Army Records - help please!!

[Vic Emb]

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




 

[casalguidi]

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

[Vic Emb]

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

[harribobs]

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 

[Vic Emb]

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

[harribobs]

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..

[manchester regt]

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

[manchester regt]

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

[Vic Emb]

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