WW2 Service Records Address

[Paul Reed]

Service records for British Army Officers and Soldiers since 1920 are held by:

Army Personnel Centre
Historic Disclosures
Mailpoint 400
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX

Email: apc_historical_disclosures@btconnect.com

Telephone number depends on what surname you are requesting:

A -CLAD : 0141 224 2743
CLAE - FE: 0141 224 2826
FI - KE: 0141 224 2544
KH - OL: 0141 224 3515
OM - SHEQ: 0141 224 2744
SHER - Z: 0141 224 2335

A fee (non-refundable) is payable for each search; I understand it is currently £25. It also takes some months to receive a reply.

[Simon_Fielding]

Are there comparable contact details for RAF personnel?

Simon

[Paul Reed]

Simon - I will add details of RN and RAF in due course.

If any of our US and Canadian and Australian (and NZ?) contributors can add details for their countries, that would be good, too.

[Chris Basey]

Address for Royal Air Force records:

RAF Records Office:
PMA(Sec)1b(RAF),
Building 248A,
RAF Innsworth,
Gloucester GL3 1EZ
(01452 712612 ext 7622).

[Chris Basey]

For Royal Navy records:

Ministry of Defence
Veterans Agency

http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/servicerecs/royaln.htm

[salientpoints]

And to summarise:

ARMY CONTACT DETAILS

Officers or Soldiers whose service ended before 1921*

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

* Microfilm copies of WW1 service records are also held by the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). www.familysearch.org

Officers or Soldiers whose service ended between 1921 and 1997

Army Personnel Centre
HQ Secretariat
Historical Disclosures
Mail Point 400
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX

Officers and Soldiers of the Foot Guards Regiments

Regimental Headquarters
The *** Guards
Wellington Barracks
Birdcage Walk
London
SW1E 6HQ

*** Insert as appropriate: Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish or Welsh.

ROYAL NAVY CONTACT DETAILS

Officers born before 1914 & Ratings enlisted before 1924

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Ratings enlisted after 1924

NPP Accounts 1, AFPAA
Centurion Building
Grange Road
Gosport
Hampshire
PO13 9XA

ROYAL MARINES CONTACT DETAILS

Officers & other ranks enlisted before 1925

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Officers & other ranks enlisted after 1925

Historical Records Office Royal Marines
Centurion Building
Grange Road
Gosport
Hampshire
PO13 9XA

ROYAL AIR FORCE CONTACT DETAILS

Officers whose service ended in 1920 or earlier & Airmen whose service ended in 1928 or earlier

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Officers whose service ended in 1920 or later & Airmen whose service ended in 1928 or later

PMA (Sec) IM 1b
Room 5
Building 248a
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1EZ

Home Guard & Service Medal Enquiries

Army Medal Office
Government Office Buildings
Worcester Road
Droitwich Spa
Worcestershire
WR9 8AU

Regimental Histories

The Imperial War Museum
Lambeth Road
London
SE1 6HZ

Regimental War Diaries & Information on Citations

The National Archives
Ruskin Avenue
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

[Paul Reed]

Thanks for all the additional addresses and input - it will make this a useful point of reference for future members.

[Jeff Floyd]

For American records, the address is:

Director, NPRC
National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
USA

The center had a fire in 1973 that destroyed most Army and Army Air Forces World War II records. While the official story is that it destroyed the files from "Hubbard" through the end of the alphabet, there are actually some records in other files (mostly separation records).

To get anything from St. Louis requires a veteran's service number or Social Security number and lots of patience.

[DirtyDick]

I assume that you are all aware of the excellent Australian on-line referencing website for both world wars?

If not, here it is: www.ww2roll.gov.au

If you cannot access papers by name you should try just the service number.
You can also order copies of their service papers for AU$14.60 (£5-ish).

I've looked up a number of individuals and have only found one or two not listed.

Richard

[DirtyDick]

SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH

I was recently put in touch by a third party with a very efficient researcher living in South Africa who has access to the SADF service records from both world wars and several decades either side. I am presently awaiting a first batch of photocopied records posted only a day or so after making the initial request. He also has very reasonable prices, and coupled with the strength of the £GB and US$ against the SA Rand makes for a very good deal.

NOTE: I have no association with the researcher other than as a client, but thought that Pals would be interested in having the details of a good researcher in such a location, since SA records are not digitised and have to be photocopied and sent by post (and I have read threads about the difficulties and delays of seeking records direct from the SADF archives).
If anyone wants his email address please leave a post and I will contact you dircetly (save filling up my In-Box).