RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Cragside on Monday 26 February 18 19:49 GMT (UK)
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Here’s a heartfelt plea to anyone who has access to ww11 military records. I’m looking for Alfred Benjamin Blakesley dob 17/08/17 who served royal fusiliers then royal signals. Any help gratefully received.
Thanks.
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Post 1920 documents are still with MOD but can be obtained it does cost £30 and you could have to wait for several months. Here's a link for you
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
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I applied for some last year and it took about 7 weeks for them to arrive.
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Thanks for the replies folks. Much appreciated.
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Sorry to jump onto this post, but I'm hoping someone can advise me.
My grandfather (Francis 'Frank' John Langmaid, born 27 Dec 1914) served in the Royal Signals in WW2, we used to have his medals but they have now gone (long story); we know he served in Malaysia. I have no idea what rank he was. Both my grandmother and my father have also died (my step-mother is alive as is my birth mother), so I'm guessing that myself and my brother would be considered the next of kin now? Is that right?
I'd really like to know more about my grandfathers military history, as there seems to be speculation that his war record is not online (via ancestry.com military history records) because he was in the SOE? Whenever we asked my grandfather about fighting in the war, he would flatly refuse to talk about it joking that he ran the other way - which he clearly didn't as he had the night terrors and medals to prove it.
Any advice offered is much appreciated.
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Post 1920 documents are still with MOD but can be obtained, it does cost £30 and you could have to wait for several months. Here's a link for you
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
All you had to do was read this thread the same info as before.
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Welcome to rootschat susieloo.
Yes, you and your brother would be considered nok and can apply for your grandfather's service records using the link provided by medpat.
Good luck.
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I have ordered two sets of military papers in the past year, and both of them arrived within about four weeks.
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In terms of post-1920 Service Records from MOD, Next-of-kin only comes into play if the person concerned died within the last 25 years.
In which case permission has to be obtained from NOK to see them.
The only people exempt from the £30 fee are the surviving spouse or partner.
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In terms of post-1920 Service Records from MOD, Next-of-kin only comes into play if the person concerned died within the last 25 years.
In which case permission has to be obtained from NOK to see them.
The only people exempt from the £30 fee are the surviving spouse or partner.
Good point - I always forget about that. :) In this case though Susieloo and her brother would be considered NOK would they not, considering both her grandmother and her father are deceased,
(unless there are siblings of her father still living)?
You can still apply even if you are not considered NOK but I believe you only receive a partial service record.
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Ruskie,
That only applies if the serviceman or woman has died within the last 25 years.
If they died longer ago, there are no restrictions!
I have successfully applied, on other's behalf, for Army, Navy and Air Force service records, even though I had no relationship to the deceased.
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Medpat - I had read the whole thread, but wasn't sure if my step-mother would have been considered the next of kin rather than myself or my brother. My father was an only child, but my grandfather wasn't (although I'm not in contact with that part of the family). Was just looking for reassurance more than anything else.
Thank you Ruskie, I'll pop my application in the post to them tomorrow and hope that I'm successful in finding out more about my grandfather. Fingers crossed I'll be able to commemorate him and the battles he fought in, properly, later this year. Thanks (feeling quite hopeful now!).
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Let us know how you get on susieloo.
There used to be a long wait for records but as others have said, the wait is a lot shorter these days. A few years ago I waited a year almost to the day for my father in law's records.
With his application I included "extra" proof of relationships such as birth certificates just to ensure they believed the NOK was the NOK. :)
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Sorry if this sounds a bit gormless but does the same apply to RAF records for WW2? My late father was air crew, North Africa and then Italy, but due to some major family snafu any information such as his flight logs has been disposed of. Family lore has it that he actually returned his medals but I can't be sure how true that actually is, just that I never saw them. Hopefully I can send for his records on Mum's behalf?
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information follows on from the same link as given above:
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records
Debra :)
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Cheers Debra! Things sent for in Mum's name can be a bit tricky, thank you Mr Alzheimer, but we will get there ;D
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I applied for both of my parents records when my mother was still alive but suffering with dementia. I applied in her name and signed on her behalf.
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That's pretty much what I did to get my brother's Stillbirth Cert last year. Just need to lay my paws on a copy of Dad's death cert, but I know who has that box of papers.