WW2 Service records.

[p.risboy]

I have just recieved back, my application for my Uncle Charles Thomas's service records.
In my haste to send off the application, I misread the instructions asking me to include a £30 search fee.
Also, I was informed that there is no guarentee of anything of importance being in those records.

Their words.

1). Medals and award citations are never included.
2). Only rarely does a file contain a soldiers photo.
3). We have no way of knowing what a file holds.
4). If the search does not uncover the service record, no fee is refundable. But every concievable effort is made to find the records in question.

a). Have any forum members ever had the worst case scenario.
b). Was the info recieved better or worse than expected.
c). Was it helpful in finding other relatives.

Give me/us your thoughts.

Steve.

 

[benny1982]

Hi Steve

My uncle wanted to send off for my grandads army records but was told to pay £30 and he was also told they contain very basic info which is not good enough. They said the records just say something like "Served abroad" for when they did.

I got his marriage cert in 1944 and he was a soldier in the R. A. C which is the Royal Armoured Corps. I would like to know their deployments as I think he was in Egypt and met his cousin on the ship coming home and due to the same surname his cousin accused him of nicking his kitbag of which my grandad gave a cheeky reply.

Ben

 

[gortonboy]

i got my grandads service record for ww2....nothing spectacular in it..but it did tell me what medals he was awarded..it did give dates of service in different theatres of war,,so i was able to track where he served and when,,,and through that ,work out what operations he may have been involved in,,,,the rest was pretty standard stuff,,,,,so not really a great genealogical tool...the record did have his wifes name an address,,,,,but an interesting document from a family history point of view.He was my grandad,,i have his medals,,so for me ,,30 quid well spent,,,,but if i was researching my family tree,,,not really much use.