Historic Records News

  Did your ancestor earn the Military Medal between 1914 and 1939? If he - or she - did so, you'll be able to view their card in colour, for the first time. Historic Records Limited has digitised all of the cards documenting awards for this period, and you'll now be able to read what's on the front and, in some cases, the back of each card. But it doesn't stop there. Howard Williamson and Chris Bate rescued these cards from destruction nearly 20 years ago, and as the custodians of these cards they have decided that now, with the cards digitised in colour for the first time, and made available as digital images, that they would like to give people the opportunity to buy the original cards. Typical information recorded on these cards gives theatre of war for the award, last name, first name(s), regiment, rank, regimental number, date that the award was published in the London Gazette, schedule number and registered paper number. Bars to the MM are also recorded where appl...

  When Edgar Wilkes Thorpe sailed for Gallipoli on the 28th August 1915, the youngest of his eight children was just over a month old. There is no date on this postcard/photograph, but the general happy demeanour of the children and Mrs Ann Thorpe suggest that this was taken before Edgar was killed in action on the 15th October 1915, barely six weeks after he had arrived. There is no surviving service record for Edgar but a pension card on the Fold3 website enables us to name the children, from left to right, with their birth date in brackets. They are, Edgar Thorpe (13 Feb 1905), Elizabeth Ann Thorpe (2 Mar 1906), Phyllis Thorpe (2 Jan 1908), Marion Thorpe (31 Dec 1908), John Joseph Thorpe (18 Jan 1910), Gladys Thorpe (8 Feb 1912), Lavinia May Thorpe (9 May 1913) and Leslie Thorpe (25 Jul 1915). Mrs Ann Thorpe was born on the 25th March 1878 and would have been 37 years old when this photograph was taken.  This postcard is one of many which you'll soon be able to search for i...