British Medal
 |
 WW1 British War Medal SUBADAR MAJOR awarded IDSM East Africa Indian India Army $99.00 Time Remaining: 50m |
 WW1 Star Medal British War Medal and Victory Medal $200.00 Time Remaining: 14d 20h 37m Buy It Now for only: $200.00 |
 BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL EIIR issue Mostly wiped $99.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 23h 51m |
 ORIGINAL BRITISH WAR MEDAL PAIR 1st ROYAL FUSILIERS LOWNDES $41.26 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 57m |
 WW1 silver British War Medal $39.99 Time Remaining: 29d 3h 53m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE CBE MINIATURE MEDAL $53.95 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 50m |
 WW1 BRITISH MEDAL SET WITH RIBBONS named Royal Artillery Gunner $82.60 Time Remaining: 2h 3m |
 British World War II 1939 45 War Medal Original $24.99 Time Remaining: 29d 19h 39m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 |
 Vintage British WWI WW1 1914 15 Star Campaign Medal Pin King George V $5.24 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 34m |
 WW1 British War Medal Pair Lieut Stafford Warwicks DOW 1918 Rosslyn Park Rugby $285.00 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 35m |
 British World War II Burma Star Medal $24.99 Time Remaining: 29d 19h 25m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 |
 British Police Special Constabulary Long Service Medal EII Bar LS 1965 Walters $20.49 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 45m |
 WW1 World War One British 1914 Star Victory Medal SE 124 Marriott AVC Died 1918 $62.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 42m |
 A 6 INCH RIBBON FOR BRITISH SERVICES WWI VICTORY MEDAL MEDAL $1.99 Time Remaining: 28d 19h 36m Buy It Now for only: $1.99 |
 WWI SILVER BRITISH WORLD WAR 1 1 TROY OUNCE MEDAL 1914 1918 STERLING SILVER $30.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 23h 4m |
 WW1 World One British War Medal Sjt Mainwaring Warwickshire Regt KIA 1916 Somme $36.50 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 23h 36m |
 1945 BIA BURMA INDEPENDENCE ARMY JAPAN ANTI BRITISH MEDAL MYANMAR ORDER GILT $129.99 Time Remaining: 29d 15h 57m Buy It Now for only: $129.99 |
 WW1 World One British War Medal Captain Guthrie Sussex Welsh Regt w miniature $32.00 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 23h 42m |
 WW1 World War One British 1914 15 Star Medal HMS Penarth Died 1919 Royal Navy RN $81.00 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 40m |
 WW1 BRITISH SILVER WAR MEDAL NAMED $59.00 Time Remaining: 28d 10h 4m Buy It Now for only: $59.00 |
 2 ORIGINAL BRITISH WWII MEDALS DEFENCE N WAR MEDALW RIBBONS NICE commonwealth $9.99 Time Remaining: 1d 4h 51m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 RARE British Army Temperance Medal $39.99 Time Remaining: 12h 26m Buy It Now for only: $49.99 |
 WW1 BRITISH SOLDIERS NAMED WAR MEDAL VICTORY MEDAL MATCHING SET $149.99 Time Remaining: 27d 8h 18m Buy It Now for only: $149.99 |
 COMMANDER OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE MINATURE MEDAL $11.00 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 33m |
 WW1 World One British War Medal Royal Scots Glasgow Earned MM Military DOW 1918 $37.98 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 23h 33m |
 WWI British South Africa Victory Medal Named KEARNEY $112.99 Time Remaining: 8h 14m Buy It Now for only: $125.99 |
 MBE Mini Medal Member of the Order of British Empire $6.32 Time Remaining: 2d 21h 35m Buy It Now for only: $6.32 |
 WW1 World One British War Medal G Ware RNAS Royal Naval Air Service Navy RN $28.85 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 23h 33m |
 Original British George WWII Defense Medal WW2 Victory $19.99 Time Remaining: 6h 32m Buy It Now for only: $24.99 |
 BATTLE OF WATERLOO MEDAL BRITISH ARMY REDCOATS DUKE OF WELLINGTON FREE POST UK $29.23 Time Remaining: 20d 2h 7m Buy It Now for only: $29.23 |
 BRITISH GENERAL SERVIC MEDAL PALESTINE 1945 48 $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 9h 5m |
 World War 1 British Victory Medal LM RNAS $16.50 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 8h 16m |
 BRITISH CAMPAIGN MEDALS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR BY PETER DUCKERS SHIRE BOOK $11.04 Time Remaining: 15h 48m Buy It Now for only: $11.04 |
