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Search new Oldham WWI records on findmypast.co.uk

We’ve just published two fantastic new sets of WWI records on findmypast.co.uk: Oldham Employers’ Roll of Honour 1914-1920 and Oldham Pals 1914-1920.

Oldham Employers’ Roll of Honour 1914-1920

Search records for more than 1,900 men who had enlisted in His Majesty’s Armed Forces and who were employed by companies in and around Oldham.

Some rolls include full name details as well as rank, regimental number, regiment, battalion, company and even platoon and section. Other men are listed simply by last name and initial.

Whatever new information you’re able to glean from these records, knowledge of the company that your WWI ancestors worked for will be very helpful in opening up other avenues of research.

Search Oldham Employers’ Roll of Honour now

Oldham Pals 1914-1920

Search around 1,755 records of men, by platoon, who joined the ‘Oldham Pals’ battalion in WWI: the 24th (Service) Battalion, The Manchester Regiment.

These records are the most complete roll of the original contingent of the 24th Battalion Manchester Regiment and they will usually tell you the following information about your ancestors:

• First names, rather than initials
• Date the man arrived overseas
• Details of subsequent transfers
• Details of whether the man was killed in action or died of wounds
• Details of awards

Search Oldham Pals records now

Our thanks to the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society for providing us with these records.

Most of the Oldham Pals qualified for the medals shown in the image above. Image courtesy of the British Army Medals blog.

Search new WWI plastic surgery records on findmypast.co.uk

Search records for 2,328 men who received facial plastic surgery from Dr Harold Gillies between 1917 and 1925.

We have made these records available online for the first time. They can tell you the following about your ancestors: name, regiment, rank, the injuries they sustained, plus the dates they joined the army, arrived overseas, were wounded and then admitted and discharged from hospital.

Dr Gillies is renowned for developing the first skin grafting and plastic surgery techniques to treat WWI soldiers left wounded with severe facial disfigurements. More than 11,000 operations were performed between 1917 and 1925 at The Queen’s Hospital in Sidcup, Kent.

As the records contain sensitive information, we have not published personal medical notes, hospital records and individual photographs. If your ancestors were injured in WWI and underwent surgery, you can search these records to see if they received treatment from Dr Gillies’ team.

Search the plastic surgery records now

The Plastic Theatre, Queen Mary’s Hospital, 1917. Harold Gillies is seated on the right. Photo courtesy of the Gillies Archives.