Royal Navy records

[LindaS]

Does anybody know if I could get the Royal Navy records for my Dad who served in the Navy in WW11. If so where from.
Thanks

[MaryA]

The National Archives have records of Seamens Medals which might be a good start and quicker and cheaper than service records might be, if they are anything like those for soldiers. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... medals.asp

I think you might find some useful information from the Royal Museums Greenwich site http://www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/librar ... -enquiries they seem to think you need to the Veterans Agency http://www.veterans-uk.info/index.htm

[LindaS]

Thanks Mary
Ive had a look on the National Archive site but there is no matching name for him there. I've downloaded the forms to send off for his service records & will give it a try.
He joined the Merchant Navy after the war & I've got his seamans pouch off the archive site a while ago. I just thought it would be interesting to see what he got up to in the War. Pity I didn't think to ask him while he was still alive

[sophia]

Hi
I have just finished my father's war record. It has taken my husband and I a couple of years. We had my father's seaman's book with his ships, but for W.W.11 it just states that he was on H.M.S. We also found the address to apply for his medal's he was entitled to. Apparently many Merchant Navy sailors did not request them because they were not paid pension for their service during the war.

We wrote to Cardiff and was told that we would have to do the research ourselves as to the precise location of the ships on the dates during the war detemines what medals they are entited to. That we had to do via the National Archives and they charged three pound fify for each copy of each route. When we had all the information regarding his ships and the family we forwarded the information to Cardiff.

It was worth the work because when you see the ships routes that he travelled you can understand your father and as you say just wish it was done when he was alive. We received the medals two weeks ago.

I do not have his service records that would be interesting as he has a tempory visa issued in Mexico and tempory passport issued in New York for 1942. It would be interesting to see if his tales of being torpedoed was true.

Where did you get the application to get his service record?

Sophia

[LindaS]

Hi Sophia.
I dont know if you want the Royal or Merchant Navy records but this is for the Royal Navy
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/About ... inForm.htm

or start here

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/About ... ecords.htm.

I sent off for Dad's Royal Navy records last week got a letter off them at the weekend acknowledging my request & saying they had found the records but needed to do further research. They said they would send the records within 30 working days. Cant wait

[MaryA]

Great informative posts girls, good luck with results, keep us informed of any more findings, we'll be interested to hear from you.

[sophia]

Hi

Regarding the service records for W.W.11 My father and grandfather were both in the Merchant Navy, but during times of war they came under the control of the Royal Navy. My grandfather was awarded medals for his service, but he is listed as in the Royal Navy on his ships log. All the time of Dad's war service it mentions the name of the ship but never it's routes, just on HMS.

Regarding the medals for W.W.11 once you have the information required from the National Archive, you send the information to
Registry of Shipping and Seamen
MCA Cardiff
Anchor Court
Ocean Way
Cardiff, CF 24 5JW

[LindaS]

Thanks Sophia
I'll wait until I get Dads records & see how much further I can get
Lynne