Service records

Not strictley BAOR and will be removed if required. Paul?

Have any of you applied for your service records?.If so what problems,if any,did you encounter?

Gordon. wrote:

Not strictley BAOR and will be removed if required.

Have any of you applied for your service records?.If so what problems,if any,did you encounter?

Hi Gordon, takes a long time and in my case several things were removed/not present but in my opinion worth it to reminded you of where you were and what they thought of you, regards Steve

I received mine without a problem and fairly fast about two weeks .. everything seemed OK, but on my Regimental Conduct Sheet there was an entry of a Severe Reprimand being awarded for contravening the Official Secrets Act and by compromising Cryptographic integrity of a message. It was awarded in October 1954 while I was stationed at Seaforth Camp, Pusan, Korea ... I contacted Army Records and pointed out that in October 1954 I was not stationed in Pusan but in Seoul, and during the time I was supposed to have been a bad boy, I was attached to the Australian Base Signal Regt in Kure, Japan. They (Records) finally agreed that I was not where they stated and I was correct in stating 'not me guv'nor) but after such a long period of time it would not be possible to change my records, but a notation would be attached to them for future reference. Know anyone who wants a 77 year old Cipher Operator. The funny thing is my next posting after Korea was Cyprus where I was in a very security sensitive job working with Maj Jack Knowles GSO II (Security) MELF, and personally handled hundreds of Sacred and Top Sacred messages during my stint there.

(Now my other Severe Rep for telling the Guard Commander to 'go forth and multiply himself' ... well I ain't disputing that.)

Len (Ciphers)

ciphers wrote:

(Now my other Severe Rep for telling the Guard Commander to 'go forth and multiply himself' ... well I ain't disputing that.)

Len (Ciphers)

My question is, " Did he?".

The bugger was the Sqn Clerk and I noticed he wasn't on the Duty Roster .. so being a SOB I made sure he was put on it ... Hey!, what goes around, comes around .. on his first shot at Guard Commander he got his own back ... in that I, blah, blah, blah, whilst on Active Duty did use profane language to the Corporal of the Guard.

Len (Ciphers)

Sent for mine(some two years ago) no probs arrived about three weeks later.However they came buy normal post.Bit of a shock really As lets face it they are very perssonell and could lead to so probs in the wrong hands!!!.Made interesting reading as I had forgot most of what it told me!!!!!!!!!!
Regards to all looking in.
John.

Received mine this morning by recorded delivery.Took almost five months but worth the wait..
Had a quick skim through,looks very interesting,but can`t find my crime sheet,I must have been a good boy..lol

something i had never thought of looking through my discharge book it gives all the places i have served and any qualifications obtained but yes it would be intresting to see not only what people thought of me but my crime sheet would make intresting reading i expect it might tell me why i was busted and how when i went awol once they found me so quick?

am i right in thinking to apply for them at manning records ?



paul.

all info here

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomOfInformation/FOIContact/RequestsForAccessToPersonalDataHeldByTheMinistryOfDefence.htm

many thanks davwood for the link,



paul.

You are welcome. I keep meaning to send off for mine. i'll get round to it one day

They don't keep everything. A lot of stuff gets weeded out over the years. When I got my records a couple of years ago the attestation form was missing. I queried but they had not go it. I also wanted my AB64Pt1 but without success.

Strangely, I got more joy when requesting my wife's grandfather's documents who served in both world wars. But he was an officer.

Was not the Soldier's Service Record and Pay Book (A.B. 64) Part 1 & 2 not given to you on discharge and transfer to the reserves? It was the pre-runner to the AB 108 Discharge Book (Red Book)

I think its down to Unit Orderly Rooms what gets kept really, once the records reach Glasgow they stay pretty much intact.

I have copies of my Attestation Paper (AFB 271) Personal Summary (F/Ident/177) Official Secrets Act Declaration (AFA 5120) copy of AB 108 Discharge Certificate (Page 2 & 3) and other docs including my Medical Papers, and Positive Vetting Report, as well as my last 6 CR's

I have everything you have apart from my PV report,but i got that at Harrogate and don`t have any records from there apart from attestation and original medicals.Only CRs are the last one from each unit.I also have a couple of injury reports. One for cracked ribs and another for a slipped disc.Never seen either of them before.I also signed the official secrets act on demob and lost my PV.Rather crazy as i signed the OSA every working day when i was at the school.

I keep meaning to apply for mine but haven't got around to it, another retirement project I suspect. My little red book is flattering though.

