Is it worth applying for WW2 records?

[Jennyo]

My mother and father did not stay together for long and although I visited him as a child, I had no concept at the time about his war service.  We have some photographs (dad seated on right in attachment) and Mum believes he was in India.  I have applied for his death certificate copy and contemplating applying to the MOD for his records but at £30, what will I get, is it worth it?  I feel that I know very little about Dad but ironically have his fathers records for WW1.  Dad died in 1998 and there are no family members to give me the information but it feels like our family history has a hole in it without this information.

I would appreciate your thoughts on what I will get in the records

[MaxD]

Yes you should otherwise the hole in your family history as you so neatly put it will nag you forever!
 The records should tell you which regiment he was in, what his trade was perhaps, where he went and when and maybe his medical history while in service.  From the bare record you could go further and, for example, if he was in India with xyz regiment, you could research the record of that regiment in the war to give an idea of what he was doing.

Just to anticipate a possible question - you don't need his service number, birth date is OK and death cert is a must.  Good luck, go for it.

maxD

[Jennyo]

Thank you MaxD

This family tree has proved to be an expensive hobby obtaining certificates to verify so many.  I guess another few £'s are going to be the only way I can close the project off

[philipsearching]

Thank you MaxD

This family tree has proved to be an expensive hobby obtaining certificates to verify so many.  I guess another few £'s are going to be the only way I can close the project off

Expensive - yes, but cheaper than many hobbies.

Once you get back to the nineteenth century, searching parish register transcripts is often free and some sites (such as family search) have images of registers which arte downloadable.

[RRTB]

Jennyo, it is one of the most worthwhile uses of £30 plus cost of death certificate! I learnt a lot about my own father's war through his records; he hadn't spoken much about his experiences except for the more lighthearted elements, so to be able to track him across the world from Northern Ireland to Malaya and Java via India etc was rewarding and enlightening.

Also included along with the actual service record were his attestation papers, his training record both as a Royal Artillery gunner and then to Officer Cadet Training Unit to become a commissioned officer, his soldier's and officer's service books and other bits and pieces, so it's a definite "yes, it's worth getting your Dad's records" from me.

RRTB

[Skoyen89]

Go for it.....   It may well open up many other doors as Max said.

[Jennyo]

thank you everyone.  I have ordered his death certificate and will fill in the MOD form as soon as I have it. 

Although we were not close, it seems odd to know so much about families from 200 years ago and nothing about someone in your own lifetime

[Brewins girl]

I am doing some research into a relative's wartime military history and obtained his records.  They have been invaluable, although some bits difficult to understand, and I have the advantage of having some contemporary letters to help me too understand them. Having said that, I have found this forum and his regimental museum extremely helpful and I intend to obtain both my father and my grandfather's records when finances allow. Go for it - you'll never know unless you get them, but be warned - it can become addictive!!

[Jennyo]

I am doing some research into a relative's wartime military history and obtained his records.  They have been invaluable, although some bits difficult to understand, and I have the advantage of having some contemporary letters to help me too understand them. Having said that, I have found this forum and his regimental museum extremely helpful and I intend to obtain both my father and my grandfather's records when finances allow. Go for it - you'll never know unless you get them, but be warned - it can become addictive!!

It is addictive isn't it, I had a lot of help from the Worcestershire regiment for 2 great uncles who died together in WW1.  They did quite a lot to fill in the gaps in what I already knew.  Sadly their records were lost  and one brother didn't get his death penny either due to an admin error.