My Grandfathers Service Records!!!!!!!

[yorkie]

Could anyone please help me to find out how I can obtain copies of my grandfathers service records which I know are held at Kew.
I would like to purchase the larger copies [A3 I think]. I really am very lucky they have survived ,I may not have his medals but the records are even better. 19 pages of the records exist I have got the A4 copies from Ancestry but there are pages of them I just can`t read due to the handwriting being either very small or very poorly written. I will have very real problems getting over to Kew because I am disabled. Ideas please. Cheers Andy.

[AndyC_65]

Andy - did you ever get an answer to this?

I have about a 50% strike rate on the burnt records, and as you say, they are hard to read.

If there are A3 copies available, I'd certainly like to obtain several sets.

cheers,

Andy C

[David Tremain]

Yorkie, are these WW1 or WW2 records? I sent off for my grandfather's WW2 records to the MoD personnel records centre in Glasgow. However, it takes about a year to get anything back and costs twenty five quid. If you go onto the MoD's website there's a section where you can download or fill in online the application form (however, you can't send it online, it has to be mailed).

When you get them they come with a glossary of abbreviations to help you decipher them, which helps a bit but not much. I figured out a lot of them by personal knowledge of my grandfather's war service, a bit of deduction, and lots of internet searching (i.e. ww2forum etc). Things like X Lists, 'Python' and the like, which aren't made clear. If you must know, I can explain X Lists, with the help of info posted about NZ army service, which I assume, was modelled on the British system. There's still a few gaps I need to fill in, but I'm getting there. Part of the fun, really.
Cheers, David

[REMEVMBEA1]

I managed to get my own records fron Kentigern House, Glasgow and found the detail amazing but I also discovered misleading entries. It says that at times I was on strength of units I wasn't aware of. For example , I was stationed at Tidworth ,3 Infantry Workshops REME, we went , as a unit, on exercise to Cyprus and Libya but were recorded as on strength 48 Command Workshop REME.. According to my record however I was on strength of 7 Sqn RCT from 24/8/65 to 10/2/66 when in fact I was only there for about 6 weeks at most meanwhile according to another entry I was in Cyprus from 19/10/65 to 10/2/66 entry. I am also recorded as being on strength 5 Inf Bde Provost Unit RMP , a unit I never came across to my knowledge. So even if you do get the records don't take them as gospel. Incidentally according to my discharge book I spent all my time , 15 years in REME when in fact I enlisted into the North Staffords. I'm sorry if that's confusing you , it definitely confuses me.

[AndyC_65]

These will be WW1 records, WW2 records as I understand it aren't available unless you are the NOK, and as you say, can take a long time to arrive.

WW1 records are available online via several sources - but only about 66% survived the blitz and of what's left, most have either fire or water damage and are difficult to decipher.

[Eddie Parks]

If the records you got from Ancestry are really unreadable you will have to find a researcher who will look them up for you at Kew. Kew itself has a list of researchers or you can Google for one.

Kew's photocopiers operate on A3 paper but the image will be foolscap which the size of the original. They may be easier to read than the scanned image.

But
Eddie

[yorkie]

Good evening guy`s, I just wanted to thank you all for your advice and tips about getting my Grandads WW1 Service Records etc. I Have been in contact with a Researcher and I have now engaged him into copying the records onto A3 paper which will I am sure give me a better chance of actually reading the pages.

[yorkie]

I have now received the records I asked for, and I have to say I am delighted with them. The difference between the A4 copies I got from Ancestry uk and the A3 copies I have just received is quite something, the parts I was not able to read on the smaller copies now becomes quite legible.There are still odd words I can`t read but that is mainly due to bad handwriting. The cost of this chaps services was £30.00 which are his charges for 1 hours work, and for that I received 25 A3 photocopies and it included P+P, If anyone is interested in useing his services pm me I do not think I should put it on the forum, as it could be looked upon as advertising.