Military History

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World War One World War Two The Army The Royal Navy
The Royal Air Force British Army Regiments





General Military Information

British Military Records through the ages

When you are searching for Military Service Records there are a few important pieces of information that you need to have. These are:

  • Full name of the individual. If you have as full a name as possible as this will make tracking your individual easier. E.g. John Brown. There must be hundreds of John Browns. If you have a middle name it will make things a bit easier. E.g. John W Brown.
  • The Service in which he served. Army, Royal Navy or Air Force.
  • Rank and Regiment or Naval Ship or Squadron. Having the service number can be particularly helpful.
  • Find out when the person served; pre First World War, First World War and after 1920.
  • The more details you have the better. Even the Enlistment date and Demob dates are helpful as well.


Researching Prisoners of War

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva keeps lists of all known POWs and internees of all nationalities for the Second World War. Enquiries concerning these lists should be directed to:

Archives Division and Research Service
International Committee of the Red Cross
19 Avenue de la Paix,
Geneva CH-1202,
Switzerland

email: archives.gva@icrc.org


Book! Prisoners of War, British Army, 1939 - 1945

That lists alphabetically over 107,000 British Army POWs of all ranks held in Germany or in German occupied territories in World War Two. It gives each POW's camp, POW number, surname, initials, rank, army number and regiment/corps.

It was re-published in 1990, by J B Hayward and Sons of Polstead, Suffolk (cost £38) ISBN 0-903754-61-


Useful Links



A-Z List of Ex-Military Service Organisations

A-Z List of Ex-Military Service


Medals and Decorations


World War One and Two Dual Links

Women in the Military


Military (miscellaneous)





And another comprehensive site (but take care over some aspects as not all articles/illustrations refer solely to the UK)

http://www.teacheroz.com/wwi.htm

Battlefields

Aviation in the Great war


War Sites Canadian Soldiers

Very comprehensive site from a Canadian perspective


Prisoners of war

Northants soldiers Photos

http://www.northants-familytree.net/soldier%20index.htm

the intro to the site speaks for itself>>>>>>.

THE NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT SOLDIER PHOTOGRAPH INDEX

IS TAKEN FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER BETWEEN 1914-20.

EVERY NORTHANTS SOLDIER, SAILOR AND NURSE WHO APPEARED WITH A PHOTOGRAPH

IN THE PUBLICATION IS INDEXED.

Just seen an article in the latest issue of "Your Family Tree" magazine which says that the Western Front Association are starting a new service where they will provide colour copies of both the fronts and backs of a specified WW1 medal index card (even if the back is blank) for a £5 donation to the WFA, which is a registered charity.

Most cards don't have anything on the back, but I think perhaps if it says "OVER" in the bottom right-hand corner it may mean there is something. They are going to set up an online ordering system but at the moment you have to apply by post to WFA, PO Box 1918, Stockport, SK4 4WN.

I can't see anything about this on the WFA website at http://web.westernfrontassociation.com/ yet.

RAMC - Medical Corps

http://ramc-ww1.com

This is a database of people who served in the RAMC during the 1st World War, it is still in its early stages but worth making note of for the future.

Also http://www.ams-museum.org.uk. - the Army Medical Services museum website 

I just came across what looks like a good forum for discussing medals:

http://www.britishmedalforum.com/index.php

More about the Medal Cards here:

Watch the second video film:

http://www.vision-news.tv/news/vision-news-somme.html

The Royal Navy Prior to 1972 all RN personnel were given their service record when they discharged. For pension purposes the RN retained pay details. Therefore the only information held on RN personnel who served prior to 1972 are their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases.


A Subject Access Requests (SAR) form needs to be completed in order to access records.

The following address should be used for all Royal Navy and Royal Marine Enquiries

DNCM Data Protection Cell Building 1/152 PP65

Victory View HMNB Portsmouth PO1 3LS Telephone Numbers: 02392 727531 / 723114 / 726063

WW2 WW11 WWII

HMS EXETER crew lists

http://www.hmsexeter.com/biographies/exeterabc.html

Includes Rank some Navy / service numbers POW/ KIA and some futher information for some members of the ship.

Shore bases and training establishments

http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKRNMainBases.htm

World War 2 Crewlists for:

HMS Prince of Wales HMS Repulse HMS Electra HMS Express HMS Tenedos HMAS Vampire SS Automedon HMS Cornwall HMS Dorsetshire HMS Encounter HMS Jupiter HMS Rapid HMS Saumarez HMS Stronghold HMS Thanet HMS Thracian HMS Peterel HMS Li-Wo HMS Dragonfly HMS Grasshopper HMS Hollyhock HMS Paladin HMS Porpoise HMS Quilliam HMS Stonehenge HMS Stratagem HMS Ulster HMS Verulam HMS Virago HMS Volage HM Tug Yin Ping

http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/

Mariners List site

This very plain site is deceptive......it is a no nonense but very thorough database for the Royal Navy.........

