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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: redduck26 on Friday 30 December 16 23:38 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I'm hoping that someone can point me in the right direction. I am trying to obtain RAF WWII service records for my Father and I need to find out his service number. Has anyone any idea if it is possible to find the number anywhere online. I have spent some time going round in circles but still cant find any help. Thank you :)
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Go to the National archives website and have a look at the free digital microfilm AIR 78
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C2132
Regards
mark
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I hope he wasn't called John Smith !
If you want to apply for his service records sometimes this is possible by referencing a persons national registration Index Number or National Insurance Number. Have you looked for him on the 1939 national registration Index - I am assuming he wasn't serving in 1939. If he was serving in 1939 often a pre-war absent voters list may be useful, assuming he was of voting age. If you find his number I can probably give you an idea of when he joined up, roughly
Regards
Mark
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Welcome to rootschat redduck. :)
You will not find his service number online.
You do not need a service number or National Insurance number to apply for WW2 service records. His name and date of birth is sufficient (and perhaps place of birth).
Links to the appropriate forms and details of information required to apply:
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records
You will need his death certificate if he is deceased, as well as £30. :) If his wife is still living she can apply and there is no cost involved.
Another way to obtain a service number is by contacting Imjin Barracks and enquring about his medal entitlement. Their reply usually contains the person's service number:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-medal-or-veterans-badge/apply-for-a-medal
However this is not necessary in order to obtain service records.
Good luck.
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Dear Ruskie
I have already said that Airman's numbers can be found on the TNA website. So your contradiction is incorrect.
If the persons name is revealed it may be possible for me to give the service number if the person knows the father's date of birth. As to applying for records it is always best to provide as much info as possible. A common name can lead to all sorts of difficulties with applications. Whilst medals were issued for home service for WW2 as well as overseas service, it does not follow that because someone served that they met the qualification criteria for a medal. So applying to a medal office without more qualifying data is fraught with difficulty. Potentially one can find the service number online.
Regards
Mark
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Redduck
Please state his full name
Place of Birth
Where he lived say 1939-45
and his date of birth
I will see if I can help
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Mark, the TNA website is a tricky one. Not for the faint hearted. ;D I have managed to try a test search of a common name and, looking at the images, what is shown are photos of hundreds of typed sheets of paper indexed alphabetically by surname and forename. Information on each record is minimal and varies, but all have a name and service number, only some have dobs etc. and if there are several men with the same name there is no obvious way to see which is the serviceman you are looking for .... or, have I missed something? :-\
If the OP is simply looking for service records, which it seems they are, then it is not necessary to supply the service number on the application. It is easier to request that the MOD search for the name and cross check with dob, pob and any other information that the OP can supply.
It might be useful if you could provide links to online service numbers for those who served in WW2 if you are aware of such lists, as this is a question which is often asked here on rootschat, and I'm sure it would be something of great interest which would be "stickied" for others to use.
My suggestion of contacting Imjin was just that - a suggestion, and another possible way to obtain a service number, whilst also checking medal entitlement (if any), and checking to see if, when and where any medals were sent. Some men did not claim their medals and descendants may wish to do so. It can all add to the big picture.
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Thank you Ruskie. Lets see if Redduck responds and I will see what I can do.
Regards
Mark
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I would just like to say a big thank you to Mark G for finding both my parents service numbers which I have been searching for years and he did it in minutes. Now I am going to apply for their records with his help. So if there is anyone else out there looking, Mark's your man. What a wonderful start to the New Year. :)
Ellen
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My experience of applying for RAF records without a service number is that it can be difficult if the subject has a common name. One example is that of a Flt Sgt John Robinson. We had rank, date and place of birth but two approaches were unsuccessful. Two years later his service number came to light in the address book of a deceased relative and we applied again, this time successfully.
Imber
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A good result Imber. :).
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Thank you for all your advice.......I have tried finding him on the 1939 register but to no avail. I can only presume that was because he was serving. I know for definite he was serving during WWII but have no idea of the exact dates. His name was William Redford, DOB 17.05.1920. He was born in Bermondsey in London. I have tried numerous sites but am new to family history so am still finding my way. My main reason for this is because he never "bothered" (his words) to pick up his medal/s. Its only as you get older that things like this become more important and you realise you should have asked the questions when you were younger!!!!
I dont know if this will help but I know he served in Palestine and I think I remember him saying he was Leading Aircraftsman.
I am very grateful for all your help and pointers and as I have other members of the family that were in the military then in future I know which direction to go in. :)
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This thread appears to have conflated two related but separate issues. One is finding an airman's (in this case) service number and the other is obtaining a post 1920 service record.
While there may be the odd case like Imber's of more than one attempt, even with lots of details, to obtain a record, the lack of a service number should not inhibit one from applying with the details you have.
The National Archives files referred to do indeed provide some information but, as Ruskie has observed, detail is scant and a common name will provide a myriad of possibilities.
Searching the relevant document AIR/78/132 for William Redford, throws up, with their service numbers:
WK Redford
WC ...
William.....
William James...(2 of them)
William Albert Hector.
William Edmund...
Redduck26 - do you think you can be sure which is your man? If not, I would suggest you go ahead and apply for his records anyway as Ruskie has already advised. Quoting the wrong number that the disclosures people will then not be able to match to the date of birth leaves you no better off. Whether you could quote them all as possibilities - don't know.
Alternatively, perhaps Mark G will come back to the thread with the number now you have posted the name and date of birth you will have the success that Ellen reports?
maxD
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An update of the progress of this search I'm sure would be welcome. Threads can tend to "go off the boil" if they are left too long with no responses. It is a shame that Mark and redduck (though online today) have not returned to this thread.
I am interested to know if any of the William Redfords on the list supplied by Max seem likely?
After being lauded by Ellen I was looking forward to Mark sharing his searching technique with us, so let's hope he returns soon. :)
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Thanks, Mark G. Just followed the link you gave and found a bunch of 'Whannells'
There aren't that many in the world so at least one of them must be from my family. Thanks again.
Regards
Chas
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Thanks, Mark G. Just followed the link you gave and found a bunch of 'Whannells'
There aren't that many in the world so at least one of them must be from my family. Thanks again.
Regards
Chas
You're lucky to have such an unusual name. I just checked for one of my RAF men and there were 126 results. As I was scrolling through the pages looking for the right letter I noticed some with just initials. ::)
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Can i jump in here and ask a possibly related question.
Question: If someone was a civilian before WWII but during the war went to Egypt to help build airfields would they have a war number, possibly a RAF service number?
(I don't know in what capacity they went to Egypt i.e as a civilian or as an armed service member)
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Can i jump in here and ask a possibly related question.
Question: If someone was a civilian before WWII but during the war went to Egypt to help build airfields would they have a war number, possibly a RAF service number?
(I don't know in what capacity they went to Egypt i.e as a civilian or as an armed service member)
Civilians were never given a Service Number. They might very well have a payroll number from the people who employed them (might be the Air Ministry or War Office), but once the employment stopped any paperwork would soon be destroyed.
Regards
Chas
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Thank you.