The records of First World War 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 first-hand 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.
