Australian Navy Records

[gayenz]

Thank you Jamjar
I agree with those notices. There was a letter dated 2 years later (1987) written by the son requesting a Service record for his father. These records for both father and son were found digitised on NAA.
So it is quite possible that he is still alive.
Thank you for your interest
Gaye

[majm]

Re Ruskie's thoughts ... The funding for the NAA is from the Commonwealth and there's the usual annual 'efficiency' thingy in the federal budget so its reducing the funding, so less and less ongoing funding is available for the digitisation programs. 

The WWII AIF service records are not yet funded as a gift to the nation .... some Unit Associations have funded some files where they become aware of the death of a member. 

These comments passed to me today  from one of my ancient living rellies ... a retired Archivist, albeit via NSW Mitchell  (State)Library when it was also the NSW Archives,  then to NLA Canberra ... and he ought to join RChat... 

JM

[Ruskie]

Thanks JM.

There is no payment required to view any already digitised records though. To open any closed records there is a cost. I do not know if any proof of service person's death or proof of relationship is required to obtain service records. Would those then be digitised and put on the NAA site? Does anyone know?

It would also be interesting to know how many they have already 'done' and how many still need to be 'done'. I understand that there are budget restrictions/reductions.

[majm]

I feel sure that no one would object to this sidetrack re digitisation projects at the NAA...

http://www.naa.gov.au/information-management/digital-transition-and-digital-continuity/digital-continuity-2020/index.aspx

http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/a-z/researching-war-service.aspx

https://www.gouldgenealogy.com/2019/05/1-million-australian-wwii-records-to-be-digitised-and-free/   
About 80 per cent of the 1,062,000 WWII service records are yet to be digitised in the National Archives of Australia, and with next year marking the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, the government said that it wanted ‘to ensure Australians can remember and understand the service and sacrifice of those who came before us’.
The digitised records will be freely available to all Australians, and will provide a ‘comprehensive source of information’ for students, journalists, authors, academics and families interested in knowing about the services of the Australian Defence Force.

    

JM

[Ruskie]

Thanks JM. I will have a proper read of those links later when I have more time.

Noting that only 20% have been digitised so far, I have been very lucky to find as many as I have. 

I am sure digitisation if the records is not a priority, and a prime target for budget cuts. 

[sarah]

Sarah,

The trouble is, those records are no longer confidential, they are freely available for anyone to download from the National Archive of Australia.

That maybe so Jebber, But it is still against RootsChat rules to research and publish details on living folk.

Regards

Sarah

[Jebber]

If you read my second post on the subject Sarah, I was not advocating the right to publish names of the living on here, I was simply pointing out the differences in access to service records between Australia and  the  UK.

[majm]

If you read my second post on the subject Sarah, I was not advocating the right to publish names of the living on here, I was simply pointing out the differences in access to service records between Australia and  the  UK.

And

Sarah,

The trouble is, those records are no longer confidential, they are freely available for anyone to download from the National Archive of Australia.

Sorry Jebber,  but it seems to me that to download the service records you actually need to know that they have been digitised,  .... only 20% have been,  and mostly that has been funded by the  payment of fees by individuals to the NAA and as a direct consequence of that  payment the NAA's usual delivery method includes uploading to their website.

Then for anyone to find the individual file  you need to actually already know the individual name of the person ....

So the NAA system is carefully crafted to not provide a published digitised set of an individual's war service,  and it has collected a fee or been funded  for the digitisation ...  may I assure you that it can take about three months for the individual process from paying fee to accessing a file.  If you are applying for a file you need to be either the named person or confirm that that person is deceased.
 
I understand that the UK MOD has a process involving fees, and conditions to access their holdings too.  In Australia the ADF (Australian Defence Force)  uses the NAA to archive their historic holdings. 

So I cannot see where there is any conflict between RChat rules and the digitised records of the NAA....

I think what  was confuddling me are  the expressions 'the trouble is',  'no longer confidential' and 'freely available' ...

JM

[Jebber]

JM

“The trouble is” and “Freely available” meant that anyone can search for a record on the NAA website, and was reference to the fact that as a lot of the records are available, some people may not realise it is inappropriate to publish  the name on open websites.

Of course you would need to know the name to search for an individual file, but then  why would anyone look for unknown person, what would be the point?

The difference with the UK  MOD held records, only the person concerned can apply for  the records  of the living. Next of kin can apply for the records  of someone who died within the last 25 years, on production of a death certificate (unless they died in service). Anyone else is supposed to have the consent of the next of kin, although  I believe that can rule can be relaxed for other close kin.