The records of World War I veterans and their dependants who
fought for pensions after the conflict ended have gone online for
the first time.
More than 25,000 case files from the Pensions Appeal Tribunals
for Scotland can now be searched on Scotland's People. These
records are rare. National Records of Scotland (NRS) holds almost
30,000 records from the tribunals with cases starting in 1919.
Case files for tribunals held in England and Wales do not survive
from this period.
The files show that the war caused illnesses and injuries that
impacted servicemen long after the fighting stopped.
Scotland's People offers online access to records from NRS.
Archivist Lynn Bruce said: These case papers offer medical notes,
war service details and list the men's work before and after the
war. They're a mine of stories and information.
Some cases also include powerful firsthand statements from the
men who served, and from family members or supporters. It's a
rare opportunity to hear the voices of people whose lives don't
often make it into the archive.
This resource will be of interest to a wide range of historians
and social researchers. Putting these records on Scotland's
People opens up access.
The Pensions Appeal Tribunals refused about two thirds of cases,
ruling that the men's health problems were not caused or
aggravated by war service. An MP at the time, Manny Shinwell,
described the tribunals as graveyards of the hopes of many
ex-service men'.
The Wellcome Trust funded work to prepare these records for
release. Summary information from that project is free to view on
Scotland's People and the NRS archive catalogue. The digitised
case files including the medical information and testimony are
available to view online for a fee on Scotland's People or free
of charge in the NRS search room in Edinburgh. Cases have to be
100 years old before they can be viewed. Eligible records will be
added each January.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The records can be found on Scotland's People.
Scotland's People is an official government website for accessing
records and archives. It is a service of National Records of
Scotland, a non-ministerial government body based at General
Register House in Edinburgh.
An article featuring short case studies from Edinburgh,
Kirkintilloch, Cellardyke and Tarbrax is available here.
