WW2 Soldier Research - Tips and Links for New Researchers (update)

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by davidbfpo, Nov 15, 2020.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Updated version added 28/3/2024 shown on Post 22; below text is a summary only.

    Welcome aboard. Others may come along and help. Always apply for his Service Record, even if the turnaround is reported as a year plus now. See: Get a copy of military service records

    Upload the records here once you've obtained them and then the forum can get to work on them. Please do not pay for any site on the internet who promise you his service records they will not have them, and you would have wasted your money.

    An example of what you get, this is an Army record, RN are different: Pte S Attley 14685855 4th Wilts Service Records | WW2Talk More help is on: Service Records

    Adding what you have already found can help, saves others from duplication. A Date of Birth and a Service Number help, though the experts here can surmount that gap.

    I have noted the 'Other Ranks' rarely feature in Google searches unless they have been awarded gallantry medals or written their memoirs. Searching Google will sometimes bring you back here. Use: site: ww2talk.com search term e.g. Chindits

    The site’s search engine is rather simple; two examples 53rd will bring back all mentions of 53rd; an Army unit can have after 53rd an additional official name, in one case 53rd (Bolton). You must be agile and keep going. ‘Tags’ are used here, and you can search them: Search Tags | WW2Talk

    If you have a Service Number use that. Click in the search box and there is a drop down Advanced option, so you can select a theme or more.

    War diaries can contain almost anything. At the very least, they give the daily movements and most important actions of every unit. They may also contain information on casualties, message logs, rolls of officers (but not O.R.'s), maps, orders, and much else. They are available at the PRO to everyone. Drew5233 and some others are willing to scan them for the benefit of those who cannot get to the National Archives at Kew.

    It all depends of course how much you want to know, just one battle or campaign for an example. Please come back and tell us what you found. Good luck.

    There is a thread with this title from 2012: WW2 Soldier Research - Tips and Links for New Researchers
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2024
  2. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Once you have a unit, try to establish its official designations, longhand and shorthand, so you can refine your searches e.g.

    53rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
    53 Fd Regt RA

    Of course, pretty much any combination of the two may have been used at times.
     
    Bridget 1 likes this.
  3. David Sharp

    David Sharp Member

    Many thanks for all this 'Davidbfpo'. Have sent for my dad's service records and am just waiting to see if they have anything. A question somebody may be able to help with though, I now know my father was in 5 Search Light Battery. Royal Artillery, he was also trained in 'Bo-Fors' gun. But from what my mother told me, he was also involved in quite a lot of fighting? Would I be right in thinking, that if the searchlights were not needed, they became regular infantry?? Many thanks, Dave Sharp
     
  4. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    David Sharp,

    I am sure it will be Searchlight, though searching as you stated might find stuff too. The 40mm Bofors gun was one of the standard anti-aircraft weapons of the British and other armies, originally Swedish and produced under licence here. Yes, artillery units became infantry, particularly in Western Europe as the losses mounted post D-Day and recently there was a post on that theme.
     
  5. Beaker

    Beaker New Member

    Thanks also from me "davidfpo" :cheers:
    Application submitted today to search for my grandfathers services records. Had to wait a couple of days whilst I obtained a copy of his death certificate. He just ducked under the 116 years of age threshold :glare:
    I will update as and when I get info in case others can shed any further light onto both his service or the theatres he served in.
    As an aside, in the process of getting his medals finally mounted for him to be given back to my mother.
     
  6. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

  7. Beaker

    Beaker New Member

    I followed up my mail submission to the disclosure team with an email regarding dated / blank cheques

    Please be aware that as a consequence of the coronavirus the department closed on Friday 20th March.

    This has meant necessary changes to our way of working and this has affected all available resources and access to information however I can advise you that if you sent in your application in December then it will possibly be in the mountain of mail currently held at the Defence Mail Centre.
    Please bear in mind however that the department was completely closed for 5 months where nothing was processed or actioned.
    There were around 10 thousand applications waiting to be opened and recorded before any action could be taken – we also had a backlog of 6 month of ongoing enquiries when we closed.
    We are sorry to send you a disappointing reply, but it may be sometime before your application is processed. If your cheque has not been dated we will put a date on it when processing.
    I thank you for your continuing patience.

    I hope this clarifies the situation.

    Yours sincerely

    Jackie Meechan


    Suffice to say, it's going to be a while.
     
