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Service Information & Sourcing

This page is a signposting facility to aid the sourcing of information relating to service history and searching for individuals through a number of useful websites and organisations.

To search for comrades, share experiences, stories, memories, photographs and opinions, please register on RAF-Comrade-Contact the website for RAFA Members.

Veterans Agency

Veterans Agency, a merger of the SPVA and VA, is the single point of contact within the Ministry of Defence for providing information, help and advice on issues of concern to veterans and their families.

 The new Agency will provide for the first time, a range of 'through life'  support functions direct to around 900,000 serving and ex-service personnel.

Royal Air Force Service Records

Royal Air Force personnel records are held at RAF Cranwell. If service number and details are known, please quote it in the correspondence. The personnel records department will only divulge information to the person to whom it refers, of if he or she has died, to his or her immediate next of kin. Anyone else must obtain written permission from the person about whom they are enquiring or from his or her next of kin, before any information will be given to them. 

A charge of £30.00 will be made for any information provided, if cheques are submmitted with queries, they should be made payable to 'HMG Sub-Account 3627'. This applies to personnel records only. The only people exempt from charge are the person to whom the records refer or to their widow or widower.

For records of decorations and citations

For medal claims:

Records for precursors of the RAF (the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service) are held at the National Archives, as ar RAF records for service during the First World War. 

Casualty Enquiries

Information about casualties is deemed to be personal and only enquiries in writing or on behalf of next of kin can normally be considered. Casualty enquiries are dealt with by:

Air Historical Branch (RAF) also maintain historical records relating to individual aircraft.

The National Archives

The National Archives is the national repository for official Government records, including the War Office files and records amongst which are to be found surviving unit war diaries and army service records.

Visitors must be registered in person and obtain a Reader's Ticket with appropriate proof of identity. For information, please telephone 020 8392 5200.

The National Archives are located at the following address:

The Family Records Centre (FRC)

The Family Records Centre is the official source for tracing family records through various means including those who have served in one of the armed forces. Some records survive from as far back as the Civil War, however, most family history researchers will find the more recent records from World War I the most useful.

The Family Records Centre can be found at the following address:

Royal Air Force Museum - World War I Casualty Records

Imperial War Museum

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

This site now has a searchable database  (The 'Debt of Honour Register' ) containing the names of 1.7 million casualties from both World Wars and the 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations world-wide where they are commemorated. The register can also be searched for details of the 67,000 Commonwealth civiliants who died as a result of enemy action in the Second World War.

Tracemart Limited - People Tracing Services

If you require further assistance in tracing someone then Tracesmart Ltd is a company that may be able to help, information can be found on their website:

BUPA Great South Run – 26th October 2008

BUPA Great South Run – 26th October 2008

Several members of the RAF have pushed themselves to the limit to take on the Great South Run in aid of RAFA.
Read more »

 

Please contact CHQ directly on
Telephone: 0116 266 5224 or
Fax: 0116 266 5012

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