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Posted by mariewif (U3608970) on Friday, 31st March 2006
Hi, Can anybody help me find a website where I can research records of World War 1 soldiers?
Thanks!!
Hi
Depends what you're looking for?
Have you checked out the family tree stuff on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's site. There is a book company called the Naval and Military press and it may well be worth checking ut what resources you can find there. The National Army Museum and individual Regimental Museums and the CWGC may also be of help. Unfortunately a lot of the records from the Great War were destroyed by fire during the blitz.
Tom
Message for 'Terrible Thomas"
Hi,
Thanx for your message! I have very little info about my grandfather, William Alexander wiffen. As I live far away from the U.K., gathering info is quite a mission. All I know is that he was born in Ireland, ? 1875 to 1887....went to South africa in 1904/5, had 3 children there, left his family in 1911, ? to the U.K. or Ireland, and fought in WW1. I can't go any further with my research...he is the missing link. I have tried a private researcher in Ireland, but no luck. Now I am tackling it myself again. Will try and get hold of the book you have mentioned.
Had a seach for Wiffen at www.military-genealogy.com but didn't find a William Alexander. Did her survive the war? Most info seems to be available re those who died sadly.
Naval and Military Press are a company who specialise in books on Military History but also have an association with the above website
You might also like to try and perhaps search for his Campaign medal card I found 2 WA Wiffens'
Medal card of Wiffen, William A
Corps: Coldstream Guards
Regiment No: 15523
Rank: Private...
1914-1920 WO 372/21
Medal card of Wiffen, William A
Corps: Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
Regiment No: 8669
Rank: Private...
1914-1920 WO 372/21
Good Luck in your research
message to Terrible Thomas
Hi Tom, The guy from Ireland who did some research for me, checked on medal cards for "William A Wiffen x3, and found that none of them were born in Ireland...or were William Alexander. Perhaps he did not die during the war. I went through some immigration passenger lists last night..could only find one William Alexander Wiffen....who left the U.K. during 1726 to 1790, on his way to Philadelphia. This W.A Wiffen could be an ancestor. I then looked up census records from the States, although I found some Wiffens, no William or W.Alexander was recorded. Something about him must be out there somewhere! I will keep looking!
Try www.cwgc.org as aformentioned, its a great website to search for relatives.
Good Luck,
Dave.
Message for WARFANATIC
Hi Dave, I searched www.cwgc.org again just now, a lot of William Wiffens, but no one fits his profile.
I sent an email off to "Shotatdawn" last night, just to make sure he was not executed, got an aswer this evening to say he was not.
Will try the "national archives" again. I must crack this mystery of my grandfather's journey on this, planet!! Is their any other options?
Thanx
Mariewif
Have you tried contacting the National History Museum oF Ireland, where they have access to records of all those born in Ireland over the last few centuries(Sorry, I cannot be more precise, Im talking from memory) They do have a geneology section where most this information is on line. I was actually there in January. I have an address somewhere, which I will have to dig out for you. I hope it might be of some help.
Hi, Can anybody help me find a website where I can research records of World War 1 soldiers?
°Υ³σ²Ή²Τ°μ²υ!!Μύ
to Amphion/ from mariewif
Thanks, I will appreciate any address if you can find it. will definitely try and contact the "Irish Museum!"
On a rather depressing note, if your relative survived the war it is possible he could have died in the great Influenza pandemic of 1918. It killed more people worldwide than the war; most families in the UK lost at least one member.
Hi Mike_Alexander, thanks for the info. The only other question now: will there be any records of all these deaths?
from Mariewif.
It's possible that (as you describe it) he ran away from his family and re-enlisted under an assumed name so he couldn't be found. This was not uncommon. You could try searching under another family name such as his mother's maiden name.
If he died of the Spanish Flu I'd think you'd have to search for a civillian death certificat rather than a military one.
Your best be might be to forget his military career and see if you can find him in the civillian archives such as censuses.
Hi Dazbo44, I have absolutely no information on any of the Wiffen family in England, Ireland or U.S.A. The only members I knew were my father, Arthur Aldworth, and his brother John percival Wiffen, who both grew up in an orphanage...and died when I was still fairly young. At the time I was so busy with my own family and life in general that I never thought of getting important facts from them. So, my search for my grandfather is very important...he is the missing link!!
I have gone through a lot of census...but according to his sons birth cerificates... he was born in Ireland...but, and to get info from that side seems almost impossible! I will try again! Thanks for the advice! Mariewif.
Yes, that's a perennial problem that we all suffer from: no real interest in asking the questions until it's too late to ask. Fortunatly for me the bare bones of my family are known but not much else.
Best of luck with your search.
Try as a start>>
cheers
Hi, I started on the National Archives , still new to me, hope to find something! Thanks. Mariewif.
Try the section called "Research a soldier" at www.1914-1918.net
Hi LeamBull, thanks for the website info. I am going to try it right now. will post a mesage if I ind anything! Mariewif
I found some WWI relatives on the computer archive at the Imperial War Museum, if that's any help to you as a possible source.
Eliza
hi if you go to the commenwealth war graves commishion site i think it would help you greatly
I have tried the WW1 War Graves site, but no William Alexander....I wonder how and if I shall ever find him!!! Thanks for the info! mariewif
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