 World War 1 British Victory Medal C Y S RN $16.50 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 7h 37m |
 World War 1 British Victory Medal Q M A A C $13.59 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 4d 8h 21m |
 WW2 THE BRITISH WAR MEDAL WITH RIBBON 100 ORIGINAL $14.22 Time Remaining: 27d 2h 13m Buy It Now for only: $14.22 |
 WWI GROUP OF 12 MINIATURE BRITISH CONTINENTAL MEDALS 19C $20.52 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 1h 54m |
 World War 1 British Victory Medal AVC $9.99 Time Remaining: 4d 7h 43m |
 OBE Order Of British Empire Medal Miniature with ribbon $6.32 Time Remaining: 2d 21h 20m Buy It Now for only: $6.32 |
 Genuine WW1 British War and Victory Medal Pair to 1320 Spr W Rowell RE $44.28 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 19h 42m |
 1939 1945 WWII The Defence MEDAL no ribbon British $7.88 Time Remaining: 1h 38m |
 Original WW1 Silver War Medal 1914 18 King George V Canadian British $69.99 Time Remaining: 11d 6h 51m Buy It Now for only: $69.99 |
 WW1 World War One British War Medal W H Harries MGC Machine Gun Corps $14.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 23h 36m |
 WW1 British War Medal Worcestershire Regiment Pte Allen $36.34 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 13h 25m |
 KNIGHTHOOD MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE $29.23 Time Remaining: 28d 35m Buy It Now for only: $29.23 |
 Genuine WW1 British War and Victory Medal Pair to 548870 SPR A E TAYLOR RE $36.35 (8 Bids) Time Remaining: 19h 44m |
 WW1 British War Medal 32845 PTE T FLINTOFF W RID R West Riding Regiment $21.45 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 4h 54m |
 WW1 British 1914 15 Star Medal named to Shoeing Smith RFA nice $39.99 Time Remaining: 29d 3h 56m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 SCARCE ORIGINAL BRITISH KB KNIGHT BACHELORS BREAST BADGE ORDER MEDAL IN CASE $1,182.81 Time Remaining: 3d 9h 27m |
 The Africa Star Old WWII British Medal $20.50 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 3d 6h 14m |
 British War Victory Medals named to 281267 PTE F FOSTER HAMPS R $47.69 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 22h 45m |
 The Defence Medal WW2 British Commonwealth Issue $19.00 Time Remaining: 24d 21h 42m Buy It Now for only: $19.00 |
 ORIGINAL WWI BRITISH SET OF FIVE DIFFERENT MEDAL RIBBONS BARS SET Z $13.99 Time Remaining: 2d 8h 11m Buy It Now for only: $18.99 |
 WWI British Medal 3081621 PTE E BRIGGS Q R $45.00 Time Remaining: 2d 5h 35m |
 RARE WW1 BRITISH ROYAL MARINES LSGC MEDAL TO SGT MORGAN ORDER $216.77 Time Remaining: 8d 12h 20m Buy It Now for only: $216.77 |
 FIVE WW1 Silver British War Medals to SCOTTISH LINE REGIMENTS including Guards $113.75 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 1h |
 WW1 BRITISH OFFICERS GVR DSO DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER MEDAL $63.18 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 27m |
 WW1 silver British War Medal Cheshire Regiment $39.99 Time Remaining: 20d 20h 30m Buy It Now for only: $39.99 |
 GOOD WWI BRITISH WAR MEDAL WITH RIBBON RIFLE BRIGADE $75.29 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 22h 33m |
 WWII BRITISH EMPIRE WAR CAMPAIGN 3 MINIATURE MEDALS BAR $9.99 Time Remaining: 5h 53m |
 AIR CREW EUROPE STAR MEDAL FULL SIZE BRITISH REPLACEMENT REPRODUCTION WWII $13.10 Time Remaining: 21d 20h 20m Buy It Now for only: $13.10 |
 BRITISH CAMPAIGN SERVICE COPY MEDAL NORTHERN IRELAND $15.78 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 23h 39m |
 British War Victory Medals named to 56972 PTE M NEWMAN LINC R $47.52 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 22h 52m |
 SCARCE WW1 BRITISH AUSTRALIA MILITARY CROSS MC MEDAL ORDER FOR BRAVERY $1,281.79 Time Remaining: 8d 5h 40m Buy It Now for only: $1,281.79 |
 SCARCE GENUINE WW1 BRITISH TANK CORPS ORS SLIDER HAT BADGE MEDAL ORDER $88.09 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 12h 34m |
 British War Victory Medals named to 10434 PTE T SHELLARD HLI $47.52 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 22h 57m |
 6 INCH BRITISH INDIAN GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 1909 RIBBON $1.99 Time Remaining: 18d 18h 55m Buy It Now for only: $1.99 |
 Britain British post WW1 medal cup Military Competition Intercoy Trophies 1929 $110.00 Time Remaining: 3d 2h 35m Buy It Now for only: $125.00 |
