Who Do I Contact For Naval Service Records ? [Archive]

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tonclass

31-12-2008, 20:17

THIS THREAD NOW CLOSED.
FOR INFORMATION REGARDING OBTAINING SERVICE RECORDS, PLEASE GO HERE:

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7485

I started this thread as I was asked by a work colleague where they would go to find a friends relatives Naval service record, when they have nothing but a name.

This thread has been up and running for a few months now, and there should now be sufficient information to help anyone trying to track down lost friends and relatives.

Also asked was, the relatives ashes were scattered at sea when he died, but the family have no record of whereabouts other than off Portsmouth somewhere. Who carries out sea burials and do they keep records of where ? They would like to lay a wreath !! (Still await info on this question though)

Harley

31-12-2008, 20:38

Depending on the name (forename, surname &c.), this is probably your best bet for ratings' and officers' service records - the "advanced search" feature at The National Archives.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/power-search.asp?searchType=powersearch

Simon

tonclass

31-12-2008, 20:51

Cheers Simon. That's a great start, but I'm sure there's an address somewhere that was posted in the last week or two.

Many thanks for starting the ball rolling though !!

alanbenn

01-01-2009, 11:40

Rik is this what you were looking for?

The records of British RN personnel are held at 3 different locations, depending primarily on the time when a person entered or served in the Navy or an auxiliary service.
1. MoD. Ministry of Defence,
CS(RM)2A,
Bourne Avenue,
Hayes,
Middlesex UB3 1RF,
England
2. Centurion. Naval Pay & Pensions (Accounts),
Centurion Building,
Grange Road,
Gosport,
Hampshire PO13 9XA
England
In both of the above archives, only written enquiries from next-of-kin are accepted, and a search fee is charged. There is an ongoing process of moving selected records from these locations to:
3. PRO. The Public Record Office,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey TW9 4DU
England Tel: +44 (0)181 876 3444
http://www.pro.gov.uk/ (http://www.pro.gov.uk/)

Regards
Alan

tonclass

01-01-2009, 18:17

Cheers Alan. I'll pass on all the info next time I see him.

SLIPALONG

12-01-2009, 20:23

Dont' know if this is any help but I contacted National Archive by phone today, one of their guys guided me through the online document process. 5 mins and £3.50 later I had a copy of my Grandfathers WW1 naval records on my computer. This document once transferred to Picassa 3 is fully legible and contained every thing I wanted to know. Great service. Cheers Slipalong.:)

tonclass

13-01-2009, 06:38

Much appreciated Slip....

Rik

Commander Medland

28-01-2009, 19:15

I think you will find this the place to go

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royal-navy-service.asp

hotspurfreddie

09-03-2009, 21:40

AngusOg

10-03-2009, 04:53

jbryce1437

10-03-2009, 16:35

What was the telephone number ypu called please and thank you Hotspurfreddie

:)

This is the published telephone number for the National Archives, you can also contact them by email:

The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8876 3444.

If you want to contact them via the www, start at this page:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact/default.htm

nigelweysom

10-03-2009, 22:06

given that a lot of members start out looking for naval records , i wonder if these contact details should be permanently listed somewhere on the site
Nigel

eddies girl

11-03-2009, 10:08

This is the address I've been in touch with for information on Service Records.

Navy Command Headquaters
Director Naval Personnel
Disclosure Cell
Room 48
West Battery
Whale ISland
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO2 8DX

If the person served after 1922, proof of next of kin will be required plus a death certificate if they are deceased. There is a fee of 15 pounds.

I sent for this form a couple of years ago but have only just found Dad's number. In the letter attached to the form, it says £30 fee. Has it been reduced to £15. Anne

joyceecee123

23-03-2009, 14:19

I've started this thread as I was asked today by a work colleague where they would go to find a friends relatives Naval service record, when they have nothing but a name. I have seen an address/contact details recently, on the forum, but cannot for the life of me find it.

Can that someone please re-submit all the data etc, & I'll make this a 'sticky'.

This should help all those others who are trying to do the same thing.

Also asked was, the relatives ashes were scattered at sea when he died, but the family have no record of whereabouts other than off Portsmouth somewhere. Who carries out sea burials and do they keep records of where ? They would like to lay a wreath !!

