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*Tracing Your Roots > South Asian > Service Records
* Asiatic Colonial Units 
 
The service records of Indian soldiers who served outside India in the Asiatic Colonial Units, such as the Bengal Fusiliers, China Gun Lascars, Ceylon Rifles and Gun Lascars, 1873-82 are available in National Archives series (PRO) WO97/2166-70 and (PRO) WO97/1702 for 1855-72.

Most of the soldiers in the Ceylon Rifles and Gun Lascars were recruited from Madras and Ceylon. The attestation (service) records of the Gun Lascars General, Ceylon and Hong Kong, who were attached to the Royal Artillery are in (PRO) WO69/598-601 in the National Archives for the period 1824 to 1884 (includes attestation and discharge documents of men deceased, deserted and discharged). It is an excellent source to find where they enlisted.

The army medical department sick returns and reports for Ceylon Gun Lascars are in the National Archives's series (PRO) WO334/76 China and Hong Kong Gun Lascars is in (PRO) WO334/107 and Gun Lascars Corps is in (PRO) WO334/46.

Muster Books and Pay Lists
The records of the Ceylon Gun Lascars who were attached to the Royal Artillery are in (PRO) WO10/1997-2213 in the National Archives for the period 1846 to 1855.

The records for 1867 to 1878 are in (PRO) WO10/2842-48 and (PRO) WO10/2850-2954, and for 1878-1888 they are in (PRO) WO16/780-90.

The records give:

  • The names of the soldiers
  • The company they were attached to
  • Their subsistence and pay details
The description and succession books of the soldiers for Ceylon Rifles are in (PRO) WO25/638-41for the period 1809 to 1872. The embarkation and disembarkation returns for Ceylon Rifles are in (PRO) WO25/3504-06 for the period 1858 to 1875. Royal Hospital Chelsea: Prize Records for Ceylon Gun Lascars is in (PRO) WO164/396 (which gives the native soldiers name, quality and the total sum paid to the soldier).

Pension Records
The Royal Hospital Chelsea: Pension Returns and Examination of Invalid soldiers of Ceylon Rifles and Ceylon Gun Lascars is in (PRO) WO22/245 and (PRO) WO22/246 for the period 1868.

The document includes:

  • Name of the native soldiers
  • Rank
  • Regimental number
  • Date of pension period
  • Sometimes date of death is also given.
There is a section within the document for Gun Lascars' widows and their pension details.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea: Admission Books, Registers for Out Pensioners of Ceylon Rifles and Gun Lascars, May 1868 to September 1876 is in the National Archives series (PRO) WO23/158.


Creators: Abi Husainy

 
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