Tracing Relatives who were in the Military

[Where R We?]

I have been asked by one of the civilian project staff in the office how she should go about tracing a relative who served in the Second World War.

Any helpful links?

Thanks, WRW?

[sirsaltyhelmet]

Military records are held at Kew

Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, England.

[Brian Dixon]

Can you get some more information?
Which branch of the service? Did they survive the War? Awarded any medals that would have been Gazetted?

[A2QFI]

If they are dead, and buried in a military cemetery, you will be able to find details at

www.cwgc.org

If they are alive and drawing a pension you should be able to get details from the Admin HQ of their particular Service. If you want details of RAF contacts please PM me.

[foldingwings]

You can search the London Gazette for military (officer) details of commissioning, promotion, medals, awards of gallantry etc

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/supplementView.asp?webType=0

FW

[country calls]

As somebody who has struggled manfully with family history for five years now, and once hit a huge brickwall regarding a member of my own family who served in WW2. May I be so bold as to offer the following advice:

Get a fresh sheet of A4 and write down everything you know about the relative, then visit other relatives and write down what they know too. Collate the information and only use those bits which can be confirmed.

Research the person then the career. So try to find out when and where the person was born and if they died when and where. If as previously posted the relative died in combat and is buried in a foreign field, the Commonwealth War Graves Commision site is absolutely invaluable. If they died after the war any information you can glean is vital.

The worst case could be that you have a name and the closest to a date is 'Sometime in the 1950s'. There are websites which will enable you to search the Gerneral Records Office Index (which lists every birth, death and matrriage in the UK since 1837) but if your details are scant you could end up spending a lot of money on websearches. Better to go to the nearest Main Library and see if they have the index on microfiche. Searching is quite laborious if you have little to start on, but you should be able to narrow your search down to the year and quarter if you have a name, approximate year of death and location. Then its a case of applying to the GRO for the relevant certificate using the unique GRO code found in the index.

With a death certificate you will have a date of birth and last known address (which could be helpful for enquiries with the pensions agency or if you want a copy of any will left) you then need to use this information to contact the relevant service's Personnel centre for a copy of the record of service. They will only issue copies to the legal next of kin though, so if this isn't you get written permission from them.

The only other tips I can offer, are to keep meticulous records, always try to confirm you information from as many different sources as possible, and be prepared to get sucked into a very very absorbing and time consuming pastime which will take you to the end of your tether but is fascinating beyond belief (especially when you dig some juicy dirt about a family member!)

I solved my problem using Genes Reunited after hours of search. Again this is a very useful site, but do not post any details of living people without their permission and be very careful about using the site as a definitive tool.

Always confirm your information!

Please PM me for any assistance

CC

[Where R We?]

Thanks, I have forwarded on this link but there are a couple more details.

They are not sure if he is dead or alive but they know he was called Paul Spears/Speers and was at Netheravon during March '53 doing his national service in the RAF. They have guessed his age to be between 20 and 23 so a DOB of 1930-1933.

Hopefully the RAF records office can help, A2QFI if you can PM me those details I will pass them on.

Regards

[Pontius Navigator]

In my case I knew the name and approximate date for MIA. I contacted the AHB who came back with a potted history including the fact that there had been no enemy action that night.

I now knew he had been on 29 Sqn and, true to form, the Sqn still had the F540/541. Equally true to form, as they were 'Secret' they let me read them but not photocopy them.

I then found my uncle had flown just 6-7 night fighter patrols, never been vectored to an intercept, and simply was lost contact over the North Foreland.

I then contacted PMC (PMA now) and they had an address for the widow which was old and she was not drawing a pension. le fin.

[blue up]

I'm going through the same thing. Be prepared to find out things you didn't know!! Some good, some not so good. Have discovered that my "stayed at home" grandfather actually payed 3 visits to France during the occupation and was the first Welshman on French soil on D-Day. He also machine-gunned a load of Germans as they tried to counter-attack during an op in Holland on a radar station. His records say Army Air Corps but we now know he was 2 SAS

As each day goes by there are fewer people left who have the info needed to fill in the gaps. If you have the time, hit the internet hard and visit Kew as much as posible. Some of these guys are still about but fading as time goes by. Take a "sick day" if you need it but get the info now or you may regret it later.

[Pontius Navigator]

Blue, very true. You remind me of 2 survivors from a naval sinking in 1943. By the time they were back on duty the navy was in run-down and they were not required. One, a marine, was drafted to Naval Party 22, an Ian Flemming creation. Like the SAS they operated largely on their own, usually in no-mans land but often on the wrong side of it. It was normal for them to enter Army HQ before the front line troops had fallen back.

The other, out of the frying pan was remustered and joined the parachute regiment in time for Arnhem. He is about 5 foot nothing in his trainers (bad feet) and at the age of 80, was mugged. At least that was the intention. He laid his 6 foot assilant out flat with the back of his hand.

Great stories every one and they never told their children. Only now are grandchildren able to tease it out of them.

[Whirlygig]

Military records are held at Kew

Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, England.

I used this route to trace my Great Uncle's RAF record during WWII. I needed to have a letter signed by Next-of-Kin (his wife, my Great Aunt, was still alive then) and a beautiful A3 colour copy was delivered within a few weeks.

It gave me enough information to start tracing further but the TLAs and jargon used had to be deciphered by my Father-In-Law to really work out what he'd done (which involved going behind enemy lines and being demoted!).

Cheers

Whirls

[4Greens]

It is well worth calling in personally at Kew. The staff are very helpfull and will point you in the right direction. You can get there on public transport.