Military Chat

Service records for those who served after WW1 but not including WW2 (not sure of cut off date) should be available at the National Archives (and possibly online) relatively soon (don't know when, yet!).

I believe Home Guard records for WW2 will also be released "soon".

Most WW1 British Army War Diaries aren't online, although a lot are. I'm told all will be online by next year.

Many war diaries are kept at either Kew or the Imperial War Museum, but some are still held within the regimental archives of the relevant regiment, so do not know if those will be released.

When I sent off for my dads army records (as mentioned above) I also got some of his Home Guard records as there was a cross over, between Home Guard, Territorial Army and his National Service.

RAF Bomber Command WW2:

RAF BOMBER COMMAND IN WW2
This website tells the story of the Royal Air Force's bomber aircrews, airmen and airwomen and their contribution to victory in the Second World War (WW2) ...

www.rafbombercommand.co.uk/ - 4k - Similar

Edit:
1. Service records
The National Archives does not hold service records if the officer served after 1922 or the airman or woman served after 1924. The records are still held by the Ministry of Defence. Ex-servicemen and next-of-kin may obtain brief details; write to:

RAF Disclosures, Room 221b, Trenchard Hall, RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincs, NG34 8HB.

Another site for promotions etc:

Flight magazine archive section
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/index.html

I HAVE A LIST OF ALL WW1 WHO DIED THE LAST DAY OF THE WAR

IF YOU KNOW THE REGIMENT ITS ALWAYS USEFULL TO PHONE THEIR MUSEUM .
THEY ARE USUALLY VERY VERY HELPFULL
RECENTLY I WAS GIVEN WHERE THEY WERE STATIONED IN 1901,,,LADYSMITH

I have just found this site for Royal Navy WW1 awards:

Mention in Despatches, Royal Navy, World War 1
31 Dec 2010 ... Mention in Dispatches Oakleaf on World War 1 Victory Medal ribbon. on to MID, July-Dec 1918 .... Ch. Offr. Donald McPhee. Ch. Engr. Edmund Arthur Field. ..... Arthur Marsh, O.N. J13760 ( Po. ). Ldg. Teleg. ...

www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishLGDecorationszzMe...

and for WW2:

British Gallantry, Orders, Decorations, and ... - Peter ...
I created this page primarily for Members of the BBC WW2 website. .... Initially it was solely for petty officers and men of the Royal Navy and ...

www.petergh.f2s.com/medals.htm - 45k

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Records of service personnel going as far back as Crimean War:

Corps of Royal Engineers-Other Ranks
Later Staff Sergeant, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. ... Served in the Royal Engineer Militia. Entitled to the Territorial Efficiency Medal (GVR) with bar ..... Holloway, William Arthur (died of wounds at Messines, 6/7/1917) ...

www.reubique.com/links.htm

This gives not only those that died during the two wars but also lists those that went overseas and came back, has addresses of next of kin, what the military personnel had as an occupation prior to enlistment, when they embarked and where they were going.

http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/


Edit: Quite often there is a photo and sometimes a newspaper clipping about the enlisted member.

Boer War
http://www.genealogyworld.net/boer/tracing.html
http://www.genealogyworld.net/boer/forces.html

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Databases/BoerDetailed/index.html

http://www.angloboerwar.com/

bookmarking for later

I am looking for records WW1 belgium front was where WILLIAM BAILEY 1888 WHO WAS BORN AT ECKINGTON lived in DINNINGTON FROM YEAR 1905 APPROX. WAS A COAL MINER AT DINNINGTON when he went to BELGIUM TO SERVE AS A MEDIC I WOULD LIKE TO FIND ANY RECORDS AND REQUEST HELP IF POSSIBLE Marian Hunt nee Camsey I presume he would be in a Yorkshire rgt I havent a clue how to find him in Belgium
Kind offers of help please requested by MARIAN :-
:-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

nudge

Currently some military records are free to search and download from ancestry:

http://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/rectype/default.aspx?rt=39

because of it being Remembrance time.

- for Cheryl

HELLO CAN ANYONE HELP ME PLEASE..MY GRANDAD WILLIAM BAILEY
BORN WEST BROMWICH 1885..lived and worked in the collieries at Eckington and Dinnington..During the 1st world war he served in the army in BELGIUM AS A MEDIC(ambulence corps)I could not have a more difficult name to trace Will Bailey was hardly uncommon..I am talkng about the commonest name in the 1st world war Remember the old song Wont you come home Bill BAILEY..iS there an easy way to find this info I have posted this request before but have not seen any reply He earned commendations and certifficates but noone in the family can remember what became of thePlease is someone able to help.Marian Hunt nee Camsey

I cannot find his record in ancestry. You could try posting in here:
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php
(free)

For Pam.