REPLY from Joyceecee123. you could try Centurion, Naval Pay Office, Centurion Building, Grange Rd, Gosport. PO13 9XA. Written enquiries from family ONLY. Naval Historical Branch, located in Portsmouth Dockyard. Tel.02392 724327 or 725300. If no joy there, ask for the number for the Chaplaincy Office also located in Portsmouth. Hope this helps.

vibrant

25-03-2009, 19:28

hi everyone i have just joined there seems to be alot of usefull imformation on here,

AngusOg

08-04-2009, 18:17

Anne (Eddies girl) I apologize for not answering your post sooner ... It was my mistake the fee is in fact 30 pounds ..

eddies girl

26-04-2009, 11:49

Thank you. I have been away so have just spotted your message. I can now send the form and fingers crossed, I should have the infromation I am looking for.

AngusOg

28-04-2009, 15:46

Anne (eddies girl) my fathers records were incomplete and only his service from 1936 - 1938 were available and I quote;

Navy Command

4. Please be aware that WWII documents were not produced in the same way as modern records due to direct consequence of the conflict. Conseqeuntly, you may find that the records enclosed are not as full as you might expect.

Hope you get a complete record. I need to add my fathers on service records on here and let some of the experts in the Forum decipher them for me.

AngusOg

03-05-2009, 04:46

Just scanned my fathers service records plus RN letter. My father was medically discharged <--- that may not be 100% accurate terminology, and spent a great deal of time in military hospitals, Musselburgh inmates :-) wore royal blue suits, Erskine and one other place I have forgotten. Is there any other establishment that may have his complete records?? a little forum magic is the order of the day ...

nigelweysom

03-05-2009, 19:19

i have my dads service records and when i contacted the records office they told me that i had everything that they had , it would seem that this is the most valuable record we can poses , that is those of us who are seeking to find out our fathers naval history
Nigel

david-P

28-06-2009, 00:49

I am usually quite good at tracking down obscure info on the web, but my Great-uncles records have proved very elusive (through the usual archive sources). from the face of it it should be quite easy to find him, he served on HMS princess royal, at Jutland where he was one of the 2 civilian dead. I have his war graves record, which reads as follows:

Name: WELLER, ARTHUR EDWARD
Initials: A E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Canteen Assistant
Regiment/Service: Admiralty Civilian
Unit Text: H.M.S. "Princess Royal."
Age: 22
Date of Death: 31/05/1916
Additional information: Husband of Annie Hocking Shakerley (formerly Weller), of 16, Chapel St., Stonehouse, Plymouth.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 20.
Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

The problem is that because he was not a serviceman, he had no service number, and therefore no naval documents.
Does anyone here know how or where admiralty records are kept? I have a feeling that admiralty civilian is a euphemism for merchant seaman, or is it?
I know that the family had connections with the admiralty (coming from a long line of fairly wealthy Chatham gentry) could it be that he was employed directly by the admiralty. I remember reading that to trace records for merchant sailors it was best to identify the merchant vessel and find the ships documents, is there somewhere that records merchant seamen on Royal navy vessels?
I am also curious to know if there are still non-navy personnel aboard royal navy vessels today.
Any help would be very welcome

Bee

16-07-2009, 17:50

Sorry to interupt thread but Salgor, if you're still here, pls check your other posts re: Vanguard
Cheers,
Bee

Dave Hutson

17-07-2009, 18:52

Hi Dave from another Sussex Dave [Brighton].
Looked at your plight and having a next door neighbour who was a Canteen Damager I asked him who he was employed by.

First to answer your question. Mostly civilians who went to sea were Dockyardies finishing work on ships that had to sail regardless and they were volunteers.

RN personnel who were on Merchant Ships supplemented the complement for Gunnery, Aircraft and Communications.

My neighbour was a Canteen Damager [Sorry, Navy Slang] in the 80's and was employed by:

Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
Imperial Court
Kennington Lane
LONDON
SE11 5QX

Maybe this is a starting point for your search? Do they have records or can they point you in the right direction?.

If his name is on the WWII Memorial perhaps the War Graves Commission can help, I visited them recently at Veterans Day in Plymouth and there wasn't much they didn't know?.

Good luck and if this proves any use I am happy.

Regards

Dave H

Doc

19-08-2009, 10:15

Hi,

Just a quick note. Dave H, the NAAFI no longer operates from Imperial Court in Kennington (this building is now luxury flats - I walk past the grand building on my way to and from work).

