Page 136 - Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects

possible to discover his regirnent men discharged or dead, his trade,
from the Station Returns (W.0.17), and his date of enlistment. Before
which show where particular regi- 1883 this sometimes provides the
ments were stationed during any only means of discovering the birth-
particular year. Once his regirnent is place of a man not discharged to
known, the best sources for tracing pension. By tracing him back
a soldier's record are as follows:
Documents be possible to find his age shown
Regular
Soldiers'
(W.0.97). These date back to 1756- on the day of enlistment as a recruit.
N.B.: Few W.O. classes quoted
Among other service records they
contain the ' Discharge Certificates '.
above are in thenselves complete.
Up to the year 1883 the Certificates
The periods of time to which they
of soldiers ' discharged to pension '
refer can only be ascertained by
were kept separately from those dis-
reference to the lists and indexes
of War Office classes.
charged for other reasons, such as
Birth-places of soldiers may be
' lirnitcd engagements ' or ' dis-
charges by purchase'. After 1883 found in the following series in
al1 discharge certificates are pre- War Office classes,
served in one group. The records
Descripfion Boolcs (W.0.251266-
of soldiers who died whilst serving,
688)
and thus never received discharge
Royal Artillery, Royal Engi-
neers (W.0.54/260-316); W.0.
certificates, together with those who
69/74-80)
were not pensioned, were accident-
Royal Irish Artillery 1756-1774
ally destroyed by fire many years
(W.0.69 1620)
ago.
Depot Description Books (W.O.
Al1 discharge certificates, except
671 1-34)
for a few of the earliest, record the
place of the soldier's birth and his
Casualty Reirtrns (W.0.2511359-
age on the date of enlistrnent. After
2410. 3251-3472. Ind: 7860-
1883, details of the next-of-kin, wife
8223)
Royal Artillery, Royal Engi-
and children are sometirnes given.
Pay Lists and Muster Rolls. These
neers (W.0.54/317-337)
form an extremely comprehensive
Chelsea Hospiral Pension Regis-
fers From 1715 (W.0.116/
series dating from 1760 and are ver-
1 - 151: W.0.117/1 - 70; W.O.
useful for establisIiing the dates of
a soldier's enlistment, and his move-
1211136)
Foreign Regiments (W.0.1221
rnents throughout the world. and of
his discharge or deatIi. They are through the Musrer Books it may
1-14)
arranged by regiments in volumes, Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dub-
each covering a period of 12 months. lin - Pemion Regislers
There are separate classes dealing (W.O.i18/1-43; W.O.I19/1-70)
with Royal Artillery (W.0.10). Reg~ilar Soldiers Documents, from
Royal Engineers (W.O.11) Cavalry. about 1760 to 1900 (W.0.971
Guards and Line Regiments (W.O. 1-4231)
12), and Yeomanry, MiIitia and Before 1883 the documents
Volunteers (W.0.13). refer to pensioners only. Others
In many of these volumes a form which were kept separately -
showing ' Men becoming Non-Effec- were eventuaiiy destroyed by
tive' will be found at the end of Eire.
each quarter. Where this exists. it
should show the birth-place of the Royal Artillery Records of Ser-
125