I understand that my parents were both entitled to a Defence Medal, one for being a member of the Home Guard and my mother for being an ARP Warden. Is there a government department I can write to in order to receive them on their behalf?
MOD Medal Office will check entitlement for service personnel and whether or not medals were previously issued. They also have a strict policy on who can claim any outstanding medals, i.e. who is next-of-kin. Applying for a medal: the Ministry of Defence Medal Office - GOV.UK Ministry of Defence medal forms - Publications - GOV.UK
Many thanks. I'm going to submit claims. I don't know how they'll be assessed as I wrote a couple of years ago to see if there was a record of Dad being in the Home Guard and ended up lodging a complaint after not receiving any response for a year. A juggernaut of a complaints system went into motion - staggering it was - letters from another MOD dept. telling me of my rights during the investigation, blah, blah..... Talk about Civil Service waste. The end result was a short letter a month or so later saying no records were kept of members of the Home Guard who weren't officers. How I prove my Mum was an ARP warden in Gillingham, Lord knows.
Bomb Census survey records 1940-1945 - The National Archives Section 7 relates: "Personnel records for the NFS and ARP have not survived." TD
Hi, I've seen certificates of service issued to Home Guard on disbandment. There may be a mention of his Home Guard activities in local newspapers. No idea on way forward for ARP unless there is mention beside her name in "1939 Register"? Good Luck Steve Y
I applied for a GSM 18 with SE Asia 1945-46 clasp for my late father about a year ago, having found out by chance that he was entitled to claim it. I followed the links which are mentioned above, sent as much detail as I could muster to the Medal Office and then had to wait until they completed their checks. It was well worth it as I now am in possession of the GSM which Dad was entitled to having been on active service in Java post-war. I definitely recommend you apply again, but if you have any access to a regimental number for your father that may well help. Send as much information as you can, but be prepared for a wait (as you have already found out!). Telephoning the Medal Office to ask for updates is what I ended up doing, but it still required a number of months before the final letter of award came through. I don't know if this may be of use? staffshomeguardJ9(SearchingforMembers) RRTB
