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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Vic Emb on Sunday 23 July 06 18:10 BST (UK)
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Would someone be kind enough to give me assistance with finding out the correct way of obtaining my late father's army service records?
I know that he had a long career spanning 25 years, from joining the South Staffordshire Regiment as a boy soldier, becoming a PTI & founder member of the Parachute Regiment, (taking part in the D-Day assault on the Merville Battery for which he was "mentioned in dispatches" what does that mean?) receiving a commission & finally working at the MOD offices in Harrogate in the mid 1950's.
Between us, my brother & I have his service number from Military Identity Card & Certificate & his medals & miniatures, but not a comprehensive transcript of the wheres & whens, which would answer so many questions for us.
The MoD site seems very contemporary; is the Subject Access Requisition Form the way forward?
I would be much obliged to receive assistance from those in the know!!!!
Vic
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Hi Vic
Yes, the MoD is the only way to obtain service records of those who served post WW1 at present:
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/service_records/service_records.html
Casalguidi
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Thanks Casalguidi,
Do you happen to know if the requirement of a death certificate is rigidly enforced when making an SAR application? My father died in 1974, neither I or my brother have his death certificate- if it is rigidly applied, then I obviously have to apply for it before sending off the SAR form!
Vic
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nt, (taking part in the D-Day assault on the Merville Battery for which he was "mentioned in dispatches" what does that mean?)
the attack on the merville battery was a major factor in the success of D day, your father's MID meant he played a significant part in it.
mentioned in dispatches, means that his actions were reported back to higher command in detail, and a clasp to his medals...
if i had a hat..i'd tip it ;) he was obviously a very brave man, you should be very proud of him :)
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Thanks Harribobs
I am indeed proud. My brother & I found some years ago that his exploits re. Merville had been written about in one book and repeated more recently in another!
Like many armed service personnel, he found it very difficult to describe to his children what he was called upon to do, and although we have some very basic information, Army records are probably the best bet to get a much clearer picture of such a long & widespread career.
Vic
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get that DC and apply for his records
you'll never really know what he went though...but it should tell you a lot
please let us know how you go on.. ;)
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a copy of his marriage cert is enough,but if you have his service number and regt,send those as well it will speed things up,mack
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the 9th battalion was tasked with taking out the merville battery,it was formed in dec 1942 from the 10th battalion essex regt,commanded by Lt /colonel otway,took off on 4th june 1944 [evening]mack
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Thanks Harribobs & Mack,
Sorry, what is DC, Harribob?
Just looking at one of the books he was mentioned in - In This Sign Conquer by Sir John Smythe VC, which is a study of the role of Army Chaplains- it quotes Rev J Gwinnett MC, who was at the time Senior Chaplain to the Forces, King's Chapel, Gibralter, Gwinnett was with 9th Battalion from its formation to the end of the war, completing every aspect of their training. He writes:
'Shall I ever forget linking up with CSMI Bill Harold, who had jumped with two others ahead of us to do a recce of the battery. His parting crack to me when he left Broadwell was:"See you on the other side, Padre, I'll have a cup of tea waiting for you!"
'It was some eighteen hours later that I found him near the Battery with a couple of dozen wounded; they were being looked after by one of our medical orderlies and a German. Bill Harold had been shot through both arms and hands; we were leading some of the wounded in a captured vehicle when he came towards me muttering, "Your tea, Padre." He was holding a mess tin in his teeth. Unashamedly the tears came into my eyes.'
Vic
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the advance party of the 9th battalion had dropped on DZ.V withoutencountering any problems and reached the battalions rendevous point without mishap,major allen parry who was in command of the group along with his men,set out the lights marking the companys locations,while major george smith and CSMs harold and miller made their way to their objective,the merville battery,which was about a mile away.
after skirting the northern edge of the village of gonneville,Lt colonel otway and his men made their way to a crossroads where they met major george smith,he and his two warrant officers harold and miller had cut a gap in the barbed wire fence,and made their way through a minefield to an inner fence,where they managed to locate some enemy positions,65 men were killed,wounded or missing in the assault on the battery,mack
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Yes Mack - that was Dad!
Harribob - I had a "senior moment"!! DC equals Death Certificate right ? Derrrrr!!!!
Thanks both,
Vic
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my personal opinion of your dad is that he should have received an higher award,he more than earned it,mack
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Yes Mack - that was Dad!
Harribob - I had a "senior moment"!! DC equals Death Certificate right ? Derrrrr!!!!
Thanks both,
Vic
yes it is...
opps sorry Vic, i had one too and thought i'd replied! 8)
btw i agree with mack!