WO 361 Casualty File Request x3

Discussion in 'Research Material' started by MongoUK, Aug 24, 2021.

  1. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Morning all,

    Does anyone have copies of the following:
    WO 361/578 - North West Europe: Field Squadrons, Royal Engineers; missing personnel.
    WO 361/823 - Italy: 1st and 2nd Battalions, Loyal Regiment; missing personnel
    WO 361/105 - British Expeditionary Force, France: Royal Armoured Corps; missing men

    Do these files usually have the additional letters? Have only searched in one WO 361 file and it was pretty good for including letters and research to establish and confirm the casualty, but I'm not sure whether they all do this or whether it's a one off?

    Annoyingly, I was at the archives on Thursday, and it didn't occur to me to look for these until today.... typical.

    Happy to discuss purchasing copies if need be.

    Thanks
     
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  2. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    In my somewhat limited experience the answer is Yes.

    Tim
     
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  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    The files I have - Guards-related - have copy enquiry letters sent out by Casualty Branch and a few replies by return which, more often than not, are apologies for not knowing any individual and/or their fate. A couple of the files I have are little more than progressive, updated lists of the same names.

    However, I've seen company Acquittance rolls, signed by each individual drawing cash, (very handy for those wishing to compile nominal lists) as well as a smattering of Missing casualty report forms completed by Coy Commanders. These are much more informative than the generic enquiry letters as they state time/date/place/circumstances last seen/who might have been in unit with them/witness accounts, etc - they're contemporary, not recollections well after the fact.

    The usual pot luck, in other words. First impressions can be deceptive, well worth the effort to sift through for hidden gems, such as action reports, rolls, personal accounts, etc.


    eg Irish Guards, 1st Battalion, Italy, Missing Personnel file | WW2Talk
     
  4. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Thanks both, if no one has them, I'll add them to the list.

    Always good to have another excuse to go to Kew :D
     
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  5. Gary Tankard

    Gary Tankard Well-Known Member

    I was down at Kew today. I have copied the Loyals file for you. Send me a message with your e-mail address and I'll send it over - although I won't be back home until Monday to process it.

    Cheers,
    Gary.
     
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  6. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Amazing, thank you Gary.

    Will drop a pm.
     
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  7. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Hello MongoUK, re your question;

    "Do these files usually have the additional letters? Have only searched in one WO 361 file and it was pretty good for including letters and research to establish and confirm the casualty, but I'm not sure whether they all do this or whether it's a one off?"

    In answer to, and echoing replies from the good folks above, it's a bit pot-luckish.

    WO 361/39 (British Expeditionary Force: The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment); Missing Men) for example, is very extensive. 15 minute sheets, 266 minuted entries, 450 plus pages of inquiry related paperwork pertaining to same. Other files in the WO 361 series not so.

    Should you have no luck in finding the information you seek in the files you've listed in your first post, there may be files mentioned in Vitellino's thread here (link below) that may help (there are always other, and oft unexpected, avenues to go down).

    Missing prisoners of war lists - end of conflict

    Good luck with all your searching.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
  8. MongoUK

    MongoUK Junior Member

    Thanks, Jim.

    Much appreciated
     

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