HI there, I'm trying to track down some details of the service of my step-grandfather, Ronald Reginald Bayley Phillips (1580277). Many years ago he gave me his silk blood chit from the CBI theatre and his pilot's wings, but apart from that I know little else. Unfortunately he is not a blood relative and I'm not in contact with his NOK so don't think I'll be able to apply for his official records. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Request records of deceased service personnel Thats why they have these forms Not the immediate next of kin forms: Application part 1 form: General enquirer's form (v6.1) (PDF, 99KB, 2 pages) or General enquirer's form (v6.1) (MS Word Document, 134KB) Application part 2 forms: Royal Navy/Royal Marines part 2 (PDF, 98.8KB, 1 page) or Royal Navy/Royal Marines part 2 (MS Word Document, 50.5KB) British Army part 2 (PDF, 19.5KB, 1 page) or British Army part 2 (MS Word Document, 43KB) Royal Air Force part 2 (PDF, 24.1KB, 1 page) or Royal Air Force part 2 (MS Word Document, 46KB) TD
Thanks, although from my reading of that site without NOK consent they will essentially only tell me what I already know?
for a period of 25 years following the date of death of the subject and without the consent of the next of kin, MOD will disclose only Well as I dont know when he died - if it was 25+years ago then effectively you would receive the whole lot, but in any case may be worth applying as you are family, you are not 'unrelated' so suggest you use the next of kin form and fill in where it says 'grandchild' https://assets.publishing.service.g...24-request_service_details_NOK_part1_v6.2.pdf Read the list below and when you come to the first living relative of the deceased subject place an ‘X’ in the box and write their full name next to it. This process will enable you to identify the person who the MOD will regard as the immediate Next of Kin. This was the form I used for my fathers records and filled in the 'son' section, to be honest they arent going to check fully through genealogy web sites TD
I'd second what TD has put...... and wouldn't assume either you can't get anything or what you do get you may already know....... what's for certain is if you don't apply then you absolutely won't get to find out what they have on file..... not being nowty, just think if you've got questions anything is worth a go, even if it costs a couple of quid and a bit of time. Found a couple of bits and pieces that suggest he may have enlisted in Birmingham sometime after June 1941. Assume this is the guy: Name Ronald Reginald B Phillips Birth 25/03/1922 Birth Registration Date: Apr 1922 Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun Registration district: Hereford Inferred County: Hereford & Worcester Mother's Maiden Name: Bayley Volume Number: 6a Page Number: 852 Spouse Marjorie Darbyshire Marriage 10/1947 Manchester Lancashire United Kingdom Death 06/2005 Hereford Herefordshire, Monmouthshire England and Wales Only other military item is his application for membership of The Burma Star Association, shows him with 31 RAF Squadron See this link: Article on 31 RAF Squadron: No. 31 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War No. 31 Squadron spent the entire Second World War operating as a transport squadron, based in India. In the inter-war period it had been involved in the constant low level fighting on the North West Frontier, but in April 1939 it converted to the Vickers Valentia (inheriting its aircraft from No. 216 Squadron), and began to operate as a bomber-transport squadron. For the first eighteen months of the war the squadron remained on the North West Frontier, but in March 1941 it was one of the squadrons rushed into Iraq to help defeat a German inspired coup. After helping with the defence of Habbaniya, the squadron took part in the fighting against the Vichy French in Syria, before returning to Karachi. A detachment from the squadron was used to fly supplies to bases in the Western Desert over the winter of 1941-42, but the Japanese entry into the war ended that, and the squadron moved east to the Burmese border. The squadron would spend all but four months of the war against Japan operating over Burma. Early in 1942 it flew supplies to the army retreating to the Indian border. The squadron took part in the fighting at Imphal, flying in supplies and evacuating casualties from the besieged town. That four month break started in July 1944, when the squadron was moved to Calcutta for a rest from front line duties and to practice towing gliders. The squadron returned to the front in November 1944, and took part in the final campaign in Burma and the advance to Rangoon. A brief pause followed, but in the immediate post-war period the squadron took part in fighting in the Dutch East Indies. Douglas DC-2 April 1942-April 1945: Douglas DC-3 September-December 1942: Lockheed Hudson IIIA March 1943-1944: Douglas Dakota I May 1943-1945: Douglas Dakota III February 1945-September 1946: Douglas Dakota IV Location 27 October 1938-December 1939: Lahore December 1939-February 1941: Peshawar February-26 March 1941: Lahore 26 March-September 1941: Drigh Road Detachments to Shaibah, Basra and Habbaniya September 1941-18 February 1943: Lahore December 1941-February 1942: Mingaladon February 1942: Akyab February 1942-April 1942: Dum Dum April 1942-February 1943: Lahore 18 February-21 May 1943: Dhubalia 21 May-21 June 1943: Khargpur 21 June 1943-July 1944: Agartala 11 July-1 November 1944: Basal 1 November 1944-1 January 1945: Agartala 1 January-6 February 1945: Comilla 6 February-15 May 1945: Hathazari 15 May-August 1945: Kyaujpyu August-1 October 1945: Mingaladon Squadron Codes: ZA (Valencia) Duty 1939-1945: Transport Squadron, India
there is a 31 Squadron Association & it seems there was centenary reunion in 2015 to mark the squadrons founding as part of the RFC. 31 Sqn Association Also to download on this site is a short book Stories from the Burma Campaign by John (Jock) Hunter, a pilot in 31 Sq in India from 1944. The text I saw does not mention Ronald Phillips by name, but gives a lot of detail about how the squadron operated. https://www.31association.co.uk/history/stories-from-the-burma-capaign/ and to purchase A Goldstar Century 31 Squadron RAF 1915-2015 by Ian Hunter https://www.31association.co.uk/history/a-goldstar-century/
That is an incredible amount of information and far more than I expected or hoped to receive! Many, many thanks Wibs12 and travers1940. Off to read now
His Application Form for the Burma Star Association shows he was still alive in 1987. Did he continue flying after the War, for any airline etc?