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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: millymcb on Saturday 29 June 13 17:16 BST (UK)

Title: FAQ: Where are Service Records? 1920s onwards including WW2 (UK)
Post by: millymcb on Saturday 29 June 13 17:16 BST (UK)

FAQ: Find and apply for Service Records 1920s onwards including WW2

One of the most frequently asked questions on this board is about finding service records for service personnel in WW2.

Service records Post 1920s (exact year varies for different services see below) are not widely available to the general public but can be applied for from the MOD on an individual basis subject to restrictions on who you are and how long ago the person died.

Service people can apply for their own records by making a subject access request for their data: There is no fee. See here:
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

Others can apply for a deceased person's Information from records under the MOD Publication Scheme. This is for SOME information and subject to certain CONDITIONS being met eg:

who you are (spouse/deceased spouse, next of kin or their representative, not next of kin) 
when the person died (more or less than 25 years age)

HOW TO APPLY
See here for more specific information about how to apply and what records may be included. There is a fee of £30 (which may be waived for a former spouse/partner of deceased)
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
 

Applying for records has been known to require a certain amount of form filling and a long wait. What you receive varies depending on the individual circumstances and what is available.


WHAT IS AVAILABLE?.
Information held by MOD on Royal Navy (RN), Royal Marines (RM), British Army, Royal Air Force (RAF) service records and Home Guard records.

Royal Navy and Royal Marine Service records
The RN Disclosure Cell holds service records for Commissioned and non-commissioned officers (both RN and RM) from 1924 onwards. 

Please see the Royal Navy website http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/ for further details about other service records that are held by the National Archives.

British Army Service records
The Army Personnel Centre Historical Disclosures Section holds army service records for officers whose service ended after April 1922 and soldiers whose service ended after January 1921. 

RAF Service Records
The RAF Disclosures section holds service records for non-commissioned and commissioned RAF personnel dating back to 1920.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Air Historical Branch (AHB) is also the custodian of the RAF Casualty Files. These historical records include details of aircraft losses from 1940 to the present day Subject to certain conditions,  information in these files is available on request from members of the public under MOD’s publication scheme.

There is a lot more on applying for files and information and what is available including downloadable application forms at the MOD website:
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
 

Prisoners of War
This guide from the National Archives might help for Prisoners of War
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/prisoners-war-1939-1953.htm


General Information/research
For more general information, if you know the soldier's unit, then the Regimental Museum or the National Archives may hold some information, although these will be unlikely to contain any personal details.

This post is for general information only.

For specific HELP requests please start a new topic either on the main Armed Forces Board for pre and post WW2 queries, or the WW2 Board (for specific WW2 queries) ;D

Milly

Title: Re: FAQ: Where are Service Records? 1920s onwards including WW2 (UK)
Post by: sarah on Sunday 04 February 24 17:25 GMT (UK)

2024 New Update - The National Archives update on using the Second War Records

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTkVFYvUZYM

Title: Re: FAQ: Where are Service Records? 1920s onwards including WW2 (UK)
Post by: scrimnet on Friday 14 March 25 16:18 GMT (UK)

Another update

The National Archives/Ancestry/MOD have lost 34 Regiments and Corps worth ofWW2 Medal  Cards.
These lost records are a problem, as only those who applied for medals ir were issued them whilst still in service will be traceable.
Also, when the individual applied they are now deemed to have been 18 at time of application and as such address details are censored/redacted for the next 72 years. Thus, my father who applied in 1998 is now deemed to have been born in 1980!
They also claim to have the post 1920 and  records of the Corps of Army Music...odd as that corps wasn't founded until 1994
The are 32 miles of records to digitise and they are doing the army first, as its the largest amount.
For further information pse see my articles in Family Tree Magazine