<<snipped>> .... Why has his army record disappeared? Is a duplicate copy held somewhere else? <<snipped>> No help to you but soldiers' personnel records (i.e. the attestation form signed on joining, etc) were only kept before 1883 for those soldiers discharged to pension - and I think that pensions needed a 20y minimum service. So if it's before 1883 and no pension - then no detailed records were kept - only things like the muster rolls. See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-discharge-and-pension-records.htm Adrian B