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  1. #1
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    Default WW2 service records

    Sorry if this has been asked a hundred times before but how would I go about finding service records of a gentleman called Edward Victor Carter (service number 3011090) who was an engine fitter in the RAF 1943-1946?

  2. #2
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    hello TrickyWales,

    Welcome to British-Genealogy.

    I think the true figure the number of times the question has been asked is nearer a hundred thousand times before. It certainly feels like it every time I type the reply.

    The simple answer is 'check out the sticky at the top of the forum'. The long answer is read here
    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...-WW2-amp-after

    First of all, I'm presuming the person is deceased. Secondly, if they are not related to you and have only died within the last twenty-five years, without the permission of the next-of-kin you will not receive the full records. You also need a copy of his death certificate and a cheque for thirty pounds, and then patience. Although the wait was only about ten weeks a couple of years ago I suspect Covid-19 has increased that to at least six months.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  3. #3
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    Thanks Pam - I'll check that out thanks.
    He's still alive, 95 and counting. My wife's grandfather. I'm going to write about his WW2 experiences and besides all his anecdotes I want to get any factual stuff from his records. I find the whole online thing so frustrating and a bit over-whelming.
    Thanks for pointing me in right direction - apologies to go over common ground!
    Cheers

  4. #4
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    Ooh, even better because I think (long while since I read all the details) if you're alive you get your records for free. Just make sure you chose the correct form, which he will have to sign.

    In view of the delay in obtaining records (though living people might get put in a different, shorter, pile) I would suggest that you put his address as care of you (assuming you're not planning on moving within the next year.)

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  5. #5
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    I'll do that! Thanks again

  6. #6
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    Hi, I applied for my father's WW2 record in November last year - I had an acknowledgement but otherwise am still waiting - is this normal?

  7. #7

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    Pam,
    I hope people don't mind me piggy-backing on this conversation. It would be a shame to start a new one for, essentially, similar help.
    I've read through a lot of advice including the FAQs on this site but can't find the answers I'm after.

    I am hoping to find specific detail about the death of my great uncle. I'd like to find out where he was when he was killed by a V1 bomb in London. Are there military records that go in to such detail? He was in the Royal Artillery.

    The V1 detail comes from my aunt (his niece) but she knows no more other than remembering American soldiers delivering his body back home. I wonder if that was usual, or maybe he was based with Americans in London.

    His records are easy to find on "Forces War Records" including his date of death, 17th June 1944 - the first week of V1 bombings but I would love to know where the poor fella met his end.

    Am I being too ambitious?
    Stephen

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by VinnyShome View Post
    Pam,
    I hope people don't mind me piggy-backing on this conversation. It would be a shame to start a new one for, essentially, similar help.
    I've read through a lot of advice including the FAQs on this site but can't find the answers I'm after.
    Hello Stephen,

    Welcome to British-Genealogy.
    In actual fact you are asking a completely different question to the original one of finding service records.

    I am hoping to find specific detail about the death of my great uncle. I'd like to find out where he was when he was killed by a V1 bomb in London. Are there military records that go in to such detail? He was in the Royal Artillery.
    Putting two and two together from your other post about your family history research and the details in this, I assume you are talking about George Shaw, who was 33 when he died.
    Because he died in England his death is recorded in the ordinary GRO Index. A black-and-white copy of his death certificate can be ordered from the GRO for seven quid.
    You should be familair with the GRO site, but if not, start here
    https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...ates/login.asp
    Scroll down and regiister, then you should be able to log in, and on the next page you will see an option to 'search the indexes'. (Second on left-hand side.)
    Click, select 'death', enter year, name, sex, etc, click search.
    You should see an entry for a George, aged 33, death registration Surrey South Eastern registration district.

    These are the places in that district.
    https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/distric...20eastern.html
    so not exactly London as we would think of in relation to V1 bombs etc.
    However, the district is where he died, and I know that bombs were dropped in towns near to some places in that area.
    The death certificate will give the place he died and the cause of death.

    As usual, I've digressed slightly.
    Against George's entry in the Index, there is a radio button. Click, and you get three options to order.
    You can elect to buy the full certificate for £11.25, which will take longer to arrive, or opt for the PDF one which will be sent by email.
    Click whichever one you want, and then get out your bit of plastic.


    The V1 detail comes from my aunt (his niece) but she knows no more other than remembering American soldiers delivering his body back home. I wonder if that was usual, or maybe he was based with Americans in London.

    His records are easy to find on "Forces War Records" including his date of death, 17th June 1944 - the first week of V1 bombings but I would love to know where the poor fella met his end.

    Am I being too ambitious?
    Stephen
    I would suggest that you also try the newspapers, local to both his home town and also local to the area in which he died. (Once you know where that was.)
    The British Newspaper Archive has the most up-to-date dataset, while Findmypast has the same records except for the most recent updates. I believe the BNA give you three free downloads. I'm not sure if the newspapers are available in the version of FMP that you can often access for free via your local library. As with any good site, although you may have to register, searching is free, and you pay only to see records.

    However, details about his death might be scantily detailed. In my family, a father, mother, and three of their children were killed when a random bomb dropped on their house, and the local paper merely said that they had been killed without giving any indication of the place. (They lived next to an engine house which had a tall-ish chimney, and the theory is that the pilot had a spare bomb left on board as he was heading home and thought the chimney might belong to a factory, even though it was in the middle of the countryside.)

    The BNA are still adding newspapers and even when the project is finished not every paper will be included. However, the library/archives local to the Hyde area should have copies of the local papers either on microfilm or as the original paper.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pam Downes View Post
    Hello Stephen,

    Welcome to British-Genealogy....
    Thanks Pam,
    What can I say.....? You have been an unbelievable help. And well done in piecing things together from my initial 2 posts! I have ordered a pdf copy of George's death cert and look forward to it arriving.
    Coincidentally, I don't live far from south-east Surrey. It will be most satisfying to join the dots. I will let you know how I get on.
    Stephen

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by VinnyShome View Post
    Thanks Pam,
    What can I say.....? You have been an unbelievable help. And well done in piecing things together from my initial 2 posts! I have ordered a pdf copy of George's death cert and look forward to it arriving.
    Coincidentally, I don't live far from south-east Surrey. It will be most satisfying to join the dots. I will let you know how I get on.
    Stephen
    Depending in which direction from south-east Surrey you live we could be near-neighbours. (There's a nightmare thought for you. )

    Yes, please come back and tell us what the death certificate says. We often get intrigued and far too involved with other people's family history when we should be concentrating on our own.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

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