Advice on tracing grandfathers military

[Katesmallwood861]

Hello

I have been trying to find out what role my grandad played during his time in the military in WW2. In particular what happened to his regiment during D-Day.

I cannot find anything about him on any of the genealogy sites.

I know very little about him just that he served with the royal engineers during WW2.

His name was Ronald N Richardson born in 1918 in Greenock Scotland.

Would be have been in a Scottish regiment?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Kate

[KGarrad]

You won't find anything online

Records for personnel serving after 1920 are still with the MOD.
To apply for his service records, see here:

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

There will be a fee of £30.

[Katesmallwood861]

Thank you! I don’t mind paying as it’s my grandad....

[rosie99]

The form does ask for a service number but this is not required.   

[MaxD]

Beat me to it Rosie.  I wonder whether it might be worth when we advise folk how to get WW2 records adding a short sentence about the service number anyway.

MaxD

[rosie99]

I will certainly try to remember to add it in future when I post the link.    They do still need date of birth and death certificate though don't they 

[MaxD]

Yes indeed, it is the fact that the intro says the service number is needed which throws folk, the either/or only comes when you get to the form itself.

MaxD

[rosie99]

Thank you Max, it is a while since we applied for Mums and Dads records, Mum was still with us so the application was done by her 

[RRTB]

Having applied for my own father's records (well, Mum did so it was free!) I remember putting as much detail as I could into the form. I have a vague recollection that it was suggested to me I did this because although not a lot is actually required (service number, for example), the more information you put the better as it helps the folks at the MoD to be sure they have found the right person's records.

I was in the fortunate position of having more information than the form required, but what had confused me and led me to putting as much as I did was that my father had two army numbers: an 8-digit one and a 6-digit one. I have since learned that the former was for "other ranks" and the latter was awarded once he was commissioned. I was basically afraid that if I put the 'wrong' one the MoD wouldn't find his records, so I put both and also a fair amount of regimental info as well, as he was involved with LAA in Northern Ireland, then 145 Fd Regt RA in the Far East and finally 178 Fd Regt RA in Java post war.

RRTB