Military Chat

Hello. Iam trying to find the military records of my father in law during WW2.
I have a group photo of him in uniform. The plaque in front says.
133 course. Air gunners. 23 Squad 06/04/1944.
I have looked on several websites but have been unable to find any trace of him..
His name is Patrick Shiel. Born 7th Dec 1915 in Kilkelly Co Mayo Ireland.
He may have enlisted under Paddy/Pat and unfortunately the name Shiel has many variations of being spelt.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Regards
Angela

Records of RAF airmen who served after 1939, and of men whose service numbers were above 562875 are still with the RAF.

Records of RAF officers who served after 1922 are still with the RAF.

Look on the GOV.UK website to find out how to obtain service records

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service/apply-for-the-records-of-a-deceased-serviceperson

Apply through the MOD first as there is NO FEE

All the better if you know his Service number on your application

I have tried to find the service number for a "Patrick Shiel" on the below record

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4005928

AIR 78 - Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Department of the Air Member for Personnel: Index to Airmen and Airwomen
Reference: AIR 78/143
Description: Name Range: Shepherd, H - Simmonds, Douglas. (Described at item level)
Date: [1918-1975]
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

One match for a Patrick Joseph Shiel 1676301
No Date of Birth is recorded

Image on page 712

If you would like to read about 23 Squadron's flights/taskings/operations, register with the National Archives-it's free- once you have registered sign in and search for the following AIR records, which are FREE to download if you are SIGNED IN

No. 23 SQUADRON > Operations Record Books
*AIR 27/287 1925 June 1943 Dec
*AIR 27/288 1944 Jan. 1945 Sept.


No. 23 SQUADRON > Appendices
*AIR 27/289 1940 Jan 01 - 1945 Feb 28
* AIR 27/290 1944 Apr 01 - 1944 Sept 30
* AIR 27/291 1944 Oct 01 - 1945 Sept 30

Don’t expect too much from the record, if you get it.

I sent for my late husband's WW2 RAF service record and it is very short on detail.

Luckily, I knew where he had served and was able to tie in known locations with the codes they used on the record.

Thank you for all your replies. If possible we want to find out his rank, where he served and when he was retired from the airforce

If my husband's records are anything to go by, there are NO service locations on them, as I intimated in my earlier post

Thank you for all your replies. They are very helpful. We're trying to find out where he was based and when he retired from the airforce.

Patrick Joseph Shiel, suggested earlier, isn't the right person.

Your father-in-law's middle name was Francis - (for helpers' info).
Someone named Kathleen Fry has a photo of him in uniform on her Ancestry tree - possibly part of the group photo you have.

AIR 78 - Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Department of the Air Member for Personnel: Index to Airmen and Airwomen
Reference: AIR 78/143
Description: Name Range: Shepherd, H - Simmonds, Douglas. (Described at item level)
Date: [1918-1975]
Held by: The National Archives, Kew

One match for a Patrick Francis Shiel(S)
No Date of Birth is recorded

Image on page 820

The watermark on the record partially obscured the service number........

Searched Patrick Francis Shiels on Fold3


Full Name Shiels, Patrick Francis

Information They were enlisted in Northern Ireland. They were not a member the Air Training Corps. They enlisted after September 1943.

Service Number 1900684

Service Royal Air Force

Primary Unit Royal Air Force

Archive Ref AIR 78 143 1

Conflict Period Other Service

Served For United Kingdom

AG- Thank you for our chaps middle name

OP was correct about spelling. It didn't occur to me to add an S onto his surname......