Record Masterclass
Rob Clark explains how to order Second World War service records from the MOD, and what they may reveal about a relation’s wartime experience
Make the most of army service records from WW2
Service records are by far the most important documents for researching ancestors who served in the British Army during the Second World
War. They were kept to provide an accurate record of a soldier’s service, and are a rich source of information that cannot be found elsewhere. This includes (at the very least) the dates a soldier served, the units they served with, the courses they attended, promotions, appointments and their medal entitlement. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) holds the service records of all of the soldiers who served in the Army during the war, apart from those of the Scots Guards whose records are held by their own archive.
Anyone can order a copy of the service record of a soldier who died over 25 years ago, but if they died more recently, only the
to ‘Many soldiers were too young enlist so provided a false birthdate’
next of kin can apply – or you’ll need their permission. However, the MOD will release a very limited amount of information to all inquiries if a soldier has died and you don’t have the permission of the next of kin.
Applications require two forms to be filled out, one relating to the person applying and the other containing information about the soldier. These can be downloaded at www.gov. uk/get-copy-military-servicerecords. A death certificate is also needed if the soldier didn’t die in service, or was born less than 116 years ago. A fee of £30 is charged, unless you are the spouse or civil partner of the person in question, a veteran applying for their records, or someone acting on a veteran’s behalf – for example, because you have power of attorney.
Note that it can take months for a request to be processed, although the MOD hopes to begin offering online ordering in 2021 which should help.
Necessary Information
You can complete an application even if you don’t know a soldier’s number, known as a Personal Number for officers and an Army Number for other ranks. Most applications that only use a date of birth are successful, although bear in mind that many soldiers were too young to enlist so provided a false birthdate. Also, multiple soldiers with the same name may have been born on the same date; this is especially true for common names. Therefore I recommend including details of a soldier’s next of kin if known, as well as their address to help the MOD find the correct individual.
The document that you’ll receive will be a photocopied service record, which will usually be between six and 14 pages long. Records of officers and those who
died during the war, or were discharged before the end of hostilities, tend to be shorter. Documents relating to a soldier’s earlier period of service may also appear, especially for veterans of the
First World War, although this is not guaranteed.
The documents will include military jargon in the form of abbreviations and acronyms, but once deciphered you can follow a soldier’s movements fairly closely through most of the war. Unfortunately, the MOD doesn’t release documents relating to a soldier’s medical history, which can leave large gaps if your ancestor received long periods of treatment.
Attestation documents are often included, recording when a soldier began their service and whether they volunteered or were conscripted. The unit they first joined, their address, and the date and place of birth will be included on this form. A description on enlistment, recording their height, weight, chest measurements and so on usually appears as well.
One of the documents frequently found among soldiers’ service records is an Army
Form B.103 Service and Casualty Form (see the annotated document on page 53). This is particularly helpful and provides the most detailed record of a soldier’s movements. A
Release ‘A Notification of Impending soldiers’ often appears for demobilised
Notification of Impending Release often appears for soldiers demobilised from the ranks, which contains a testimonial from one of their officers. The role of a soldier in their unit – for example, cook, driver, mechanic, clerk – is often recorded in the testimonial, providing greater insight into their service.
ROBERT CLARK researches soldiers of the British Army who fought in the two world wars: researchingww2.co.uk