officially notified, especially if no body had been found. This meant that a family often received the news in an unofficial letter from the soldier’s comrade, officer or chaplain, or even by word of mouth from a comrade on leave. The death of a soldier was also often reported in local newspapers. Casualty lists were put together in the field and sent to the War Office, who then sent them to the London Gazette, and from there the news made its way to the local newspapers. Copies of Welsh newspapers can be found on the National Library of Wales's website.

The Memorial Plaque The Memorial Plaque (Dead Man's Penny) was issued to the next of kin of servicemen or women who had died or been killed between 1914 and 1918. The plaque was a twelve-centimetre disk cast in bronze gunmetal, which incorporated a rectangular tablet where the deceased's name was cast into the plaque. No rank was given as it was intended to show equality in their sacrifice. Around the edge of the plaque were the words 'He died for freedom and honour'. The memorial plaque was accompanied with by a Memorial Scroll, a letter from Buckingham Palace and often a letter from the deceased's commanding officer.


Letter of welcome from King George V to Lance-Corporal James Cordingley of Monmouth, 1918

Prisoners of War With larger armies than ever before, the First World War also saw more prisoners than ever before. Over 175,000 men of the British and Commonwealth forces were captured on the Western Front alone. All sides were keen to demonstrate that they were treating their captives well and all sides accused their enemy of mistreating its prisoners. Not all the accusations were unfounded. Conditions in the camps were often unsanitary and all sides used prisoners as forced labour, sometimes very close to the front line and actually under shell fire from their own side. Conditions in Russian and Turkish camps were particularly bad and had much higher death rates than those associated with the Western Front. Regardless of where you were a prisoner, you were better off being an officer than an enlisted man. Under the Hague Convention, all prisoners of war were permitted to receive and transmit letters, postcards and parcels free of charge. At the end of the war, every returned British prisoner was given a letter of welcome from King George V. Records of British prisoners of war are available on the National Archives and some commercial websites.

Researching Your First World War Ancestors

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