I have recently received the following reply from APC, Kentigern House, Glasgow in response to my request for additional information. I really hope they can meet the timeframe promised. "Thank you for your email. I am afraid that there is no guarantee that an AFB103 is held on the file. Currently under the MOD Publication Scheme all we are releasing is a copy of the AFB200 & attestation papers (if held). These documents meet all our obligations of disclosure. You would need to apply through my section for the information held on archived Army records but at the moment, I am afraid that no further action would be taken if you were to make an application at present (due to the significant backlog of work that has built up during the lockdown period as postal applications continued to be sent to the office), furthermore we are unable to provide a definitive date when a response would be issued to you. Some good news is that work is currently being taken on an online application process (where payments can be made online). This is a few months off yet but I would advise you to check this site later in the year: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records Regards SO3 | Disclosures 4 (Historical) | MP 555 | APC Support Division | Army Personnel Centre | Kentigern House | 65 Brown St | Glasgow | G2 8EX DTN: 94561 2670 | 0141-224-2670 | Fax: 3172 |
After another attempt to get copies of source documents and in particular a request for the Army Form B103–Pt I Service and Casualty Form , I received the following reply: "Thank you for your email. The Ministry of Defence met its obligations to you in 1985 and we are not resourced to answer your supplementary questions. If you now wish copies of the records I have explained how you can do this. I am afraid we do not work in the archive, we do not have the files at hand or at the press of the button. We advise the public on how they can apply and process the applications and that is about it. If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact Mrs Diane Taylor the Disclosures Manager, Army Personnel Centre, Mail Point 527, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX in the first instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance Team, 2nd Floor, Zone N, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-mail CIO-FOI-IR@mod.uk). Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has come to an end. If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website,http://www.ico.org.uk. I am sorry for what must be a disappointing response. Regards SO3 | Disclosures 4 (Historical) | MP 555 | APC Support Division | Army Personnel Centre | Kentigern House | 65 Brown St | Glasgow | G2 8EX DTN: 94561 2670 | 0141-224-2670 | Fax: 3172 | " I have since read on another thread that "the documents are stored off-site by a contractor who charge the MOD more to retrieve them than the MOD charges you” so there hardly seems any point in going through the complaints process. Therefore, it seems that until the online system is set up (I live in NZ and we do not have cheques anymore and bank drafts are too complicated) I shall have to wait to make another formal request and then wait for whatever turns up.
