Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Museum

NOTES ON RESEARCH INTO OFFICERS' AND SOLDIERS' RECORDS

Kent Yeomanry Regimental Histories

Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles
The Regimental History, A Century of Yeoman Service, by Lord Harris includes a list of officers up to 1897.

Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry
The Regimental History, Some Historical Records of the West Kent (Q.O.) Yeomanry 1794-1909, by Lt-Col J F Edmeades includes a list of officers up to 1908.

Kent Yeomanry 1914-1918
The Regimental History, West Kent (Q.O.) Yeomanry and 10th (Yeomanry) Batt. the Buffs 1914-1919, by Charles Ponsonby includes lists of officers and soldiers who served during World War I.

Kent Yeomanry 1939-1945
The Regimental History, Yeoman Service, by Lt-Col F Lushington includes a list of awards and roll of honour for 97 (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regt RA (but not for 143 Field Regt).

Sharpshooters Regimental Histories

Sharpshooters Imperial Yeomanry 1900-02
The Weston Jarvis papers (1988-11) include four bound notebooks with nominal rolls of officers and soldiers who served in South Africa with the 21st and 23rd Bns IY.

3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) 1901-14
Details of individuals are to be found in the printed Monthly Orders of which the Regiment has an almost complete set. (1955-68)

3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
The rolls of honour for World War I and World War II are displayed in the regimental museum. There is also an early computerised Roll of Honour for World War II issued by the War Office (1966-11).

The Regimental History, Sharpshooters at War by Andrew Graham includes a list of awards for 1939-45.

External Sources

Officers' records
An officer's career can be traced through the published Army Lists; copies are available at the National Army Museum or Imperial War Museum.

Soldiers' records pre 1914
A search has to be carried out at the Public Record Office, Kew by means either of a personal visit or by use of a record agent.
website : www.pro.gov.uk

Soldiers' records 1914-1985
Application must be made in writing to the Ministry of Defence (CS(RM)2b, Bourne Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF, (0208-573-3831)
Details will only be disclosed on the written authority of the soldier or his next of kin. You must provide the soldier's name, rank, army number and regiment. A fee of £20 is charged. Note that many World War I soldiers' records were destroyed in World War II.

Soldiers who died 1914-18
Names and some personal details are included in the series of official publications Soldiers Died in the Great War which includes a volume on Cavalry and Yeomanry.

Soldiers who died since 1914
You may search for an individual’s details on the internet through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website : http://www.cwgc.org.uk/

Medals
For details of a soldier's medals write to the Army Medal Office, Government Buildings, 2 Worcester Road, Droitwich, Worcs WR9 8AU.
website : www.army.mod.uk/contacts/divisions/med.html
If possible you should provide the soldier's name, rank, army number and regiment.