Service record help please

[Titanicfan]

Can anyone offer me any advice on how I can find out my grandfather's regiment or division in the British Army during WWII. The only details my mum and my aunties know is that he served in the coastal home forces in the Royal Artillery on the anti-aircraft guns and we know his service number but that is all. I would really love to order his service records but I don't think I have enough information for the MOD to carry out a search for his records. I have asked my mum and my aunties (who were born during WWII if his regiment details are on their birth certificates, but unfortunately not).

:confused:

[liddell]

We're having to do the same thing with my grandfather.

You have to apply to the Army Personnel Records. I've attached a link that describes what you have to do. Apparently, all service numbers are unique so you should have enough information. However, you have to either ask his next of kin to request his records, or you have to have a signed letter stating that they give you permission to receive his records. There is a SAR form that needs to be filled out. It costs £30.

We have to provide a certified copy of my grandfather's death certificate too so that may be a stumbling block for you.......

Good luck ;)

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html.

[Titanicfan]

Thanks for the info, Liddell. :)

[SeaCopRimmer]

Many service records are now available on Ancestry.co.uk but they are not complete (plus amost 60% of WW1 records were destroyed by fire); incidentally Service Numbers are not unique - each Battalion/Regiment issued its own set of numbers so you would have several men with the same number; my husband who is a WW1 enthusiast didn't believe me until I tried to find a war grave and put the number in and several names came up.