Looking for WWII records

crazycatlady22

crazycatlady22

Well-Known Member
I hope that it is o.k. to ask this. I am thinking of buying a subscription for one of the big websites - Ancestry, Findmypast, my heritage, or any other site. I am hoping to find my Father's WWII records if possible. What I know is what my Mother told me. Can I access his medical records? [he was seriously injured during a kamikazi attack and I would like to find out what his injuries were]. He was an Air Frame Fitter on the Formidable. I am reasonably certain that he was a Chief Petty Officer.

Also I am trying to knock down a few brick walls that I have been struggling with. I am certain that the names are either recorded incorrectly or have been transcribed incorrectly, so I will be searching a lot of records. I think that some sites limit the number of records that one can look at per day. Thanks in advance
 
This might help.

Second World War - an overview - The National Archives

This guide provides a brief overview of Second World War records held at The National Archives. You’ll get a sense of the sorts of records we hold and links to guides with more details and advice on how to find and view specific sets of records. There is also advice on some of the related […]
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

I am doubtful that British WW11 records are digitised on any of the commercial web sites at this time. Though I may be incorrect.
 
As it says on the National Archives website here in paragraph 4:
The vast scale of the recent transfer of British Army Second World War service records from the MOD to The National Archives means that only a small proportion are available online (through Ancestry), searchable in our catalogue or viewable in our reading rooms.

Rather than take out a sub to Ancestry, see if your local Library has free access (they do in the UK, but not sure about Oz)
It goes on to give you a search box for their catalogue.

Good luck!
 
1. As Doug & Jan say, most WW2 records are not yet available online (and those that are are fragmented), but as you are his daughter I'm pretty sure that you can apply for them from the MOD. Trouble is, I can't remember how (or the price). But I'm sure someone here will tell us!

2. Re: websites. I've only tried Ancestry, and have stuck with it because you can access the ORIGINAL records (I don't trust transcriptions) and actually READ them in page order. There's no limit to how many you look at.
(The problem is (a) finding them - their cataloguing system & descriptions often have no relevance to the contents, and the transcriptions are often wrong/missing/misleading; (b) paying for them - Ancestry likes to charge extra for looking at certain "collections".)

Jane
 
This link gives you details of how to apply for a deceased person's military records. I've done it for both for my Dad, my father-in-law and a friend's father in the past. On all occasions it took about 3 months for them to be processed but, in the case of my father-in-law, not only did I get his service records but also his pay book which was being held by the MOD. I don't know how common it is for any documents still held by the MOD to be passed on in this way. My friend's father's service records amounted to many large pages and were very useful. My Dad's amounted to a couple of small sheets as he had been a POW and so had nothing much in the way of service records. Hope that helps and good luck :)
Code: 
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service/apply-for-the-records-of-a-deceased-serviceperson
 
Thank you everyone for you feedback. This has been very helpful. I have completed the application form that you mentioned AnnB. It seems to be a very easy process - fingers crossed. About checking on my brick walls, I might just take out a one month subscription with Ancestry and see where it gets me. If I am happy, I might take out a 12 month subscription. I want to be able to see the original document for the baptisms etc. because I know both parents name, where they lived etc. Once again, thank you. This is something that I have been mulling over for a long time.
 
crazycatlady22 said:
Thank you everyone for you feedback. This has been very helpful. I have completed the application form that you mentioned AnnB. It seems to be a very easy process - fingers crossed. About checking on my brick walls, I might just take out a one month subscription with Ancestry and see where it gets me. If I am happy, I might take out a 12 month subscription. I want to be able to see the original document for the baptisms etc. because I know both parents name, where they lived etc. Once again, thank you. This is something that I have been mulling over for a long time.
Click to expand...
For baptisms, Family Search enables sight of the original. And it's free :)! (I just find it difficult to negotiate :confused:!)

Jane
 
It seems that medical information is redacted until 115 years past the date of birth of the individual.
My father was in a US hospital and when Pearl Harbour was attacked those around him were more than interested about the war then.
 
kernowmaid said:
For baptisms, Family Search enables sight of the original. And it's free :)! (I just find it difficult to negotiate :confused:!)

Jane
Click to expand...
Yes, I have difficulty navigating the familysearch site when looking for original documents. I might give it another try first and see how I go.
 
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