Filed under Medals: A Method Guide
First checks before you go further
Work in this order: service record, then medal index card or roll entry, then the medal's qualifying rules. That order stops a medal from being read as proof of service it does not cover.
If the first search returns a crowd of same-name results, narrow by dates before you narrow by anything else: dates cut a crowd faster than spellings do. A good first session ends with a short list of dated facts and a longer list of questions, not with a finished story.
A step by step way through
Order matters more than speed here. The same records, opened in a different order, produce a different timeline, and only one of those orders can be checked. Alternate between personal records and unit records as the steps require. Personal records fix the person, unit records fix the place and the date, and both are needed.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Find the roll entry first, and note its reference, the medal, and any clasps shown. |
| 2 | Check name, number, rank and unit on the roll against the personal file. |
| 3 | Use the index card, where one survives, as a finding aid to the roll, not as a replacement for it. |
| 4 | Test any family medal story against the roll before adding it to the timeline. |
As an illustration only, suppose a family medal carries a clasp that the roll does not show: the roll entry wins, and the clasp then becomes a question about remounting or a later addition, not proof of an extra campaign.
What are the common dead ends?
If two records give the same person different numbers, do not pick one and discard the other. Numbers change on transfer, on re-enlistment, and on reorganisation. A photograph with no caption, a medal with no roll entry, and a story with no dates are all the same problem: a clue without a filter. A photograph, a medal, or a story that points to a unit the records do not support is a prompt for one more check, not evidence that the records are wrong.
What should you check next?
If you feel the urge to keep reading guides rather than opening records, stop. Guides orient research; records advance it, and orientation without records is drift. A good next step narrows the search, rather than widening it. If the next record could be anything, the question is not yet sharp enough.
Let the dates decide the direction. The next record should cover the dates the timeline is weakest on, not the dates it already covers well. When two records disagree, note both and look for a third that explains the difference.
Primary sources for this guide
This guide keeps its claims general and points to the official holders, so the holder itself is the place to check the current position. It is general educational information only, not personal professional advice, and it offers no record lookup service and no determination of any individual's service.