Accessing military records from WWII

[SandraC]

How do I (or my Dad) get access to my Granddad's military records?  He was a Private in RASC? in WWII in India & Burma, driving articulated lorries / trucks & teaching Indian & Burmese soldiers to drive.

Also, when my Gran had dementia she tore up all the old photos - how can I get a photo of either my Granddad in his uniform (on his records?) or another soldier in Burma in WWII for my Dad to frame with the medals.

Thanks for any help, my Dad is feeling his age & wants to do this for his own grandchildren to remember his Dad by before it's too late.

Sandra C

[Plummiegirl]

You apply to Army Personnel Centre, MS Support Division, Mail Point 555, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow  G2 8EX

You have to prove your father & grandfather are both dead and that you are the next of kin (for my father I provided a copy of his death cert and my birth and marriage certificates).  It costs £30.00 and there is about an 8 month waiting list.  This wait can sometimes be less depending on how many requests there are, they also deal with requests for current serving soldiers and the more recent record requests take precedence.

The information contained therein is mainly entry papers, medical examination papers & discharge papers and obviously which unit or units they served in.  It will not tell you where they served.  This information is kept in the Regimental Diaries which can be in 1 of 3 places; The National Archives, The Imperial War Museum or still held within the Regimental Archives.  And it is the diaries which will give you a great deal of information on where they served, what battles their unit will have fought in and if you are very lucky they may even be mentioned personally in the diaries.

Hope this helps in some way.

EDIT:  Ruskie - without providing my birth certificate how would I prove I was his daughter?

[Ruskie]

Plummie, Is it necessary to suppy your own b/c to obtain service records? I thought you only had to supply the soldier's d/c? I'm just about to begin this process myself and am most interested in the war diaries, though I think I might need the service records first, to obtain all the appropriate unit numbers etc. Or can you obtain regimental records without these details?

Of the three places that the diaries are held, how do you know which will hold yours? Or are there 3 copies of the diaries, with one in each of the places above?

Sandra, if you would be content with a photo of any soldier, there will be loads online - just try google images. If I were you I wouldn't include a photo of a stranger with your grandad's medals, but you may be able to find photos of the uniform ....  Are there any other family members who may have kept a photo of your grandad which you could take a copy of? Siblings? Children? Nephews or nieces?

The appropriate forms for obtaining service records are online:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/09es/
 

[Ruskie]

I'm just about to begin this process myself and am most interested in the war diaries, though I think I might need the service records first, to obtain all the appropriate unit numbers etc. Or can you obtain regimental records without these details?

Of the three places that the diaries are held, how do you know which will hold yours? Or are there 3 copies of the diaries, with one in each of the places above?

I think I found the answer to this fro the WDYTYA website:

All Army Units kept a War Diary, recording their daily activities, invaluable for finding records of movements, training and fighting a relative took part in. Diaries are at TNA, held by ‘theatre’. If a unit served in France in 1939, then in Britain after Dunkirk, later in North Africa and in France after D-Day, you’ll have to search several theatres to get the whole history. Diaries may include maps, orders, intelligence, lists of men attached from other units or away on detachment and notes on operations.
 
Unlike First World War War Diaries, some of which are online, all those for the Second World War still have to be viewed as original documents at TNA. By diligently following the diaries, it’s possible to build a good picture of your relative’s career.
 
To help you search for a particular diary there’s a list of war theatres in TNA’s online research guide entitled ‘Second World War: British Army Operations 1939-1945’ at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=161. Service records and War Diaries provide a firm foundation for your research and suggest avenues to investigate your Second World War Army ancestors further. The discoveries, and hard work, have only begun!

[SandraC]

Many thanks for all the help!

I filled in the forms & my Dad has sent them off so now we wait & see.

We might try some Photoshop as my other Granddad was in the same area of Burma / India & from the same bit of Manchester originally so we might try to swap heads!  Only problem was Granddad H was RSM & Granddad P was a Private 

Regards
Sandra C

[mmm45]

Sandra the torn up photos do you still have them?
There are people on RC that have amazing software that can "heal" lots of tears etc

Ady

[Hunter70]

  Majorly happy I've joined this forum...first browse and I found exactly what I wanted!!!! Ruskie and Plummiegirl, thank you both for the links and info.

xxx

[Ruskie]

Welcome to rootschat Hunter! 

Rootschat is wonderful. It's very rare that a query isn't resloved by the helpful people who frequent the boards.

If you need help or advise with anything, don't hesitate to ask.

[SandraC]

Hi All

My Dad has had a reply to his application saying that unless he can provide both Granddad's service number and rank, then they feel the chances of finding his records are very slim & they have offered to send his cheque back.

He's trying again with my Aunts to see if they remember anything or there are any papers that my Gran didn't tear up or throw away that might help but he is rather disappointed.

Thanks for all the help

SandraC