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Our resident expert Stephen Rigden, pictured below, answers your queries.
From Michael Tench in Shropshire:
‘I would like to find the military records for my Uncle James Goodfellow who served in WWII as a bulldozer driver in France and Belgium. I do not know the regiment but expect it was the Engineers. He never married and I registered his death on 24 February 1978 in Shrewsbury. He was born on 13 July 1911 in Shawbury near Wem in Shropshire.
He was my mother’s young brother and lived with us for most of his life. He would never talk about his service but we believe he was reduced to Private from Corporal while in or around Paris somewhere. How do I go about finding his service record? Where do I go and what details do I need to send for them? Thanks.’
Stephen says:
‘Thanks for your question. For army personnel who served after 1921, it is necessary to write to the Ministry of Defence archives, as the documentation is not in the public domain. The records are held in Glasgow and full application information can be found on the official MoD website. There is also a PDF file for family historians which you can download.
You will need to apply in writing, explain your kinship to the deceased serviceman, provide a copy of the death certificate and pay the statutory fee. I understand that it can take several months for a response.’
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From Michael Tench in Shropshire:
‘I would like to find the military records for my Uncle James Goodfellow who served in WWII as a bulldozer driver in France and Belgium. I do not know the regiment but expect it was the Engineers. He never married and I registered his death on 24 February 1978 in Shrewsbury. He was born on 13 July 1911 in Shawbury near Wem in Shropshire.
He was my mother’s young brother and lived with us for most of his life. He would never talk about his service but we believe he was reduced to Private from Corporal while in or around Paris somewhere. How do I go about finding his service record? Where do I go and what details do I need to send for them? Thanks.’
Stephen says:
‘Thanks for your question. For army personnel who served after 1921, it is necessary to write to the Ministry of Defence archives, as the documentation is not in the public domain. The records are held in Glasgow and full application information can be found on the official MoD website. There is also a PDF file for family historians which you can download.
You will need to apply in writing, explain your kinship to the deceased serviceman, provide a copy of the death certificate and pay the statutory fee. I understand that it can take several months for a response.’
If you’d like to send your question to our experts, please register or opt to receive newsletters in My Account.
More...