MoD personnel records moving to Kew

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Red Goblin, Aug 18, 2021.

  1. Red Goblin

    Red Goblin Senior Member

    FTR, TNA posted this only yesterday -
    MOD Records Project - The National Archives
    I see nothing about new copy application procedures but para 6 states
    As these are personnel records, they naturally contain a range of personal data including medical information. To protect the information in these records, closure will apply until 115 years past the date of birth of the individual. Whether or not the material can be open to all or closed fully or in part will be assessed on this basis or upon request under relevant data protection and freedom of information laws.

    Cheers, Steve
     
    4jonboy, Guy Hudson and Tony56 like this.
  2. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Does this mean that the delays regarding Service Records is due to these moves rather than Covid and things will not improve for another six years. Or are these different MOD records.
    There will inevitably be more delays. It seems that some of us will never live to see them digitised on line. There will no doubt be less applications from families as time goes on so there must be savings there. They already have the RA Archives at Kew with no sign of a new home at Larkhill due to a planning wrangle. There were hints a few years ago that all the County records might end up at Kew so that they could be digitised centrally. Ok for those who can get to Kew in their electric cars or public transport. Its not exactly central to those outside London.
     
  3. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Data Protection regulations only apply to living people. If you can provide evidence of death then surely there is no reason for the information to be withheld
     
  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Thanks for sharing. I’ve posted the link on Great War Forum.

    When I applied for a relatives WW2 record 20 years ago they declined under the “75 year rule” (years after discharge) so most WW2 service records should have been made available from this year onwards under that rule.

    The 75 year rule changed 15 years or so ago when Freedom of Information Act permitted access on payment.

    Following transfer of the records we will now have the 115 year rule so most WW2 records won’t be available for at least another 10 years.

    Progress eh?

    Steve
     
  5. idler

    idler GeneralList

    If they're not going to be 'open', surely access needs to be handled in the same way that it is now? I'm guessing Kew aren't and won't be equipped to review every application that comes in, so that doesn't sound promising.

    And you'd expect the Ancestries of the world to be lurking in the wings...
     
  6. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Covid was the catalyst or if you prefer, the smoke screen for reorganisation of Archives which looking back over the past years to 2016 when I first walked into one, was already in motion.
    The recent posting ref the closure of the Durham Light Infantry Museum / DRO reminded me of this.
    During the closure (which to a great degree still exists) my local Archive closed to visitors but began offering "Special Offer" searches by skeleton staff for a sum of money per file.
    I was alarmed at the time that this would become the norm.
    Thankfully I have covered 90% of the research that I wanted to do, so will live without any more and in fact have for some time considered giving up on WW2.
    I have sufficient original material to which I own the copyright to write a book if the mind takes me.
    I see the Archive service going the way of military museums, becoming privately owned pay as you go establishments where the staff wont talk to you about anything without "donations".
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2021
  7. Red Goblin

    Red Goblin Senior Member

    Incidentally, re WW1 records at Kew albeit non-WO PIN 26 series, I photographed my paternal granddad's physical SWB disability pension file 8 days before what would have been his 115th birthday and that's chock-full of periodic medical review reports justifying his continued receipt of disability pension until 1923. My best guess is that it only survived the great post-WW1 bumph purge due to the rareness of his ailment. His real DoB is in there but, luckily for us, no bureaucrat then sought it out as red tape. And, in any case, 115 is just an arbitrary figure suited to low-IQ policing. My aforesaid granddad actually croaked, aged 70 of then-common lung cancer due to fag-addiction, but try explaining that factor to today's jobsworths !

    Nor, please, fall into the trap of thinking TNA access easy for all Londoners because it is not - largely for stupidly-discriminatory security-related reasons off-topic here.
     

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