Forest of Dean FHT Forum - How to obtain service records

How to obtain service records (reply)

slowhands — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:19:28 +0000

It rather depends how recent the records are , for WW1 it is sadly hit and miss as the records were damaged during WWII (!) - the remains are available via Ancestry.

For WWII and later I think the MoD route is better :-)

How to obtain service records (reply)

rookancestrybest — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:26:37 +0000

Thanks, I have also found that information is on the National Archives' Website but that its search engine doesn't filter out much which is not relevant. However I have found some useful info. that way. I go to my local library for Ancestry.com as they pay an annual subscription to it.

How to obtain service records (reply)

chrishowell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:47:02 +0000

Re Slowhands note regarding service records.

There is a fairly comprehensive list of service records, medals, pensions etc on Ancestry.co.uk which might be worth a look at - and you don't need to contact the Ministry of Defence

Thanks for this Slowhands! (reply)

rookancestrybest — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:29:19 +0000

I had most of this but I did not have the grave location or reference number or the War Cemetery involved. For some reason, my other relative (not related to this relative!) was not buried in the same cemetery though died in the same battle on the same day!

Thomas Alban ROOKE 1895 - 1916 WW1 Salonika R I P (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:51:23 +0000

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Name: Thomas Alban Rook
Year of Registration: 1895
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Monmouth (1837-1939)
County: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 24

1901
Hurban Rooke abt 1859 West Dean Head West Dean, Monmouthshire
Mary A Rooke abt 1869 West Dean Wife West Dean, Monmouthshire
Bessie Rooke abt 1891 West Dean Daughter West Dean, Monmouthshire
Tom Rooke abt 1896 West Dean Son West Dean, Monmouthshire
Charles Rooke abt 1897 West Dean Son West Dean, Monmouthshire

Name: ROOKE
Initials: T A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Corporal
Regiment/Service: Worcestershire Regiment
Unit Text: 11th Bn.
Date of Death: 31/10/1916
Service No: 18317
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 645.
Cemetery: SALONIKA (LEMBET ROAD) MILITARY CEMETERY

Name: Thomas Alban Rooke
Birth Place: West Dean, Glos
Residence: Coleford, Glos
Death Date: 31 Oct 1916
Enlistment Location: Coleford
Rank: Corporal
Regiment: Worcestershire Regiment
Battalion: 11th Battalion.
Number: 18317
Type of Casualty: Died of wounds
Theatre of War: Antwerp

Thomas Alban IRELAND, B.E.M. London Gazette Entry 1943 (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:44:17 +0000

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/

Page 862 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 18th FEBRUARY 1943

St. James's Palace, S.W.1, 18th February, 1943

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve
the following awards of the British Empire Medal
(Military Division), in recognition of gallant and
distinguished services in the Middle East during the
period May 1942 to October 1942 :—

No. 7651130 Private Thomas Alban Ireland, Royal
Army Ordnance-Corps(Coleford, Glos.).

<><><><><><>

Year: 1912
Month: Sep
Day: 21
Grooms_Surname: IRELAND
Grooms_Forenames: Ernest William
Grooms_Age: 30
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Labourer
Grooms_Residence: Painswick
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Ireland
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Quarry Man
Brides_Surname: ROOKE
Brides_Forenames: Bessie
Brides_Age: 21
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: Domestic Service
Brides_Residence: Coalway Lane End
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Rooke
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Urban
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Ostler
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Lily Ireland
Witness_2: John Tyler
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Edward H Brice
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P93 IN 1/12
Page_Number: 31
Parish_Chapel: Coleford

Name: Thomas A Ireland
Mother's Maiden Surname: Rooke
Date of Registration: Jan Feb Mar 1917
Registration district: Monmouth
Registration county: Wales
Volume Number: 11a
Page Number: 36

Name: Thomas A Ireland
Spouse : Violet Parker
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1940
Registration district: Forest of Dean
Registration county (inferred): Gloucestershire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 1091

