MOD SERVICE RECORDS MOVING TO KEW

[Keith_history_buff]

There's been a few changes. 

At some point in January 2023, their website was updated to mention that service records issued by the MOD will be free of charge from 1 April 2023 onwards.

With regards to applying for army service records, you can now apply online. It should take the Army Personnel Centre about five working days to respond via e-mail. In the first instance, it should be to confirm they do have the record. Otherwise, they will tell you if the record has been transferred to Kew, and they should provide the barcode reference for the service record.

It would appear the cost of a record from Kew is £24.99 and that they can transfer the scans electronically.

[Matlock1418]

1 hour ago, PaulC78 said:

from 1 April 2023 there will be no charge for service record applications.

Or are you getting one in early for 1 April?

Seriously, it does seem this will apply in the future [for how long?] - Just wait for the back-log of enquiries to hit them on 1/2 April. 

13 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

With regards to applying for army service records, you can now apply online. It should take the Army Personnel Centre about five working days to respond via e-mail. In the first instance, it should be to confirm they do have the record. Otherwise, they will tell you if the record has been transferred to Kew, and they should provide the barcode reference for the service record.

Phew - online at last.

14 minutes ago, Keith_history_buff said:

It would appear the cost of a record from Kew is £24.99 and that they can transfer the scans electronically.

Still £5 cheaper than before!  And dodging the recently iffy Royal Mail.  I wonder what timescale??  Within 20 working days seems better than before - here's hoping. 

M

[Keith_history_buff]

On 22/06/2022 at 07:45, David Porter said:

A further 94,000 service records are released today. WO 421: Selected Smaller Corps Other Ranks. 
Again, I can't find these in the MOD spreadsheets despite the fact that many were born before 1901.
This is Account Code 11011 - Bournemouth OA.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C17682287

A high level summary from one of the "Bournemouth" files, from a man who was not an inter-war enlistee but a WW1 veteran

WO 421/5914
Name: [Albert Henry] Bruntnell. 
Service number: 3902797. 
Date of birth: 4 July 1897.
Enlisted under Territorial Force terms of service in the Brecknock Battalion on 20 November 1914, duly posted to the Welsh Regiment on 23 August 1916, discharged in order to re-enlist on 13 March 1919. 
Reenlisted in the South Wales Borderers under Short Service terms of service on 14 March 1919, allocated service number 82503. Served in India from 21 November 1919 to 2 January 1928. Renumbered on 1 August 1920. Extended his service in April 1921. Awarded a LSGC as announced in April 1933. Discharged from No. 12 Centre Pioneer Corps on 4 February 1944, under K.R. Para 390 XVIIIa “Services no longer required for which he enlisted.”
 

[AndrewSid]

I have a request for my wife’s grandfathers service papers in after discovering (via here) they existed due to post WW1 reservist service.  Rejected by MOD because the file was one of the many now at Kew.  In fairness they responded within a few weeks.  They give an option to contact Kew and then apply for it via Kew ahead of the many years long cataloguing and release process.  So a couple of weeks spent navigating that.  This process involves another form and another payment (original MOD cheque returned uncashed).  Request was sent in 19 working days ago, so optimistic something may arrive soon.

You certainly have to be dedicated, competent and patient to play this game…  

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

 

21 hours ago, PaulC78 said:

Not sure how this ties in with the transfer of records to Kew, but gov.uk says that from 1 April 2023 there will be no charge for service record applications.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

The salient point about charges :

Fees

It costs £30 to apply for each record, which is non-refundable. The fee covers research and administrative costs.

There’s no fee if you were the person’s spouse or civil partner at the time of their death, or a parent if there was no spouse or civil partner.

From 1 April 2023 it will be free to apply for a military service record from the MOD. You’ll need to pay the £30 fee if you submit an application before 1 April.

[Keith_history_buff]

Of interest from their website

Quote

Other ranks service records, 1921-1939

These are service records of other ranks discharged from the infantry of the British Army between 1921 and 1939. The majority are for individuals who served during the First World War and who opted to continue their service beyond 1921, but also include those who joined after the war and were discharged before the outbreak of the Second World War. They do not yet include records from the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Cavalry, or Guards Regiments.

These records are not currently available to search on the catalogue, but can be requested by filling in one of the forms available at the foot of this section (charges may apply).

It does appear they, rather than the MOD, are looking to be the gatekeepers for service record requests

Quote

How to request records that you cannot find in our catalogue

As they have only very recently been transferred, many of the above records are currently unfindable in our catalogue. If you believe that a service record you are looking for is contained within one of the above collections, and you have been unable to find the record in our catalogue in the series listed, you can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for access to this information using one of the below forms (charges may apply):

Request your own Ministry of Defence personnel record or on behalf of a living data subject

Request a FOI paid search of Ministry of Defence personnel records where the individual is presumed deceased

Request closed Ministry of Defence personnel records where the individual is presumed living

 

Link:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-army-soldiers-in-service-after-1918/#records-in-other-archives

[Keith_history_buff]

I believe the details have not changed much, but the website address is now different.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/our-role/plans-policies-performance-and-projects/our-projects/ministry-of-defence-service-records/

 

How can I request access to a service record?

We’ve created special access request forms for the service records:

• Individuals born less than 115 years ago, presumed living (closed records)
• Individuals born over 115 years ago, presumed deceased (open records)
• Request your own Ministry of Defence personnel record or on behalf of a living data subject (subject access request)

 

 

[AdrianC]

For those who's service extended after the end of WW1 the following GOVERNMENT site is the place to go https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service Aplications cover all three services. Providing you can provide proof of death it does not have to be a Death Certificate I have used cemetery & cremation records and have had success will all my applications (NAVY). It is also FREE!!!

Edited 17 January by AdrianC
Additional Information & clearer font

[DavidOwen]

2 hours ago, AdrianC said:

For those who's service extended after the end of WW1 the following GOVERNMENT site is the place to go https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service Aplications cover all three services. Providing you can provide proof of death it does not have to be a Death Certificate I have used cemetery & cremation records and have had success will all my applications (NAVY). It is also FREE!!!

That has changed then it cost £30 when we last applied about 1.5 years ago. Pleased for once the price has gone in the correct direction!

[Keith_history_buff]

If the MOD has the record, they will provide it free of charge. If they do not have it, they will direct you to The National Archives UK at Kew, who charge a copying fee of about GBP 24.95

The bulk of what has been transferred are British Army other ranks' records. In April 2024, the RAF airmens' records will start to be transferred.

[PaulC78]

Has anyone had any success getting a service record from TNA? I applied for one back in June last year but haven't heard anything yet.

[tullybrone]

1 hour ago, PaulC78 said:

Has anyone had any success getting a service record from TNA? I applied for one back in June last year but haven't heard anything yet.

Hi,

 

There are a number of success stories mentioned over on WW2talk forum in relation to WW2 era personnel service files for individuals born over 116 years ago.

There doesn’t seem to be any consistency in delivery times.

I’d be chasing up TNA.

Steve

[MrEd]

23 hours ago, PaulC78 said:

Has anyone had any success getting a service record from TNA? I applied for one back in June last year but haven't heard anything yet.

No I haven’t, I applied initially in late 2019 to the MOD but they did f. ash the cheque due to covid so it expired, then I was on other things and didn’t get around to reapplying until May 2023, at which point I was directed to the NA, they then emailed me to confirm receipt and then emailed me a further 2 times to say they have unprecedented requests and they can’t give a timescale, the last communique was July 23.

 

i have sent a chasing email early this year and haven’t had a reply yet! Might take another year!