MOD ALREADY TRANSFERRING WW2 SERVICE FILES TO UK NATIONAL ARCHIVES 2021

Back on page 12 of this thread I clarified what they would accept as proof of death.

All records are automatically set at 116 years - they will not be proactive and open unless someone requests and pays up. CWGC link acceptable.

Ross

I asked the TNA that question in March - the answer for digital proof of death was:

"Thank you for your email.


We would accept a link to The Commonwealth War Graves Commission as valid proof of death.


We require documentary proof of death. Other formats we would accept include, a death certificate, an entry into an official history, or a published obituary.


I hope this helps to answer your query."

 

Hi,

Albeit a service file will contain a clear endorsement somewhere within the often extensive papers that the subject has died in service it may be that the “low level” person responsible for entering the file in the National Archive Discovery system is acting on management instructions to simply register the file rather than search it for evidence of its accessibility level or even perform a simple CWGC search.

I’m sure appropriate access would be granted on submission of a FOI request with proof of death from CWGC.

Steve

 

FINALLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Received the Service Record (34 pages) after 1 year, 2 months, only redactions are children details, which I already know.

Lots & lots of medical stuff, even got his temperature charts from when he was in hospital (+ pee & poo frequency charts ).

Not so much detail on postings and places etc.

 

A year and two months - In that case I might have mine before the end of the year!

 

Glorious consistency from our new information overlords.

 

To be fair, you can just never get enough of these .

 

Well, I've applied to the National Archives for my grandfather's service records to see whether they can surprise me by releasing more than the MoD did on paper.

For all the good it will likely do me, I have explicitly requested all records available and then provided a list of every Army Form reference number I could think of that might exist.

I fully expect that last item to be ignored, but on balance it's probably worth a try.

 

Way to go CF!

Good luck with your request; May TNA fortune smile upon you.

Kind regards, fingers crossed, always,

Jim.

 

See the latest Kew Annual Report for the "accessioning" procedure.

"These records do not undergo formal accessioning in the same way or to the same timescales as other transfers."

Since the Kew website lost the A-Z of the website link (in September ( which had been there for over 20 years ) it is quicker to use Google to find items on the Kew website than use the search function found at the top right of the "calling page.". To read the Annual Reports the large print version is far better than the standard "printed" edition because it has reasonable column widths and lacks the "quotations from adjacent text" extra printing.

https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk...s-national-archives-large-print-2023-2024.pdf

page 242

"8. Further information on heritage assets
8a) Accessioning
There is a short time immediately following receipt of newly transferred records before they are formally accessionedinto The National Archives’ collection and added to our catalogue. For physical records, transfer deliveries are scrutinised for completeness and there is an element of physical and system processing needed before they can be accessioned. This includes ensuring that the physical condition of the records is acceptable, that the information provided for the catalogue reflects the content of the records and that the access conditions for each record (open or closed) are correct.

For digital records, a number of technical checks are carried out to the records themselves and also to the accompanying metadata, as part of the accessioning
process. The Transfer Digital Records service automates this process and provides us with a chain of custody for the records. For non-standard digital transfers, such as records
243
sent on a hard disk, we check and may need to correct the accompanying metadata for accuracy and completeness prior to accessioning the records.

The National Archives is currently undertaking a project to transfer into its care records previously held by the Ministry of Defence. This is a highly complex and atypical transfer that will significantly increase the size of our collection. The accessioning of and provision of access to these records present a number of challenges to our usual ways of working. These records do not undergo formal accessioning in the same way or to the same timescales as other transfers. Nevertheless, these records are carefully monitored and recorded and are subject to controls over documentation, holdings, physical access and storage location are analogous to those in place for routine transfers."

 

FOI statistics :

Freedom of Information Statistics: development plan June 2024

Freedom of Information statistics: April to June 2024 bulletin.