Year: 1940
Month: May
Day: 4
Grooms_Surname: IRELAND
Grooms_Forenames: Thomas Alban
Grooms_Age: 23
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Blacksmith
Grooms_Residence: Christchurch Glos
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: Ireland
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Ernest
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Deceased
Brides_Surname: PARKER
Brides_Forenames: Violet
Brides_Age: 24
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Christchurch Glos
Brides_Fathers_Surname: Parker
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Abraham
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Miner
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Lancelot R Wintle
Witness_2: Rhoda Hughes
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Wyndham Jones
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P82 IN 1/9
Page_Number: 49
Parish_Chapel: Christchurch

Name: Thomas A Ireland
Mother's Maiden Surname: Parker
Date of Registration: Jul Aug Sep 1940
Registration district: F of Dean
Registration county: Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 743

Name: Thomas A Ireland
Death Registration Month/Year: 1952
Age at death (estimated): 35
Registration district: Gloucester City
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Volume: 7b
Page: 347

Year: 1952
Month: Oct
Day: 1
Surname: IRELAND
Forenames: Thomas Allan
Residence: The Gardens Nine Wells nr Coleford
Age_at_death: 35 years
Officiating_Minister: H Bryden Vicar of Christchurch
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P82 IN 1/17
Page_No: 57
Parish_Chapel: Christchurch

How to obtain service records (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:37:50 +0000

Making a request for service details of deceased service personnel

Note that if you are not the Next of Kin and do not have the consent of the Next of Kin, then for a period of 25 years following the date of death the only information that will be disclosed to you is: Surname, Forename, Rank, Service, Service Number, Regiment/Corps, Place of Birth, Age, Date of Death, the date an individual joined the service and the date of leaving.

After this period then, depending on what information is held, an individuals record of service can be disclosed, this information is likely to consist of: an account of the dates that the individual served with the Armed Forces, the units in which he/she served and the locations of those units, the ranks in which the service was carried out and details of any orders of chivalry and gallantry medals (decorations of valour) some of which may already have been announced in the London Gazette.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/ServiceRecords/Making...

Thomas Alban Rooke Killed in Action and Thomas Alban Ireland.

rookancestrybest — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:05:37 +0000

I am of the impression that Thomas Alban Rooke, who was killed in action in Salonica in WWI, 11th Bat. of the Worcester Regiment (rank: Corporal) might have been the uncle of Thomas Alban Ireland BEM. The latter gained the British Empire Medal for Galantry in WW2.
I think Thomas Alban Rooke might be the same person as Tom Rooke son of Urban Rook(e) and his wife Mary Ann and nephew of Alban Rook (brother to Urban). If this is the case then he is uncle to Thomas Alban Ireland who was his sister Bessie's son born three months after Thomas Alban Rooke was killed. Thomas Alban Rooke died in October 1916 in Salonika.
Thomas Alban Ireland was born in January 1917. His parents were Bessie (nee Rooke) and Ernest William Ireland. Thomas Alban Ireland is buried in Christchurch, graveyard (Gloucestershire) and died in 1952. He gained the British Empire Medal for "gallant and distinguished service" in the Royal Ordinance Corps. on 18/2/1941 for war service in Egypt and Libya. (Rank:Private). He appears to have married Violet Parker in 1940.
I would love to know more about how Thomas Alban Ireland came to be awarded such a distinguished army medal. I am also wondering whether his early death in 1952 might be a direct result of some kind of injury in the war as his army service appears to have ended in 1943 before the end of the war.
I am interested to know more of Thomas Alban Rooke who died in Salonika, not least because he, like the other Thomas Alban, are related to me on my mother's side but on my father's side of the family there was someone else killed in the same battle.
I would be interested to learn of any other people related to these who might have served in the armed forces in the First and Second World Wars. If anyone is related to them they might be interested that two other relatives (from the branch that moved to Sheffield) were in WW1 and one of those gained some kind of medal or award for gallantry too.I will research the further but know from what I was told by word of mouth about the latter. Others also served in the Second World War (at least one in the Army and one in the Royal Navy). I have found out too, that someone from the branch that moved to Poughkeepsie, USA, had call up papers to the American Army for WW1 but I am not sure whether he actually put in any service.