 BRITISH MILITARY GULF WAR DESERT STORM CAMPAIGN MEDAL $15.78 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 58m |
 British Medal Elizabeth II Royal Navy Long Service Good Conduct MINIATURE $6.99 Time Remaining: 13d 7h 34m Buy It Now for only: $6.99 |
 BRITISH ARMY LONG SERVICE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL RIBBON NEW $3.63 Time Remaining: 42m |
 british gulf war court mounted trio of medals $199.00 Time Remaining: 2h 22m |
 36 EACH 14 15 STAR BRITISH WAR MEDAL VICTORY MEDAL $20.14 Time Remaining: 4d 3h 10m Buy It Now for only: $20.14 |
 BRITISH MEDAL AFGHANISTAN VICTORIAN AHMED KHEL 59th FOOT RARE SILVER ORIGINAL VG $296.94 Time Remaining: 3d 6h 39m |
 BRITISH MEDAL CHINA 1860 VICTORIAN CANTON 1857 59th FOOT RARE SILVER ORIGINAL VG $296.94 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3d 6h 45m |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - 3x2 inch Fridge Magnet - large magnetic button - Magnet
Sale Price: $4.99  |
DescriptionRectangular wrap-around refrigerator magnet and a glossy mylar cover.Large 2x3 inch rectangle fridge magnet or 'buttons' as they are sometimes known in the USA.Crop shown is automated for display purposes only... |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - Mug - Standard Size
Sale Price: $14.50 |
DescriptionThis mug is created using the finest dye sublimation techniques and creates a stunning dishwasher safe finish. Great as a gift, or for promotional items. Each of our mugs come individually boxed for protection in transit. |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - Tea Towel 100% Cotton - Art247 - Tea Towel - 46x70cm
Sale Price: $20.49 |
Description100% Cotton. Made in UK. Size 70cms X 46cmsThis is an automated preview only. Actual Tea Towel design may vary. All products are hand finished by our expert manufacturers and the best crop available will always be selected. |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - Greeting Card (Pack of 2) - 7x5 inch - Art247 - Standard Size - Pack Of 2
Sale Price: $6.50 |
DescriptionThis photographic Greeting Card is created on 300gsm FSC approved card. The result - a stunning reproduction at an affordable price. Actual size 7x5 inch.Greeting card comes with high grade white envelope as standard... |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - Mouse Mat Art247 Highest Quality Natural Rubber Mouse Mats - Mouse Mat
Sale Price: $12.99 |
DescriptionNatural Rubber Mouse MatAll products are produced from the highest quality natural rubber.Heavy Weight Traditional Mousemats actual size: 250 x 190 x 6mmCrop shown is automated for display purposes only... |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - iPad Cover (Protective Sleeve) - Art247 - IPads 1 And 2
Sale Price: $32.00 |
DescriptionFits iPads 1 & 2Finest NeopreneThis is an automated preview only. Actual iPad Covers design may vary. All products are hand finished by our expert manufacturers and the best crop available will always be selected. |
 |
Brigadier-General Sir Percy Molesworth Sykes.. - Protective Phone Sock - Art247 - Standard Size
Sale Price: $9.50 |
DescriptionFits all iPhones and BlackberriesFinest NeopreneThis is an automated preview only. Actual Phone Sock design may vary. All products are hand finished by our expert manufacturers and the best crop available will always be selected. |
 |
Medal of Honor: Warfighter - Limited Edition
List Price: |
DescriptionNearly 13 years ago, the Medal of Honor brand was born with authenticity and respect for the soldier at its core - and that commitment remains to this day. The goal of this game is to put you directly in the boots of the soldier whether it be in World War II or today's war... |
 |
Medal of Honor: Warfighter - Limited Edition
List Price: |
DescriptionNearly 13 years ago, the Medal of Honor brand was born with authenticity and respect for the soldier at its core - and that commitment remains to this day. The goal of this game is to put you directly in the boots of the soldier whether it be in World War II or today's war... |
 |
Call of Duty Finest Hour
List Price: |
DescriptionCall Of Duty: Finest Hour leads you back into the World War, where you will experience epic battlefield moments in the war's most legendary conflicts. Fight alongside ordinary men who fought and died for freedom and changed the world. |
