Service Records application - MOD response timescale

Asking for advice, I sent my request with a dated cheque 5 months ago.
How is it best to contact them to to replace with an updated cheque ? as I do not want to lose my place in the queue and go to the back of it !
I have already tracked down most of my grandad's movements myself through family records, army discharge papers and Kew but have an important missing period of Mar to Nov 1944 (probable attachment) !

 

Thanks very much Owen.
FYI - for others, I sent an e-mail and got the following prompt reply.

The disclosures team department has been closed since 20th March. Some are at home working on laptops.
I sent in my application mid April so it has not yet been opened.
So I guess I'll be hoping to get the details in 2021.

Fortunately my grandad left many clues and I have pieced together much through photos, release book, war diaries so at least I have a good idea of most of his movements just one part missing

 

Finally got my father's records! It must be over a year ... Very sketchy. But I have heard from others that RAMC officers' records are very thin. Strange ... My mother was a naval nurse and the record the RN sent (very rapidly) was incredibly detailed including references, vaccination records, pay records and regular staff appraisal documents. Just a few letters in my Dad's, mainly about his release from the Army. Kate

 

Latest from MOD in Glasgow (they mailed me this) - many of the team have now returned to work.
There are approx 10k waiting to be opened. There was a backlog of 6 months of ongoing enquires when they closed.
If your cheque is now out of date they will be in touch and you will not lose your place in the queue. I'm looking for this info to track my grandad's involvement in the Mulberry B as he was a Royal Engineer, barge engineer at Marchwood in 1944.

On a brighter note my family received notification today from the medal office that we are to receive the Burma Star that we applied for to recognise my grandad's service in 1945.

 

Did you write to them at the Glasgow address? I applied for my dads records in January 2020. I got a letter in June 2020 to let me know that my cheque had expired. I sent off a new cheque and form quoting their reference, hoping it would retain place in the queue. Heard nothing since. Wondering if I will get my second cheque back in January 2021 :-(

 

Hi John, it was an e-mail, yes to Glasgow. I sent mine in mid April so expired now. Hopefully they will set up a queue system and ask for new cheques, when I send my next one I'm going to send it undated ! Maybe one day they'll have the ability to accept on line payments and an on line system. At £30 a whirl you'd think processing more would make them a tidy sum.

 

Thanks, could you message me with the email address you used? I couldnt find anything on the MOD site I looked at.

 

Finally got some answers regarding my great-uncle's RN service medals - they were issued in 1960, so a dead-end there.

However, there was a silver lining to the enquiry as I was able to get his service number: JX244239 and am now getting ready to send off for his service info.

Has anyone sent an international money order issued by Western Union to pay for these? This is the *only* way I can send payment these days; banks don't seem to offer international cheques (or bank drafts) anymore - it's all Direct Deposits into accounts, and obviously, the MOD isn't going to be handing *that* over!

I don't want to be sending one-off and then finding out a) they took so long it expired or b) they won't accept it, because it's not a "cheque" per se.

(Last time I did this, was well before the GFC and the crackdown on foreign currency laundering and is was as easy as pie!)

 

Try emailing them they can advise

regards

james

 

Would anyone happen to have the email from a RN service record response letter? I need to contact them *before* I send off payment, to check that they will accept the only way I can pay from Australia: a WU postal order, as our banks no longer do international cheques or drafts.

 

Navy@gov.restore.co.uk

regards

james

 

Thanks, James!

 

Hi after reading previous posts, is indication of an application being received either email / letter / cheque cashed ?
I only sent my application first week of this month but did not send it by recorded delivery. I am expecting a long delay due to covid, but is there a reasonable time to wait for either of the 3 responses before I can assume the letter was lost ?
Thanks.

 

Hi Redslade,
My experience was that I applied for a record in January 2020 and the heard nothing until October. In the email they said due to unprecedented demand and COVID they apologised for the delay. The cheque was cashed at the end of October and I finally received the record in mid December. I’m afraid patience is the order of the day!!
Good luck, Steve

 

Redslade
This is the standard update from the site .Give them a call now or send email no harm at least then you are in the loop.


Coronavirus
The MOD is endeavouring to meet its statutory obligations under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and Data Protection Act 2018. However, the measures implemented to prevent the spread of Coronavirus are likely to significantly impact on our ability to respond to requests within the legislative timeframe. Correspondence will be processed in accordance with Information Rights legislation as quickly as possible, where priorities and resources allow, however there will inevitably be long delays in processing some of these requests. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Thank you for your patience during this time.
Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide


regards
Clive

 

Thank you Joseph 1921 and CL1 - I was prepared for a long wait - just regretting I never sent the request recorded delivery so that I know it's actually been received

 

Does anyone have the correct email for Glasgow?

I found disc4@apc.army.mod.uk somewhere online and emailed about a month ago, but got no response.

Tia

 

Phone Number 0345 600 9663

Army Personnel Centre

 

I've just taken a leap of faith and sent off my paperwork and an international bank cheque - here's hoping it isn't longer than 6 months as they refuse to issue these with a longer date.

I know for a fact I'm going to lose at least 4 weeks due to mail delays from way down south to ol' Blighty; ah the joys of Covid and closed international borders.

My fingers and toes are crossed in the hope that the RN is processing a little faster and that my application will be all ok and processed in 5 months. If not, I'll just have to eat the bank fees and resubmit in the hope it goes through a second time.