Where were service records stored in 1948?

[Caroline W]

I'm writing a novel that takes place in 1948 in post-WWII London. In 1948, where would my character have gone to find WWII service records for her deceased father who served in Europe for the British army? Thank you.

[Pam Downes]

Hi Caroline,

Welcome to British-Genealogy.

The MoD still retain the service records for army personnel from WWll so my feeling is that your character might not have been able to access her father's records at all in 1948. Nowadays records can be obtained (with certain restrictions, and at a cost) by filling in a form. But I don't know how soon (or how long) after the war that system came into being.
Have just thought of a possible way for your character to obtain the records. Put her father in the Guards. Although this post refers to WW1 records it does give an address. You will still need to do a bit of googling to find out a few more details though.

ADDED: The Guards headquarters may well have had a different address in 1948, and they may not have made records available then, so you will need to make very sure of those sort of details.

Nor do I know how soon after the war the war diaries from the various regiments would have been available at somewhere like The National Archives or regimental headquarters. Perhaps either TNA or the MoD would be able to advise on that.

Pam

[Pam Downes]

A couple of other threads which might be of use/interest to you.

First post in this thread
https://www.british-genealogy.com/for...h-Army-records

This is the current way to apply for records.
https://www.british-genealogy.com/for...757#post585757

Pam

[Brian S]

As far as I am aware WW2 Service Personnel Records were kept at MOD Hayes Middlesex before their transfer to Glasgow.

That is where I made the first enquiries into my Fathers Death. This was in the late 1980s.

[Caroline W]

Dear Brian,
Thank you so much for your answer.
All the best,
Caroline

[Brian S]

No a problem Caroline.

Just glad to be able to help.

Brian

[TomBen]

I don't know for sure, but logic (or at least my logic) suggests to me that any and all records regarding personnel in the British Armed Forces at the time would be kept in the War Office in London?

Then passed over to the Ministry of Defence in 1964 when the WO closed with many of it's files going to either the National Archives if they were declassified or to storage at the various MOD bases.

Regards,

Tom

[Brian S]

My understanding is that they were kept at Hayes.

There were several "miles" of paper records kept there.
Many were Asbestos Contaminated. Some were copied but others could not be.
Looking through Discovery you will also find that some were so badly water and Asbestos damaged that they were "destroyed".

This is where my Fathers Service Records were in the late 1980s as this is where I visited. They were obviously later transferred to Glasgow.
Most others were, and perhaps still are being transferred to more environmentally suitable storage in Staffordshire's disused Gypsum Mines.