Researching British Soldiers Who Served in the 1914-18 Great War
This article is brought to you by In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS
At In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS we occasionally receive enquiries about how to trace the records of British soldiers who served in the 1814-18 Great War. We do our best to help when such a request is made, but our resources are limited and we are conscious that our best is often very slow and not always that conclusive. To help those wishing to research records of British Soldiers who served in the 1914-18 Great War we thought that it would be useful if we put together some notes on the basics of how to research this information.
During the Great War of 1914-1918 Britain's Regular Army was tiny by European standards and was quickly supplemented initially by Reservists and the Territorials. Kitchener's Army of volunteers were rapidly trained and sent to the front and by 1916 it was necessary to introduce Conscription to make up numbers.
The casualty lists continued to grow at an alarming rate largely because of the very nature of trench warfare. The modern military innovations and communications that we know today simply did not exist and the 1914-18 Great War had developed into one of attrition. As a consequence, the British Army sustained massive fatal casualties averaging around 450 officers and men per day.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
The first place to begin your search is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). They have the most complete record of soldiers (and others) that died in the 1914-18 Great War. This record is available on-line in their ‘Debt of Honour Register’ at http://www.cwgc.org/.
The information contained in the Debt of Honour Register includes the location of the soldier’s grave (or his commemoration, if he has no known grave). It will usually give details of his service number, rank, unit, date of death (if known) and place of burial or commemoration. Other information may be available, but this is dependent on material supplied (or not supplied) by relatives during and after the war. It should also be noted that whilst the CWGC make every effort the Register is not entirely free of errors.
The 1921 Compilation – Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19
An excellent resource for locating those who died in the war is Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19. Originally published in 1921 the compilations consist of 80 volumes for the soldiers with a separate volume for officers. Each volume deals with individual Regiment or Corps, and lists those who died, giving dates, locations, army number. It is not 100% accurate, but an excellent record that was based on regimental records.
These volumes give information that the CWGC does not for example, place of birth, place of residence, place of enlistment and any former regiment being the most common.
A full set of the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-19 is available for the general public to reference in the Birmingham Central Library. Other Central and/or Reference Libraries may also hold copies, but check before going as they often only have the volume relating to the local regiment.
This work can also be obtained from the Imperial War Museum as a searchable CD-ROM and is also available from: http://www.naval-military-press.com/. The CD-ROM has the advantage that the casualties can be searched and sorted, which is a great benefit if you are researching a unit or what happened to a group of friends. Inevitably it does contain some transcription errors - but then again the originals have errors too. Overall, this is an excellent though very expensive resource. Many branches of the Western Front Association have a copy, as do some libraries - including the one at the National Archives.
Genealogy Websites
Military-Genealogy.com the Naval & Military Press’ website for military historians and family history researchers has computerised these records, along with similar records relating to the Second World War, and offer a pay-per-view service to search them. These works are also available as a searchable CD-ROM, published by the Naval & Military Press. For further details visit: http://www.naval-military-press.com/.
