The cd, Soldiers who died in The Great War is a good source for finding a soldier who was KIA or DoW in WW1.  Recently its counterpart for WW2 was also published  also on cd.  Both of these fantastic resources are now on pay per view sites and compliment the entries on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with giving places of enlistment and cause of death i.e. Killed in Action or Died of Wounds.

But what do you do if your family member died in other conflicts.

I was recently sent a link to a very good site for the Afghan Campaign 1878-1880.  The information on the site gives the following information :-

Service number, rank, surname and christian name, regiment, how died or severity of wounds, place, date and remarks.  It is the remarks that are interesting.

For example, Captain Seymour Dun Barrow of the 10th Bengal Lancers was severely wounded at Patkao Shana on 1 July 1880, the remarks saying ‘ Incision to right forearm and left hand in a personal encounter with a nephew of Sultan Mahomed’.

Another entry for Lance Sergeant, 1583, William Cameron, 72nd Foot (Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders, KIA at Kandahar on 1st September 1880, the remarks state ‘Gunshot abdomen. ‘A grand specimen of a Highland soldier’.

Major John Cook, 5th Gurkha Regiment, Danger Wound, at Kabul on 12 December 1879, the remarks go on to say ‘Gunshot left leg. Awarded V.C. for Peiwar Kotal, 02 December 1878. Died of Wounds 19 December  1878’.

Or, 514 Colour Sergeant  Ge Jacobs, 72nd Foot (Duke of Albany’s Own Highlanders), severely wounded at Kandahar on 1st September 1880.  He was awarded the DCM for Kabul, got a gunshot in the groin and was awarded bar to DCM.

Or, Private Jonathan Longworth, 32B/104, 1st Bn 12th Foot who was severely wounded at Besud on 19th May 1880.  He had a very deep knife wound, back of left shoulder with deep muscles severed.  He was awarded the DCM.

The detail about each soldier is concise but very informative and well worth a visit just to see what has been put in the remarks column, as there are a couple of V.C’s mentioned.

The information can be found here