I think we have become accustomed to being able to delve into the past, and pluck from the wealth of online records, all manner of information about our ancestors.
Three decades ago much of this information was much harder to track down, and involved journeys to Records Offices, requests to churches to investigate their parish archives, and trawling newspapers for any mention of a family member.
And yet the past is still a place with many shadows, in which lurk much of what we search for.
So I doubt we will ever know the identity of this woman. She was a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, and the picture comes from the collection of David Harrop.
I asked David for the picture, as a way of introducing a new set of online records which are available from Findmypast.
They will enable historians and those wanting to know more about family members who served in the Corps during the Great War to “Explore this amazing collection of records from your ancestor’s service with the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War One.
The records include application forms, medical examinations, uniform assignment forms, personal references and much more. Through these documents you will find your ancestor’s birthplace, a physical description and medical history, work and education background and details about your ancestor’s parents’ nationalities.
For the family historian this is an amazing resource and exciting to discover with so many documents in one place. The original documents are held at The National Archives in London in series WO 162 and WO 398. 625 records are women from outside of the United Kingdom.
Many of these women are children of British parents and had moved out of the country”*
And a fitting release in the month where we celebrate International Women's Day
Location; the Great War
Picture; unknown member of Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, circa 1914-1918, from the collection of David Harrop
*Findmypast.
And yet the past is still a place with many shadows, in which lurk much of what we search for.
So I doubt we will ever know the identity of this woman. She was a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, and the picture comes from the collection of David Harrop.
I asked David for the picture, as a way of introducing a new set of online records which are available from Findmypast.
They will enable historians and those wanting to know more about family members who served in the Corps during the Great War to “Explore this amazing collection of records from your ancestor’s service with the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War One.
For the family historian this is an amazing resource and exciting to discover with so many documents in one place. The original documents are held at The National Archives in London in series WO 162 and WO 398. 625 records are women from outside of the United Kingdom.
Many of these women are children of British parents and had moved out of the country”*
And a fitting release in the month where we celebrate International Women's Day
Location; the Great War
Picture; unknown member of Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, circa 1914-1918, from the collection of David Harrop
*Findmypast.
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