Genealogy Chat

Where will I look for peronal records of a person who died while serving with the RAF in WW2? Also trying to find peronal records of my uncle whose regiment was the royal artillery during WW2? Thanks Janet.

Officers or Soldiers whose regular or reserve service ended between 1921 and 1997 Army Personnel Centre HQ Secretariat Historical Disclosures Mail Point 400 Kentigern House 65 Brown Street Glasgow G2 8EX Tel: 0845 600 9663, option 1, then option 3 Officers and Soldiers of the Foot Guards Regiments Regimental Headquarters The ******* Guards Wellington Barracks Birdcage Walk London SW1E 6HQ for deaths try, http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14 you need to be next of kin or get the consent of next of kin to obtain records from the arm for that time period. not sure about RAF also try a search on the national archives site http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/quick_search.aspx?javascriptenabled=True&searchtext= Roy

You send off for the RAFS records at Gloucester, Ill check the addy in a sec. You are sent a form which you have to complete and return with £30 search fee - you pay that whether they find anything or not. I think its the same amount for the army. You have to certify you are next of kin of the person you are enquiring about and that he is deceased. Enquiries about officers' records of service: PMA (CS)2a (2)a (RAF), Building 248, HQ RAF Personnel & Training Command, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1EZ Enquiries about airmen's records of service: PMA (CS) 2a (2)b (RAF), Building 248, HQ RAF Personnel & Training Command, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1EZ For records of decorations and citations: MOD Medal Office , Building 250, AFPAA, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1EZ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have just received my grandfathers WW2 information from the RAF - what there was of it! I received 2 A3 photocopied pages with very brief personal information (height, chest size, hair / eye / complexion colour etc) and next of kin details. It also said that he had been in hospital a couple of times, the training courses he had been on and his progression through the ranks. The RAF said that little else still existed after all this time. My grandfather was in the ground rescue crew (a fireman) though and never left England - you may get more information if your relation served abroad, but that is only a guess! Still waiting on information about my other grandad in the army who went all over the place, so can't say what they provide... Cheryl

Many thanks Roy, Heather and Cheryl.

If he was a Bomber Command casualty, I have a set of books which gives details of all (theoretically) aircraft lost on operations 1939-1945 with crew names, how and where lost and so on. Contact me with the date of loss if you want a look-up.

Forgot to mention this in my previous message, but I found the death certificates of some relatives who were killed when serving in the forces abroad and ordered them from the GRO as normal. I found them on www*findmypast*com (replace * with .) - they have a section for searching for deaths of british subjects abroad, click on the births, marriages and deaths link. Cheryl