  8. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Official Documents available at TNA (Kew)

    War Diaries - Covered above.
    Situation Reports (SITREPs) - Locations and intentions of Friendly Forces.
    Intelligence Reports (INTREPs) - Locations and intentions of Enemy Forces
    Orders of Battle (OOBs) - Detailed lists of Friendly and Enemy Forces
    Operational Record Books (ORBs) - RAFs version of War Diaries. Come in three parts.
    Summary of Events
    Records of Events
    Appendices
    Admiralty War Diaries

    Gus
     
  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    'Missing Men' files by regiment.
     
  10. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    I have updated a 'Research Tips' note assembled since joining and often posted to new members. It is not exhaustive and some areas I keep away form, notably where official archives / records can help. If it is not online or in an accessible library I have normally neither the energy, resources or time to go down that route.
     
  11. Hi

    thank you so much for this invaluable information and tips, I’ve printed it off so hopefully it will save me time in the future.

    kind regards
    Andy



     
  12. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    On reflection if you are researching a serviceman or woman in WW2 you need to realise:
    • The UK mobilised millions to serve in the armed forces and non-combat organizations
    • Unless an individual received a medal, or a mention in dispatches (MiD) they are unlikely to appear in an online search
    • A variety of websites, notably the BBC, IWM and societies have collected oral histories - some short, some long
    • Local websites can help, assuming you know a location
    • Some books, including memoirs and regimental histories are available to buy, some are held in libraries and a few are available on Google Books. Many members will check their bookshelves to help with extracts.
     
  13. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    I have updated the 'research tips' document, which is attached in PDF format. Thanks to Skoyen for his help, I'd missed some key points. Usually if I spot a new member's arrival I send a Word version via the Private Message option. The document is not definitive, so this forum can accept comments and suggestions.
     
  14. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    See a new, specific thread on reading and using service records: service records info threads | WW2Talk Note there are many threads with the tag service records which could help too.

    From Tony56 an expert's advice on Service Record's content:
    From: Post 2 on Trying to identify a soldier's company. 2 KRRC.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2022
  15. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    A February 2023 edition of my document, updated as soon (1/3/23) applying for service records is free.
     

    Attached Files:

    Osborne2 likes this.
  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Get a copy of military service records

    From 1 April 2023 it will be free to apply for a military service record from the MOD. You’ll need to pay the £30 fee if you submit an application before 1 April.
     
  17. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    The latest research tips advice updated today.
     

    Attached Files:

    Christian Luyckx likes this.
  18. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    A number of recent discoveries, so I have updated the main document (attached).

    What were the discoveries (some used, some not yet):

    1. Open Access Primary Sources for research on the Second World War (Responses): Open Access Primary Sources for research on the Second World War (Responses)

    2. Library Hub Discover, gives you access to details of materials held in many UK national, academic and specialist libraries. Note most are reference libraries: Jisc Library Hub Discover For wider searches I rely on: WorldCat.org
     

    Attached Files:

  19. RAFCommands

    RAFCommands Senior Member

    Kudos for creating and maintaining this, its a huge task to cover all the services and relevant archives.

    I do however wonder if the bulk of those it is aimed at actually use it.

    Not before initial posting is evident and in quite a few cases seems even after getting it to an initial enquiry.

    I have watched people walk by the numerous how to guides surrounding the passage to what was then the customer help desk at the TNA. Each person was convinced that their enquiry was a special case, needing expert human eyes on to solve. You could sense the fustration when after a few words they were given the guide that they had just walked by and rejected at too general.

    Even on here with the numerous topics on unit and individual guide on advice of how to research it invariably starts with "Uncle John was something in the Army/Navy/RAF etc what can you tell me"

    They must have got here doing a google/bing/duckduckgo etc web search but then immediately switch out of search mode to post - ignoring all the threads and topics that would help.

    Am I just being crabby in old age or do others have views on FAQ/How to Guides?

    Ross
     
    Deacs and Owen like this.
  20. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Ross,

    I try to send it to new members, though some are missed. There is a reasonably good response rate so I persist.

    We do appear to get regular arrivals of new members, a good number of which are not in the UK and often relatives of those who served, died on service or years later. Some appear, post and then almost retreat. This week, looking as I do for something else there were a few who had posted, been given help and the final product is "left up in the air".

    I know from moderating on a very popular, non-WW2 website that interest wanes, new demands arrive and activity ceases.

    I was not until this week aware of the - as yet unused - Library Hub Discover website, thanks to a British Museum online helper and had relied on searching IWM, NAM & TBL plus WorldCat for where books were held.
     
    Christian Luyckx likes this.

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