Another pay-per-view service is provided by findmypast.com that has made it possible to search for soldiers who died in the 1914-18 Great War on-line. It is also possible to access the registers of war deaths via their website http://www.findmypast.com/HomeServlet. In addition to their pay-per-view service they operate a voucher system whereby vouchers can be purchased from UK stockists or mail order, see their website for details.
Rolls of Honour
Many businesses, organisations, schools and towns created Rolls of Honour after the war. Many of these are now available on-line and can be accessed by searching Google then clicking on the appropriate search result.
In addition to these dedicated Rolls of Honour sites is a particularly good website http://www.roll-of-honour.com/ that is striving to list details of the various War Memorials in the UK. This also has a useful search facility that will interrogate the records they have in their databases.
Soldiers Personal Files
All British soldiers who served in the 1914-18 Great War had a personal file. Around half of these personal files were destroyed in the first German air-raid on London in the Second World War on the night of 7th/8th September 1940. The records that survived the Second World War were released to the UK National Archives: The Public Record Office at Kew in November 1996. Their website can be found at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. The original documents are now so fragile that only microfilm is available for inspection and whether an individual soldier’s file has survived is entirely random.
Officers’ files had a higher survival rate and about 216,000 were released to the National Archives in February 1998. The criteria for release were that the officer had served in the British Army between 1914 and 1920 and that he had left the Army before 31st March 1922. It is often possible to locate an officer’s file on line, by typing the surname into the National Archives Catalogue accompanied by a record class number. Officers’ files are mostly contained in record series WO 339 or WO 374 (especially Territorial Officers).
The Medal Index and Medal Rolls
Besides a soldier’s (or officer’s) personal file the other major source of information is the Medal Card Index, also in the National Archives. This is the most complete listing of British service personnel in the First World War. The National Archives has now completed the digitizing of the Medal Index. The on-line version is available at http://www.documentson-line.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.asp
Most soldiers who served with the British Army in the 1914-18 Great War qualified for campaign medals, normally the 1914 (or 1914-15) Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The Army Medals Office recorded soldiers’ medal entitlement in lists known as rolls. The Index Card available on line provides the reference to where the soldier is listed on the Rolls, which are organised by regiment or corps. The information found on the Medal Card will include the soldier’s name, rank and serial number, his regiment or corps, sometimes his unit (e.g. battalion or Field Company RE), his date of death (if he died during the war), the campaign medals he was awarded and the reference numbers that allow the soldier to be traced on the Medal Rolls, which are not available on line.
It is important to check the actual Medal Rolls because they can give extra vital information about a soldier, such as his battalion, that allows further research to be undertaken. This is particularly true of soldiers who served in the cavalry, yeomanry and infantry, but much less so for the larger corps, such as the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Army Service Corps.
Unit War Diaries
Once a soldier’s unit has been identified it is possible to find out more about it. All units from battalion level (and the battalion’s equivalent in other corps, such as a Field Artillery Brigade) upwards were required to keep War Diaries on active service. These diaries are preserved in the National Archives: The Public Record Office, Kew, in record series WO 95. War Diaries rarely mention ordinary soldiers, but they do provide a detailed account of the unit’s movements and activities.
Regimental Histories
Nearly all infantry regiments and battalions have published histories. These can usually be purchased through that Regiment’s PRI or through most reputable bookshops. On-line bookshops such as Amazon will also have these available.
We hope that the information contained within this article has been of assistance and will help you trace the records of the soldier you are interested in. If you feel that we can be of assistance please email us at inthefootsteps@btinternet.com and we will try to help. Please bear in mind however our opening paragraph, as our resources are limited and we are conscious that our best is often very slow and not always conclusive.
Ian R Gumm
at Willowmead
20th January 2007
In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS SERVICE
If you are interested in following “in the footsteps” of an ancestor, relative or particular unit we can put together a bespoke battlefield tour proposal for your consideration. The proposal is without obligation as we do not undertake any preparatory work until an order is received.
We also offer a range of commemorative certificates that can be purchased from our website. These decorative certificates are designed to commemorate the military service of service personnel in a readily displayable format, they are not meant to be facsimiles of official documents.
Visit our website at In the footsteps BATTLEFIELD TOURS for further details.
About the Author
Gold Medal for British Bobsleigh Team