British Army Service Records 1760-1913 - findmypast
 

Find My Past have sneaked on this database. Not yet complete, but enough to be playing with!

Ooh, thanks for that, Phoenix. This is their breakdown of what should be available when:

Date range Approx no. of records Approx no. of images When available
WO97 1883-1900 252,000 1.8 million Now
WO97 1901-1913 303,000 2.1 million By May 2010
WO97 1873-1882 64,000 400,000 By June 2010
WO97 1855-1872 65,000 400,000 By July 2010
WO97 1760-1854 184,000 1.2 million By April 2011

I think there's one or two of my Galways in there, so off to buy some credits...

What is there is brilliant, but the database is by no means complete. Just search for Taylors!

I had a look at the records of two of my 2xg-uncles and was glad to find that it costs 30 credits per service record, no matter how many images there are in the set. It's 5 images to view a transcription but I didn't have any credits left to try one of those - has anyone looked at a transcription? And if so, how much information does it have?

Hmm, I would have thought my 2xg-grandfather retired between 1883 and 1900 but he doesn't seem to be in there. I hope he turns up in one of the other releases!

These are the details you get (I've edited them slightly!)

First name(s): Noddy
Last name: SMITH
Calculated Year of birth: 1865
Parish of birth: Toytown
Town of birth: London
County of birth: Middlesex
Age at attestation: 5 years 2 months
Attestation date: 26 October 1883
Attestation corps: Big Ears Regiment
Attestation solider number: 1149
Discharge rank:
Discharge corps:
Discharge soldier number:

TNA reference: WO97 / xxxx / xx

Thanks, Phoenix. It's a shame they don't transcribe next of kin, but anyway, there is lots more info on the actual images than on the transcription, including next of kin and details of wife and children. Plus of course all the details of when and where they served, promotions, and medical info.

It's not just a copy of the army paybook is it? I'll have to wait till July to find my Richard Ashton but don't know if I'll get any extra info.

They did have next of kin on my Quintrell relative - his mother was named, and two brothers. There were 8 pages, so it was quite easy to miss!

No, I realise they have next of kin in the actual papers, the point I was trying to make is that it isn't in the transcription which you can view for 5 credits - you have to use 30 credits to view the image to see next of kin.

Oh, OK. I have an FMP subscription so I click on everything without thinking!