Service Records application - MOD response timescale

Before, from the MOD, the records were paper copies (A3 size or maybe even larger) not the originals

 

I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick.

No archive I know of provides an applicant with original records.

They retain the original papers and provide a copy to the applicant.

In relation to WW2 service records - It may be that in years to come that the original documents may be available to examine at UK National Archives but that was not the case with WW1 era records after they were made available on Ancestry.

Steve

 

If left long enough most of us on here will be but ghosts

 

Sure no problem, just wondered as others had received theirs by post.....maybe that's how they're doing it now, as they have all been transferred. They came in one large PDF, so they needed splitting into singles.

 

Robert999 has several posts (27-32) on his experience before receipt of his requested record on another thread:
Royal Welsh Fusiliers in Burma

It might be useful to others.

 

Well, I am delighted to say that yesterday I received both my uncle’s and cousin’s records. Just short of eleven months so, in the grand scheme of things, that’s not a bad result.

68 pages of my uncle’s records, can’t see any redactions, well pleased with that, probably more pages than usual as he stayed in the army until 1949.

Ten pages for my cousin, although no B103 included - he was killed in action, does that mean, pardon my ignorance, there wouldn’t have been one therefore? There’s enough there to see when and where, fair enough, but nothing that sheds any more light on what I already know, so whether the 103 would expand on that anyway, I don’t know.

 

Hi,

Congratulations. I presume lack of redactions as your uncle was born over 116 years ago? The longer a man was in service the thicker the file - some of Scots Guards files on FMP for pre war regulars who served in to the early or mid 1960’s as RSM etc can contain 200+ documents.

Your cousin’s file - like all servicemen - should contain a B103 form. They were actually maintained in triplicate at different locations. On some Scots Guards B103 you do see minor variations - both in the order of entries made and the detail recorded by the different clerks updating the records from other documents.

You could ask TNA to look for the missing B103. Could be a variety of reasons for their failure to provide them including MOD destruction policy or accidental loss of the forms over the past 80 years.

Steve

 

Cheers Steven I’ll ask them about the 103.

My uncle, by the way, was born in 1924, so no redactions is a big bonus, unless they just withheld a whole page or two…I’d be none the wiser, let’s face it.

Main thing is I now know that he served with the 15th Field Regiment RA, which I never knew.

Rather selfishly now thinking of putting in for my grandad’s records again as the digital records are really nice, so much better than the dark photocopies I received for him previously. That’s assuming his records have also already been transferred to TNA.

I say selfishly as then I’d be putting someone else further back in the queue wouldn’t I.

 

Great news Martin, congratulations.

 

Cheers mate.

 

I received mine for my Step-Grandad yesterday, just short of 12 months. Only redaction was for my Step-Uncle, who has already passed away as well.

 

I sent off for my father’s RAF records on 4th June, got them back on 27th, so a good turnaround. National Service records, but I was interested to see what he did and where he “got some in”. Not that I’ve gleaned much from the record re locations - apart from Debden and Harpur Hill, there just seem to be a lot of numbers on the left hand side under “DEP. P.O.R.”, which I understand to be Personnel Occurrence Report or something like that. No idea what the numbers mean.

They redacted a few bits and bobs, things like his wife’s details, religion, occupation, all things I know anyway, especially as I have his discharge certificate. Whether they’d have done that had they known he was my father I don’t know, but there doesn’t seem to be a NOK version of the application form anymore, or maybe I just missed it.

Funniest thing they redacted is something quite obvious, if you look at the picture top right, his trade proficiency. Why cover that up, it can only be the one bloody option?!

Impressed by the speed of service, though, good job.

 

POR is Personnel Occurance Report. Dep stood for departing unit.
This was the Casualty Form that had evolved onto a reporting mechanism for everything from pay change to promotions.

However in the case you have the letter, number/number is the serial reference for correspondence /53 being the year.
HA38/53 and HA1/53 being different signals in a ledger (HA1/53 was the very first signal sent from ledger HA in 1953 and fits in with the date of 01/01/53)

Proficiency was either Poor/Satisfactory or Superior - redacted because this is a personal metric.

Column A was related to his activity
Column B was his ability to control juniors work
Column C was his ability to organise and plan work for others.

His classification meant he only had control of himself - if he was promoted to say Cpl then typically he would be assessing trade quality of juniors (A and B assessed). Sgt and above would be in charge of a trade section (AB and C filled in).

NoK only related to payment exemption for record - and is defined as Close NoK - as son you are not Close NoK only spouse and parents are considered as Close NoK.

No payment is now required.

Ross

 

Thanks Ross. I’d presumed that there would just be a “x” in the A column, hence why I thought to cover it up was a bit pointless.

 

Well I've just received my grandfater's service records, it took 2 years to get them but they are here now. Nothing much in there that I haven't been able to pierce together already but good for confirmation of his service in N Africa and Italy - seems he didn't get home until long after the war has ended, hard to tell but could be 2nd Jane 1946 until he finally got home.

 

Took me almost two years to get my great grandfathers service records as well he was out in North Africa, Italy and Greece though he was hospitalised in Palestine with varicose veins after North African campaign ended.

He was gone for five years returned to UK around May 1945 and it was first time my grandad saw him as he was born in 1941.