Genealogy Chat

I'm interested in what records are available for ancestors who served in the armed forces. In Australia we can apply through the National Archives and this has proven useful in the past.

What about in the UK?

My Great Grandfather Thomas LYONS (1910-1985) was a POW at Stalag 18A in Wolfsberg during WW2, and I'm wondering if records are available for his time in the forces or after his release?

Does anyone have any advice?

Try this page for info:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/ServiceRecords/

Apparently it does take a very long time for the information to be found and sent to you though.

Is this your G Grandfather

P.O.W.
T. Lyons Army no. 1474247
Regiment. Royal Artillery
P.O.W no. 6798
Camp type Stalag
Camp no. XV111-A
Camp Location Wolfsberg Austria
Record Office Royal Artillery (Light anti-aircraft) Record Office Ibex House The Minories, London EC3
Record Office number 6


Sylvia

Thanks Kucinta. I'll check that link out.

Yes Sylvia I believe that is him. That's the personnel number that I have too. It's a bummer none of these records are available online. The Australian Archives have some available.

I guess I'm in for a wait then.

Thanks.

Only the proven next of kin can apply for a man's service records, and they cost £30.00

According to that website Reggie that's not true. If the person is deceased and you show a death certificate you don't need next of kin approval.

There are stipulations about release of info......viz:

Under the scheme, and in recognition of the duty of care owed to the family of the deceased subject, for a period of 25 years following the date of death of the subject and without the consent of the Next of Kin, MOD will disclose only: surname; forename; rank; service number; regiment/corps; place of birth; age; date of birth; date of death where this occurred in service; the date an individual joined the service; the date of leaving; good conduct medals (i.e. Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GCM)), any orders of chivalry and gallantry medals (decorations of valour) awarded, some of which may have been announced in the London Gazette.

After this period, and if it is held, in addition MOD will disclose without the requirement for Next of Kin consent: the units in which he/she served; the dates of this service and the locations of those units; the ranks in which the service was carried out and details of WWII campaign medals.

Luckily for me he died 27 years ago.

Wow that sounded horrible. I would much rather he lived so I could have met him and got to know him of course, but you know what I mean!

He may have completed a POW questionnaire after his release. If so, this will be at the National Archives. Not online though - you'd have to go there or get someone to go for you.

Thanks Ann.

I just found out from my Dad's cousin, that Thomas' wife was a hoarder! She has kept every postcard, letter, diary, everything from Thomas while he was a POW.

I just have to get to Liverpool to collect them!

I wanted to get my father's service records.

This was some years ago, so I can't recall the full details.

I needed death certificate, and forms signed by next of kin.

Was advised that I wasn't next of kin.

I was living in Europe at the time, I had to get forms, send them to Australia to get my mother to sign them, she returned them to me, I wrote a covering letter & sent forms and death cert to UK.

Even though my parents had been divorced for at least 15 years, my mother was still considered next of kin.

Bit of a rigmarole.

Yes, for this purpose only the spouse is considered 'next of kin' and if alive, must apply in person or give their agreement to release to.

If nok is deceased you need to produce evidence of that too plus evidence of your own relationship to the subject, so it can involve sending copies of several certifictaes.....!

If nok is alive, no fee is payable, regardless of who the documents are sent to, otherwise if nok is deceased then a £30 fee applies.

I was also able to apply for my late fathers war medal as he had refused to collect it at the time.