If anyone wants to get in contact for info please try their main address:

Central Support Office
Suite 6, The Beehive, Lingfield Point,
McMullen Road, Darlington,
County Durham. DL1 1YN
t+44 (0)1325 343880

I have also attached the Imperial War Musuem's current guide on tracking down records for naval relatives (also merchant sailors and Prisoners of War)

Happy researching,

Doc

tblo163

18-12-2009, 13:22

With reference to my recent attempt to access navy records not held by
National Archives,this Address is the answer,I sent them an email,and got an
immediate response,they will send you a form to download,print and send to them. Director Naval Personnel,
Navy Search,
TNT Records Management,
PO BOX 7814,
Tetron Point,
William Nadin Way,
Swadlincote,
Derbyshire,
DE11 1EG
Tele-01283 227913
Fax-01283 227942
email-navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk

nigelweysom

18-12-2009, 20:08

do you know the nature of the records that they have acess to , i have previously contacted the Naval records office in Hayes Middlesex , so i wonder if they would have anything extra
Nigel

tblo163

18-12-2009, 22:33

[QUOTE=nigelweysom;88334]do you know the nature of the records that they have acess to , i have previously contacted the Naval records office in Hayes Middlesex , so i wonder if they would have anything extra
Nigel Not sure what they have got yet,the National Archives refered me to them,when inquiring for records that they don't have,eg:- at the bottom of the document,was the suggestion;Vide-K.X.76932 which indicated that more records were available,and emailing TNT resulted in a response that if I wanted them I could download,print and return the form.I've just got to see if it's going to worth the £30 I 've sent, I will post result.but think it might be a long time coming. Attatchment is original from N/Archives,not much to see for £3.50. Terry.

David Verghese

18-12-2009, 23:20

do you know the nature of the records that they have acess to , i have previously contacted the Naval records office in Hayes Middlesex , so i wonder if they would have anything extra
Nigel

Hi Nigel,

Records of Naval Personnel including Royal Marines, and similar for Army and RAF are now so extensive that they are kept separately at different locations depending upon time of joining the particular branch of HM Forces. I have personally used the Navy Search people at Tetron Point Swadlincote and found their service to be first class. The wait of six weeks I experienced is due to the heavy workload of enquiries they receive. There are two locations of records serving the categories shown below.

Addresses for Records of Service in B]Royal Navy and Royal Marines

For the following all except the individual (him or herself) and their widows or widowers, there is a search fee of £30.

Ratings who joined between 1924 and 1939 (Pre War) and for Officers aged currently between about 60 and 100 years.
This includes continuous service during WWII and beyond.

Director Naval Personnel
Navy Search
TNT Archive Services
Tetron Point
William Nadin Way
Swadlingcote
Derbyshire DE11 0BB
Tel: 0128 322 7913

For those joining and serving the Senior Service during and after World War Two.

Director Naval Personnel
Disclosure Cell
Mail Point G2
Room 48
West Battery
Whale Island
Portsmouth
Hampshire PO2 8DX
Tel: 02392 628671

Commissioned officers who entered the Royal Navy during, or before, 1924

The National Archives Office,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey TW9 4DU.
Telephone: 0208-876 3444.
Fax: 0208-878 8905.

At this point in time I am unsure of Naval Rating records preceding 1924, and there does seem to be potential for duplication for 1924 in the descriptions above.
There is a specific and very helpful thread on the Forum for these enquiries and I imagine the Forum Moderator will move this post to it. It may well contain pre 1924 records locations.

Best

David

tblo163

18-12-2009, 23:41

Thanks,I will make a note of these addresses for reference.I have submitted my form to Tetron Point,and will wait to see what they find,and will post the result.(next year ?) Terry.

nigelweysom

19-12-2009, 21:00

David thanks for that it might be worth me inquiring
Nigel

tblo163

19-12-2009, 21:14

see post#1 for email address ,I sent them a message,and they got straight back to me, Terry tblo163

Stoker PO

21-12-2009, 17:40

Hi Everyone Not exactly the answer to the question at the top of the page, but reading the threads there is a lot of info out there. I was successful a few years ago tracking down relatives that had served in the RN and a good source of info came from the national census. If a ships alongside on the day of the census then the vessel has to submit the infomation of all crew onboard and these records are accessable free of charge through the national archives website ( http://www.findmypast.co.uk) is a good start.

Pomem Granite