GREATWAR-L Archives

Archiver > GREATWAR > 2000-11 > 0973144533


From: Iain Kerr <>
Subject: Re: [WW1] Certificate of Service
Date: Thu, 02 Nov 2000 05:55:33 +0000
In-Reply-To: <NBBBJGGJLKLJJENPFJBGIEABGLAA.peterst-fran_stewart@powerup.com.au>


At 22:58 01/11/00, Fran Stewart wrote:


> I have a copy of my husbands fathers (original in his sisters hands)
>Certificate of Service with the Royal Navy 1918 - 1922. The original is
>written on a cloth based material.
> If I were to apply for a copy of service for this man would I get a copy of
>a different document, provided they survived, or is this the extent of the
>documentation.
>
> It gives his name and number
> where he lived
> where he served,
> his trade
> his religion
> his next of kin and address
> the medals he got
> his description
> ships he served in and the dates.
>
> This to me seems to be a full account of his activities during the 1st
>world war.
> Any help would be lovely.
> Many thanks

Fran,

I am not sure who you were thinking of applying to for a copy. But the
personnel records of men and women who served during World War I are in, or
about to enter the public domain.

The British armed services personnel records for those serving in 1914 up
to 1921 are currently being released from the Ministry of Defence to the
Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, United
Kingdom; (Telephone: General Enquiries, ++44 (020) 8876 3444; Records
Information, ++44 (020) 8392 5200; Fax: ++44 (020) 8878 8905). There they
are being microfilmed to occupy a number of new archives. This is a major
project that is forecast to take a number of years to complete from the
start of the work in 1997. The original documents cannot be viewed due to
their fragile condition. It will be some years before all surviving
information from these documents will be available remotely due to the
complexity of the information and volume. The records are available in the
PRO microfilm reading room as follows:

Royal Navy and Royal Marines officers whose service ended in 1920 or before
in the Register of RN Officers in archive ADM 196 and RNVR officers in ADM 337;

Royal Navy ratings and Royal Marines other ranks who enlisted between 1892
and 1923 in archive ADM 188.

These records are open for personal search by the enquirer or a nominated
agent. Details of the PRO can be found at their web site URL:
http://www.pro.gov.uk/

The PRO do not have an on-line searchable archive. Nor do they usually
undertake any research for personal or postal enquirers. However they
have a list of independent researchers, with a useful search facility. The
address is: http://www.pro.gov.uk/readers/irlist/default.htm

The information you obtain will duplicate what you have but may provide
additional information.

Yours aye,

Iain Kerr
In Windsor, Berkshire
Web Page at: http://home.clara.net/iainkerr/index.htm
RootsWeb Sponsor Listowner for the KERR; McTURK and SOUTHON lists and the
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