Military_Service

Canterbury Record Office and Dover Library It would be useful to visit Canterbury Record Office to gain further information about Ernest Highams prior to his military career. Information held there includes Parish records for the whole of Kent, so his Baptism record should be found there. In addition a visit to Dover library would be beneficial to search for information about the family business of butchers. The National Archives, Kew A visit to the National Archives in Kew may hold additional records to his service records already provided. Although he was not married, his mother may have been entitled to a pension on his death. This should be searched in references PIN 26 and PIN 82. In addition, log books of the ships he served on could also be searched to obtain detail of where his ships sailed to in the times he was aboard and also the station records. These may be found in ADM 53 and the station records under a number of references between ADM 121 and ADM 179. Operational records for the Royal Navy in WW1 can also be searched for additional information such as papers and letters – ADM 1. Finally, Navy medal records can be found in ADM 171. Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth The museum holds information of the Navy in general and individual people. There is also a research facility at the museum. I would hope to find a record of Highams on a copy of a Naval Roll or Muster Roll. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich There is a research facility at the Museum. If I was to visit I would search for further information on the vessels such as logs and navigation records as well as personal papers if available. This information would complement information found at The National Archives. http://www.doverdc.co.uk/museum http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/index.htm http://www.nmm.ac.uk Other record sources which you may be able to find additional information about Fred Wilkinson and his military service are: Buffs, Royal East Kent Regiment Museum Collection at National Army Museum The collection was transferred to National Army Museum from Canterbury in 2000. I would hope to find examples of the uniforms, medals and pictures relating to the Buffs. I would request a visit to the Templer Study Centre at the museum since a wealth of information about the men and the regiment is held there including war diaries. This would help provide back ground to Fred Wilkinson’s life in the army, what conditions he would have to deal with. In addition, the museum may hold the records relating to his offence which related in a court martial in 1917. Royal Logistic Corp Museum, Camberley The museum holds a comprehensive collection of information and items relating to the Labour Corps including the Royal Corps of Transport. The collection will be similar to that held regarding the Buffs. Again, I would arrange a visit to search the archive for information on the work which Fred Wilkinson was involved in as well as papers and war diaries. Imperial War Museum The museum holds an extensive collection including photographs and multimedia. A visit to the research room I would hope to find original records relating to either Fred Wilkinson or the regiments he was posted to. He was present at the battle in Salonika so I would hope to find more information regarding that in any war diaries they may hold. Society of Genealogy The Society holds a vast collection of often unique documents that cannot be found on line or through the commercial websites. The records I would hope to find are unpublished documents relating to the regiments he served with and maybe information relating directly to Fred Wilkinson within the Surname Document collection. http://www.armymuseums.org.uk/amot-search/default.asp'Category=AMOT&Service=Museum-Display http://www.iwm.org.uk/ http://www.sog.org.uk/index.shtml