Genealogy Chat

Hi, seeking advice, we wanted to order my mother in law's fathers army records, we have his roll number. the problem is that she never knew her father, her parents were married and divorced in very few years (early 1940s) and she was a baby when they parted. He died in 1984 (I have traced this through BMD) and we do not know if he has any further children or reles.

The Army Personnel Centre request identification of the official next if kin befiore releasing the records, would they consider our request?

Next step is to ring them direct.

Cheers Lynne

If he is named on your MIL birth certificate and can produce a copy,then this will quallify,,as a NOK,and has equal rights as another children he may have later had,,,

I think you might need a copy of his death certificate.
That might name another relative.
As a child of the serviceman though your mother in law could apply for his record.... or you could write the letter on her behalf and she sign it.

Gwyn

Oh yes Gwyn, I forget ,,,,proof of his death maybe required,

When I applied for my father's army records, I supplied his death certificate, my birth certificate and my marriage certificate.
The staff do not have the resources to check whether your mother-in-law is next of kin.

Just to add as long as your mother in law has him named as her father on her birth cert she should be able to apply for them. When I enquired about my grandfathers they said my father either had to apply as his eldest child or apply to have them released to me. They told me it had to be my father as his eldest child. If the eldest child is dead then the second child has to apply. If there are no other children it would then be my eldest sister as his first born grandchild.
I hope I've made sense!

Hi Lynne
I have requested my uncles army records , i sent his death cert and that is all , i didnt have to proove i was his next of kin , they take your word for it
Carol

Phew Carol, I was getting worried then because I have applied for my father's records, and all I remember being asked to send is a copy of his death certificate along with the kinship form. Was thinking I had missed something.
Just in for the long wait now!

They do indeed take your word for it, but if you made a false decleration, and then someone later complains, you could be in trouble. That said, looking at it sensibly, if you are a relative, and not after the info for sinister purpose, in the very unlikely event that ever happens anyway, they'd pobably look at it very leniantly or barely bother at all in taking it further, they just have to cover themselves under data protection etc.

Hi Lynne
I sent mine about 3months ago , they say it can take several months but after 2weeks i had a letter from them and they said because of a back log it would take about 5 months which is shorter than they say on the form , one things for sure we will get it before christmas ,i cant wait can you
Carol

I don't remember being asked for NI number. The forms that I had were downloaded from the internet - don't remember where from. They were actually filled in a year or so ago and only sent last week! (My mother was next of kin and she wasn't sure how to go about it.) I suppose it is possible the forms have changed, but I doubt if it is necessary to have everything they ask for, just helpful.