WFR Museum
Worcestershire Regimental Museum
Sherwood Foresters Regimental Museum
REGIMENTAL ARCHIVES
The
Regimental Museum holds a large database on members of its respective
predecessor regiments, also held are copies of war diaries, photographs,
personal diaries, documents and histories. Enquiries are welcome. Please
complete and submit the archive enquiry form
giving as much detail as possible.
It is regretted that owing to space limitations, visits to study the Archives are by appointment only.
Archive material including photographs relating to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, the Worcestershire Regiment and to a lesser extent, the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot with their associated Militia and Rifle Corps are held at our Worcester office RHQ MERCIAN, Norton Barracks, Worcester WR5 2PA Tel: 0044 (0)1905 354359 A search fee of GB £15.00 is required and is non returnable even if no information is found. Payment should be by cheque payable to "The Worcestershire Regimental Museum" and forwarded to The Worcestershire Regiment Museum Trust, Crookbarrow Road, Worcester WR5 2PA
Archive material including photographs relating to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, The Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) and to a lesser extent the 45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot and 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot with their associated Militia and Rifle Corps are held at our Nottingham Office- RHQ MERCIAN, Foresters House, Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, Nottingham NG9 5HA Tel: 0044 (0)115 9465415. A search fee is not charged but donations towards the upkeep of the Regimental collection is always appreciated.
The Regimental Headquarter Offices are happy to carry out research on any aspect of the histories of the County Regiments of Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire and Worcestershire or for individuals to visit the respective office to carry out research for themselves (If the latter, by appointment please). The Regimental Offices only have a limited ability to carry out research on individual officers or soldiers as they do not hold the personal records of those who served in the County Regiments, these are the property of the State. Those wishing to research personnel records are advised in the first instance to contact either the National Archives or Army Personnel Centre Disclosures 4 (Historical) - (see below for details).
RECORDS OF SERVICE
All former members of the Regiment whether WFR, Worcestershires or Sherwood Foresters, are invited to complete a record of service form available from RHQ MERCIAN Worcester and Nottingham offices, and to forward a photograph (ideally in uniform), in order that the Regimental Museum archive databases are kept up to date. Think to the future generations who one day your family will ask "What did he do in the Army?" Help them, or students of social and military history to understand you and your life.
OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION
You cannot do all your family history on the internet as some of the key resources you will need to use, including most parish registers are not yet available on line. However there is a vast range of information available to get you started and a lot of it is free.
National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU Tel: 0044 (0) 208876 3444
The National Archives (NA) (formerly the PRO) holds the personal service records of soldiers and officers who served until 1920. Please note that a large percentage of the WW1 records were damaged by bombing during WW2.
The NA also holds the following; Pay Lists / Muster Rolls / Records of Pensioners of the Royal Hospital Chelsea / Medal Rolls for campaigns between 1793 and 1904 / WW1 Campaign Medal index cards which list the medals awarded to individuals and can confirm name, army number, rank or regiment / Medal Roll Books in regimental or unit order (1914 Star, 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Silver War Badge) / War Diaries for WW1 and WW2.
Army Personnel Centre, Disclosures 4 (Historical), Mailpoint 400, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX Tel: 0044 (0)141 2243303 or 2242023
The APC Historical Disclosures Section holds personal service records of soldiers and officers who enlisted into the Army from 1920 (including those who enlisted earlier and were in service at this date). For ex Army Personnel, or their widows/widowers it can supply statements of service or confirmation of particular aspects of service from the records it holds for free. They will also provide the same service for other members of the family, subject to the consent of the Next of Kin and the payment of a fee. A Subject Access Request Form can be found at The Veterans Agency website
Genealogy/Family History
Other useful links for family research are Family History in India for Recipients of the Indian Mutiny Medal and Ancestry.co.uk As a result of consultation with the National Archives, Ancestry.co.uk have arranged for service records of those who served prior to 1920 to be accessible online. There is a free search but chargeable download with users being asked to subscribe monthly, quarterly or annually. You may also like to try the following:-
www.obituarieshelp.org Obituarieshelp.org is an informative and respected website designed to offer resources for obituaries, funerals and genealogy search
www.findmypast.com This is a pay per view site including birth, marriage and death indexes and historic lists of passengers leaving the UK
www.bmdindex.co.uk This is a subscription site (£5 for 3 month) including the complete range of birth, marriages and deaths from 1837 onwards
www.freebmd.org.uk This is an ongoing project to transcribe and provide free access to the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales. Records from 1837 until 1914 are almost complete
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk The official government source of genealogical data for Scotland
www.cyndislist.com A well organised site with world wide links. Arranged by subject and country.
www.genuki.org.uk UK and Ireland genealogy information with lots of links arranged by county and subject
www.familysearch.org Online version of the International Genealogical Index containing numerous christenings and marriages, the 1881 British Census and many other resources. Completely free of charge
www.1901CensusOnline.com This site contains more than the 1901 Census. You can search the index for free but have to pay to see the details
www.cwgc.org A complete list of all those soldiers who died in both World Wars. Free of charge
www.freebmd.org.uk Incomplete but Free searching of civil Registration Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths in England and Wales from 1837