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Archiver > SUSSEX-PLUS > 2001-05 > 0988949316


From: Iain Kerr <>
Subject: Re: Army Records: Guidance required
Date: Fri, 04 May 2001 05:08:36 +0100
In-Reply-To: <000001c0d40f$6768e720$5a6d3c3e@hppav>


At 21:25 03/05/01 +0100, steve.head wrote:
>Question relating to Soldiers Records.
>
>My Great Uncle joined the Army about 1897 as a drummer boy ( joined the
>Royal Sussex regiment) survived the carnage of WWI and eventually retired
>in about 1930 on a pension (?). My problem is getting hold of his service
>record which I believe is stored at the MOD Defence Records 2b Hayes. I
>have sketchy information at best and therefore have no army number to
>quote to enable the centre to carry out a search.
>
>So my question is does anyone know when the records stored at Hayes for
>the period covering the 1930's will be transferred to the PRO if at all.
>
>Sorry if this question seems stupid I'm very new to family history research.
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Steve Head

Steve,

I have heard of no plans for further release of British Army Records from
the MOD to the PRO and suspect that it is unlikely to take place for
several years. In the meantime you should approach the MOD.

The surviving records of all officers and soldiers who joined the British
Army and who were discharged after 1922 are stored in the Ministry of
Defence Record Office CS(R)2b at Bourne Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB3
1RS. This includes territorial, volunteer, militia and home-defence forces
and some colonial forces. The MOD Record Office also held the WWI records
that have been progressively released to the Public Record Office over the
past six years.


You should note that there is some risk that the official archives of the
British Army personnel records between 1922 and 1940 are incomplete. This
is because up to half of the original pre-World War II British Army
soldier's personal records were destroyed or badly damaged following a
World War II German fire-bombing raid on the War Office documents
repository at Hayes in 1940. Those that survived are often in a poor
condition having been damaged by both fire and water.

Information on the service records of the individual may be obtained by
application to: Ministry of Defence Records Office CS(R)2, Bourne Avenue,
Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RF, United Kingdom. {Telephone ++44 (0) 208 573
3831}. They will send you an application form that will require a search
fee of £25 per person being enquired after. Payment of the search fee does
not guarantee a successful result. The MOD now requires applicants to
certify that they are the individual concerned or their next of kin,
together with a copy of the death certificate, as appropriate. The form
asks for details of the other kin between the enquirer and the
subject. This recent preoccupation seems to have arisen out of concerns
caused by the Data Protection Act 1999, required by European Union
legislation. There is reportedly a long delay in getting the response, the
result will now be a statement of service and not copies of the original
documents.

Yours aye,

Iain Kerr in Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom
Web Page at: http://home.clara.net/iainkerr/index.htm
RootsWeb Sponsor and Listowner for the WORLDWAR2 Mailing List.

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