Search British Army, deserters and absentees in Police Gazette 1914 – 1919

Each record has both a transcript and an image of the original page of the Police Gazette. You can use a keyword search to narrow your search to a place. The amount of information varies but you can find out the following about your ancestor:

• Name
• Age
• Birth year
• Year of record
• Service number
• Regiment
• Residence
• County
• Country

The image can provide extra information not included in the transcript. Information only found in the image includes:

• Physical description (including height, hair and eye colour, complexion, and distinguishing marks like

birthmarks or tattoos)

• Occupation
• Last known address
• Date and place of desertion
• Remarks

The Police Gazette was primarily distributed to police forces around the British Isles and contained lists of persons wanted by police, missing or stolen objects, missing people and habitual criminals. It also provided lists of deserters and absentees from Britain’s armed forces. During the First Wold War these lists were produced as a supplement every fortnight. Unsurprisingly, many deserters went missing after a visit home so each deserter’s last known address is included. Listings also included a full physical description. However, distinguishing features were often abbreviated for space: “sc” appears for “scar”, “ttd” for “tattoo,”etc. Parts of the body were also contracted, such as “frhead” (forehead), “frm” (forearm) or nck (neck). You will also find “bk” for back, “frt” for front and “rt” for right.

Most deserters and absentees were picked up and sent back to the army for court martial. Punishments could be severe but although execution was used in some cases it was not the norm. Some deserters evaded capture altogether, changed their name and went on to live a completely new life.