Medal Index Card

Copy of Medal Index Card Irish Guards

Here we have two examples. The one above is to a Sergeant in The Irish Guards and is full of interesting information. We can see Pte/Sgt Cunningham was with The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in 1914. In fact leaving for France on the 13th Aug 1914 one day before war was declared. You will also note he was a casualty, by the award of the Silver Wound Badge (SWB).

Copy of Medal Index Card The Leinster Regiment

The example above to Pte Cunningham of The Leinster Regiment, on the other hand is quite sparse. He to, was an Old Contemptible (served with the BEF) but as you can see was taken a prisoner of war.

Medal Roll

Copy of Medal Roll Connaught Rangers

The medal roll contains one important piece of information not found on the medal index card. The number of the sub unit ie 1st or 2nd Battalion vital if your officer or soldier was killed or wounded. On this example you will note, the various Battalion numbers of The Connaught Rangers are clearly marked.

War Diaries

Copy of a War Diary Page. B Squadron South Irish Horse

War Diaries were opened the day a unit went on active service and were not closed until the unit returned to peace. Their contents can vary enormously, largely depending on who and under what conditions they were written. They can be merely weather reports or a blow by blow account of events at the time. (See transcription below)

Copy of Transcription B Sqn war diary

The example above is a good illustration of what you might find lots of information on officers and the death of a soldier being reported in some detail. It also gives you an insight into what The South Irish Horse was doing in March 1917.

Soldiers Service Papers

Between six and seven million men served as soldiers (other ranks) in The Great War 1914-1918. The warehouse in which their papers were stored was hit and set on fire during a Luftwaffe raid in 1940. About 65% of the service papers stored there were destroyed in the fire and the remainder were badly damaged by the water used to put the fire out.

After the war, pension records were used to reconstruct as many documents as possible. This brought the total number of documents available up to about 2 million. The service records of the Household Cavalry and Guards Regiments survive in their entirety as they were not stored in the same warehouse.

This will give you about a 40% chance of finding a particular soldiers papers, if we do find them remember they are over 85 years old and may have been bombed, partly burnt and soaked in water making them difficult to read.

Note: The records may contain the papers of regular soldiers who might have joined as early as 1892 for 22 years service but will not contain the papers of any soldier who served after 1920. All soldiers service papers from 1920 onwards are still held by The Ministry of Defence.

The London Gazette

Copy of a Gazetted Award and Citation

All gallantry awards and honours with citations to officers and soldiers were gazetted. In addition to this officers promotions, postings and mentions were also gazetted. Here is an example of a page from the London Gazette 18th Jul 1918 showing citations for gallantry awards.

Note: 2nd Lieut. J. F. Fullin. Royal Munster Fusiliers was killed in action on 22nd Mar 1918 aged 24 years. His gallantry award was gazetted over 3 months after his death.

Military Cross Medal Card

Copy of Military Cross Medal Card Royal Dublin Fusiliers

This example records Temp. 2nd Lieut. D. P. Wagner Royal Dublin Fusiliers won The Military Cross and was gazetted on 26th Sept 1917.

Distinguished Conduct Medal Card

Copy of DCM Card Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

This example records Sgt. (A/CSM) W A Laird Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers details.

The Military Medal Card

Copy of M M Card Royal Irish Regiment

This example records Pte G Adams 7th (SIH) Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment was gazetted on 29th Aug 1918.

Meritorious Service Medal Card

Copy of M S M Card

This example shows details of (CQMS) W Brown Royal Irish Fusiliers.