Mike_2817 wrote:

Was not the Soldier's Service Record and Pay Book (A.B. 64) Part 1 & 2 not given to you on discharge and transfer to the reserves? It was the pre-runner to the AB 108 Discharge Book (Red Book)

I think its down to Unit Orderly Rooms what gets kept really, once the records reach Glasgow they stay pretty much intact.

I have copies of my Attestation Paper (AFB 271) Personal Summary (F/Ident/177) Official Secrets Act Declaration (AFA 5120) copy of AB 108 Discharge Certificate (Page 2 & 3) and other docs including my Medical Papers, and Positive Vetting Report, as well as my last 6 CR's

I was demobbed in 1959,National Service, and my discharge book is AB111. I was in a very small unit and actually did my own demob admin. All my documents were required to be sent, then, to the RASC records in Hastings. Before it became a right that one could obtain copies of documents I had been in touch with army records. I still have their letter stating that a lot of items had been weeded out and the things I was asking about were no longer held anyway.

Hi Brian, Thank for the feedback.

I forgot to add that the main document in my file was a copy of AFB 200 (ADP) [computer printout] Soldiers Record of Service, which lists all my promotion dates, courses attended and posting dates etc, this replaced a lot of earler bits & pieces of paper I am sure.

Mike_2817 wrote:

Was not the Soldier's Service Record and Pay Book (A.B. 64) Part 1 & 2 not given to you on discharge and transfer to the reserves? It was the pre-runner to the AB 108 Discharge Book (Red Book)

I think its down to Unit Orderly Rooms what gets kept really, once the records reach Glasgow they stay pretty much intact.

I have copies of my Attestation Paper (AFB 271) Personal Summary (F/Ident/177) Official Secrets Act Declaration (AFA 5120) copy of AB 108 Discharge Certificate (Page 2 & 3) and other docs including my Medical Papers, and Positive Vetting Report, as well as my last 6 CR's

All I got when I left was a red plastic folder which contained some very basic information. Mainly that that I had served, that I had been discharged and that my conduct had been "exemplary". Strange that last bit as my conduct would have disqualified me from getting the LS&GC if I'd hung around another 3 years.

No medical stuff and nothing about PV, which I had kind of assumed lapsed when I was discharged. I think that everyone was paid directly into a bank account by then so I'm not sure if pay books still existed at all.

Must have a dig around in the loft and see if I can find it.

Mike

I finished my National Service in March 52,then went onto Supplementary Reserve,joined the RCASC in Jan 54.In December 55 I was in Korea and our Postal clerk came in late from the AFPO in Ouijongbu and told me there was a registered letter for me to pick up next morning but couuld't tell me who it was from.After a night of wondering what trouble I was in I went down next morning and picked up my discharge book from RASC Records Office.On the back page was the usual BS about being a good soldier etc,signed by Major Chase,not long after reciving the discharge I was at Kimpo Air Base waiting for the comm flight from Japan when I saw a British major coming down the road, the one and only Maj Chase, and he remembered me by name, maybe that was because in my discharge interview he offed me a second stripe if I signed on and I told him I wouldn,t even join The Salvation Army after getting out

mjm34 wrote:

All I got when I left was a red plastic folder which contained some very basic information. Mainly that that I had served, that I had been discharged and that my conduct had been "exemplary". Strange that last bit as my conduct would have disqualified me from getting the LS&GC if I'd hung around another 3 years.

No medical stuff and nothing about PV, which I had kind of assumed lapsed when I was discharged. I think that everyone was paid directly into a bank account by then so I'm not sure if pay books still existed at all.

Must have a dig around in the loft and see if I can find it.

Mike

That would be your AB108 Discharge Book/Folder mate, you do not get the contents of your Personal File or Med File unless you apply for them.

Mike_2817 wrote:

That would be your AB108 Discharge Book/Folder mate, you do not get the contents of your Personal File or Med File unless you apply for them.

Yep! Never bothered to apply for my own Service Record although I did some years ago apply for and receive my Dad's. Strange thing was that I had to get written permission from his 2nd wife who is not my Mother before the Records Office would release them to me. Apparently I am not classed as his next of kin.

Mike

Yep, A legel 2nd marrage does that! but not a partnership.

So how does a 2nd marriage stop a son being next of kin? unless of course he'd designated his 2nd wife as next of kin thinking about it. I thought there were stages, i.e Colleen was my next of kin, but if we both died it my Father etc...

A spouse takes precedence unless someone else is nominated..Then it goes eldest son etc. etc.

at least when my time comes [in about 40 yrs] thier will be nothing left to fight over.