Museum Enquiries

The Yorkshire Warriors How do I find out more information about relatives who served with a battalion in one of the antecedent Regiments of The Yorkshire Regiment?
HISTORICAL ENQUIRIES
Regimental Archives at each of our offices (York, Richmond and Halifax) hold battalion records and are best placed to assist with enquiries. Our archivists need to know the following about each soldier:
  • Name of the Regiment they served in (for the relevant museum)
  • Battalion Number they served in (to search the relevant war diary)
  • Soldiers Army Number (to consult the medals index).
RESEARCH - SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Before you start any research on soldiers from World War One it might be worth visiting the 1914-1918 website for some useful advice from someone who has been down the research path.
 
Details of individual soldiers are not usually kept within the museum's archives.  Very often, more information on individual soldiers are held at one of the following locations...
 
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES (Enquiries Pre-1920)
The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Surrey TW9 4DU
Telephone 0208 876 3444
Kindly note - during World War Two 60% of the service records from the First World War were lost or destroyed. 
ANCESTRY Website (World War One Soldiers' Documents)
British Army World War One Service and Pension Records are online.  You can now search for surnames beginning with the letters A to N.  When the project is complete you will be able to search c.2.5 million soldiers' records.  Searching the name index is free.   You will also be able to search the World War One Medals Index Cards.
Pages from original files are available by subscription or with Pay per View
THE SERVICE PERSONNEL & VETERANS AGENCY (Enquiries Post-1920)
The Service Personnel & The Veterans Agency (SPVA)
Freephone: 0800 169 2277
Telephone: 0044 1253 866 043 (Overseas)
THE MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is the lead strategic agency for museums, libraries and archives. They are part of a wider partnership, who work with the nine regional agencies to build knowledge, support learning, inspire creativity and celebrate identity. The Partnership acts collectively for the benefit of the sector and the public, leading the transformation of museums, libraries and archives for the future.
IS THE REGIMENT CONNECTED TO THE YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT?
The Yorkshire Regiment has no direct antecedent link to The York and Lancaster Regiment (65th/84th Foot), which was disbanded in 1968, through the Regular Army. At the time of disbandment all Regular Army YORK and LANCS Officers and Soldiers were given a free choice (based on future postings and career prospects) to transfer to any one of the three remaining regiments within The Yorkshire Brigade (PWO, GH and DWR). Personnel who transferred completed, or extended, their service as full members of their new regiment. The recruiting areas of the regiment were also divided up with some additional boundary changes amongst the remaining regiments.
 
However, the Sheffield platoon of D Company, the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment is known as the 'Hallamshire Platoon', in recognition of the Territorial Hallamshire Battalion which formed part of The Yorkshire Volunteers Regiment on its formation in 1967. Thus a continuous formed unit link was maintained through the TA - The Yorkshire Volunteers, 3rd Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (3 DWR) and The East and West Riding Regiment (E and WRR) - culminating in the formation of The Yorkshire Regiment on 6th June 2006.