British Armed Forces Records WW2 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Wednesday, August 07, 2013, 17:42 (4127 days ago) @ downunder

Hi again DownUnder,
I'm afraid I think you've answered your own question wrt online WW2 records, and it's "no". However I'm off to my local library tomorrow so shall do some digging for uptodate info while I'm there, so maybe I'll be able to add something more then, I do hope so.

Officially all WW2 British Army Service Records are still held by the M.O.D and will be for some years yet unless an individual's is requested by next of kin.

This site gives a fair indication of the situation;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/prose01/WW2_Army.htm
From the above website is this webpage to use for requesting Service Records.
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html
If one satisfies the M.O.D.'s stringent requirements wrt proving next of kin, then most applicants should eventually receive some documents as none were damaged or lost (unlike the WW1 Records). However as the Army was the largest of the British armed forces with about 3,800,000 men & women, there is a long waiting list of perhaps a year.

Alternatively, assuming the Records are similar to those for WW1 Soldiers which I'm more familiar with, it's likely a Soldier's Medal Roll will show the approximate date of enlisting. By coincidence it seems this information is held at Gloucester.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/prose01/Gen_Medal_Rolls.htm

However as with the Service Records they're only available to next of kin, I'm told this can be a difficult process. See this helpful forum post
http://www.ww2f.com/topic/26956-requesting-uk-service-records/

Those Records that are readily available albeit perhaps thro subscription websites are usually associated with casualties of war.
http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Learning_C&childpagename=UKLearningCenter%...

The National Archives at Kew keep records associated with WW2, as follows;
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-subject/secondworldwar.htm

This site is a good guide too
http://www.war-experience.org/research/

The following book is a very comprehensive guide indeed and strongly recommended, available in many public Libraries.
"Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors, A Guide for Family Historians" by Phil Tomaselli. Pen & Sword publications. Paperback 176 pages. ISBN: 9781848842885. Published: 17 October 2011.

This author and particularly publishers have produced several books specific to particular branches of the Forces and other specialised Family History subjects. Although I cannot find this particular WW2 book, the Glos Libraries Catalogue shows several of their books, found by searching "Pen & Sword family history". All are highly recommended.
http://prism.talis.com/gloucestershire/items?query=%22Pen+%26+Sword+Family+History%22&a...

Hope this helps,
Jeff