http://www.mariners-l.co.uk

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/p...lery3/navy.htm http://www.catalogue.nationalarchive...uidesindex.asp http://home.swipnet.se/~w-11578/research.htm www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKRNPersonnel.html

www.royal-navy.mod.uk www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.html www.nelsonsnavy.co.uk

www.archiveshub.ac.uk www.ageofnelson.org www.angelfire.com/de/BobSanders/RNBIOG1.html www.navylist.org www.cwgc.org www.1837online.com http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jeffery...s/RNShips.html www.angelfire.com/de/BobSanders/81Intro.html www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/royal.htm www.naval-history.net www.hmshood.com www.nmm.ac.uk http://www.barnettresearch.freeserve.../education.htm www.gazettes-online.co.uk www.portcities.org.uk/london www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.html

www.nmm.ac.uk www.iwm.org.uk www.royalnavalmuseum.org www.mariners-l.co.uk

Navy Records

Royal Navy Records can be applied for using the following contact address details

Officers aged 60 or under Naval Secretary (OMOBS) Room 169 Victory Building HM Naval Base Portsmouth POL 3LS

Officers born before 1914 and Ratings enlisted before 1924

The National Archicves Kew www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Ratings enlisted after 1924 NPP Accounts 1, AFPAA Centurion Building Grange Road Gosport Hampshire PO13 9XA

Royal Naval Museum

http://www.flagship.org.uk/welcome.html

Ship Index

A list of early naval ships along with dates for each vessel at;

http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/Index.html

Sometimes a series of vessels carried the same name, the site gives dates for each known vessell which carried a name

Found this site whilst looking for a friend's rellie who was killed serving in the navy during WW1

http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/index.htm

There is a search for the name of the person or the ship, plus where the various memorials are in Portsmouth.

I was researching for a friend of mine who knew that her Husband's G'Dad died in an accident on board - family legend had it that this was in Portsmouth harbour, but the search revealed that his ship, the 'Bulwark' was actually moored at Sheerness. Those who died are named on the memorial on Southsea front.

Unfortunately, I can't help on the 'surviving' ships front, but I did look at a good site which lists many ships and what their fate was after the war. There are also photos of the crews in some cases.

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk

Brompton War Memorial Kent - Roll of Honour

Found this little site/page when searching around - has names listed that are on the memorial ...........

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Kent/Brompton.html

Rainham War Memorial Kent - Roll of Honour

Similar to the previous posting but for Rainham Kent

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Kent/Rainham.html

Royal Navy Air Station-- Fleet Air Arm, a branch of the RN


My father was on just as many ships during ww2 He served on the same ship several times. Non officers changed ships each time they went on leave, or when the ship put in for repairs.

Your great Uncle was a stoker, later a leading stoker, which meant he worked in the engine room. A stoker basically shovelled coal into the boilers to steam up . On ships without coal the rank was kept but he would still work in the engine room.

http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKRNMainBases.htm

Go to this site for all the shore bases, mainly WW2 tho' , your great uncle would have visited it several times during the war usually for further training or awaiting a new ship.

QUOTE re VIVID This was his Shore Base http://www.maritimequest.com/guestbo...message_57.htm 'The Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport (adjacent to Plymouth) was built in the late 1800s and at the time the Commander in Chief of the area had an official yacht HMS VIVID. He decided that the new barracks should take the designation HMS VIVID. It was customary for satellites of shore establishments to take the "ship name" of their parent with I or II and so on added. HMS VIVID I was the signals centre associated with the Devonport Barracks but not actually inside the perimeter. HMS VIVID II and III would have been shore units, part of the Devonport barracks, probably not actually within the perimeter but certainly within the general area of Plymouth Naval Base.' UNQUOTE


http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/pre-dread.htm

this site is good for ships during WW1


http://www.gwpda.org/naval/j0300001.htm This site records the Battle of Otranto Straits 15th May 1917. Your great Uncle was on board the ship HMS Dartmouth at the time.

QUOTE from enemy perspective on http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian...horthy/06.html 'The enemy had lost twenty-three net-trailing drifters, two transports, two destroyers and one aeroplane. In addition, the enemy flagship Dartmouth was attacked by a German U-boat as she was entering the harbour of Brindisi and holed by two torpedoes. The French destroyer Boutefeu, going to the assistance of the Dartmouth, ran onto a mine released by the U-boat and sank.' UNQUOTE

HMS Pembroke is a shore base not a ship. It's Chatham Naval Barracks and also home of the Coast guard Service.

You can look up th ships he was on here:

http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/pre-dread.htm

Royal arthur was an armoured cruiser

Minos was a destroyer

I think Watchful was a shorebase in WW1 too.

Do you have his service record? you can search for it here and down load it for £3.50

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...=*&queryType=1

You won't find Ships's crews list as all ships changed their crews on a regular basis.

Have you searched the sites listed in other posts above?

Googling is as good a way as any to find out the history of the ship and which battles for example that ship took part in. His service record will give you the dates he was aboard so you can easily see what action he was involved in himself during the war.

http://rmhh.co.uk/mariners.html

This is a website that gives links to various Merchant Navy and Royal Navy information.

Lancastria Association of Scotland

www.lancstria.org

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