Looking for my Father!

[Ann Bentley]

My parent's were divorced in the early 1950s and we (my siblings and I)totally lost all communication with my Father.
I heard a few years ago of his death in a Manchester nursing home in 1993.
I begun to wonder about his war service!
Someone told me that if he was a soldier when I was born, (1940), then his service number would be on my Birth Certificate.
I had a look, but there is no number, it just says, 'Private in AMP Corps'.

How would I go about finding out what it all means?

There have to be records somewhere, but the problem is accessing them.

Any help would be much appreciated

Ann Bentley

[kylejustin]

is this australia or england? if australia, the records may be on the national archives site, and you could ask them for copies. if england, you have to apply to the MOD, supplying his death cert, unless your mother is still alive, you will have to pay them to get his records. for spouses it is free.

[Ann Bentley]

Thank you Kyle for your quick reply!
This was in the UK. My father was Scottish, so I assume he joined the forces in Scotland.
I tried to find out about the AMP Corps, and apparently it became the Pioneer Corps, (I don't know what the AM originally stood for).
I don't have my father's death certificate, but I daresay there is some way could acquire it. My mother is dead, (she would not be his next of kin after the divorce anyway) but I have no idea if he re-married. As I say. I have had no knowledge of him since the early 1950s.

[kylejustin]

ok, assuming he died in 1993 in the uk, you can find it in the indexes for england and order it from the gro. if scotland, you can do the same. you can't download certs after a certain date in scotland for privacy reasons. if he died in australia, 1993 is too recent for him to appear in any indexes, but if you drop into births, deaths and marriages or call them up, you can get it. technically any of his children is next of kin along with a spouse, or if the spouse is deceased too.

i think you still have to ask the mod for his records: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Ab...ePersonnel.htm

read through the process, and the forms are downloadable from the side bar.

[Elaine ..Spain]

You will probably need his death certificate in order to apply for his service records.
As it is a recent death and you don't know if there is any other family involved (? if he married again) might be best to keep the name off the forum for the moment. If you want to send the details to me in a PM (personal message) then I will see what I can find in the England & Wales GRO Index. (Just click on my name to the left of this post and select the "message" option.

[Uncle John]

The other day I printed off the application forms for my wife to apply for her father's wartime service records. Once you get there it's quite straightforward. It costs £30 to apply.

[Ann Bentley]

Thank you all so much for taking an interest in my problem!
I have the details of his death. June 1993 - Manchester, England.
So! I have to apply to the General Registry Office for his death certificate, and then to the Min of Def for his War Records.
Thank you all. Now I have something to work on.
I will let you know how I progress.
Best regards
Ann Bentley