[Closed] Trying to find my Dads service number (WW2, RAF geeky content)

National archives?

[url= http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2132 ]national archives[/url]

Many squadrons still have active associations. Do you know who he was with?

Do you know where he was based?

Contact these people they have all the detail of all servicemen . They can help you,

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/veterans-welfare-service#VWS-contact-details

My family have recently found out all the details of my great grandad who died of the injuries he sustained at Gallipoli. At least he made it back to die at home.

We didn’t know any of the details. In fact, we knew nothing. My auntie was researching the family tree and came across all this history. We’ve now got his service record, and his medals, and various other things, including his diaries, which make for sobering reading. As you can imagine, this has been hugely poignant for us this weekend.

I’ll ask my auntie how she went about getting this info and drop you a message. Good luck. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to us to find out all this about him. We now have [url= https://flic.kr/p/ZqcdrW ]This[/url], which has profoundly affected us all

I've tried The National Archives but nothing there. He mentioned squadrons he was with but now I can't remember (typical), I know he was based at Aldergrove, Silloth, Elgin (Kinloss or Lossiemouth?) Thornaby & Beaulieu. He only ever mentioned Coastal Command & some of the aircraft he was involved with, Liberators, Blenheims, Ansons & Hudsons.

Obviously I've got his date of birth etc but I wish I'd bloody asked more when he was alive!

@Binners, It's great when you get to find all this stuff, I've got loads on my Grandad but not much on Dad!

This thread is good timing, I'm also trying to find out about my great grandfather who was a stretcher bearer in WW1 and my uncles brother who was injured in Normandy in '44.

I've only signed up to forces war records so far but any other advice would also be appreciated, especially as my uncles brother is not blood line so I'm not sure if I can get as much access as I'm not direct family.

Any of the genealogical sites is worth a try. Findmypast had free access to military records last weekend, I found some useful stuff about my grandfather's WW1 service there including a copy of his full service record. Ancestry also has military records. Some WW2 stuff is harder to find as it still doesn't all seem to be public.

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/research-enquiries.aspx

Elgin (Kinloss or Lossiemouth?)

Dallachy aswell although i think that may have been beaufighters.

My point being that there were WAY mire stations than there are now big ones too.

Also RAF bases now were coastal command then.. leuchars i think was.

Have you just googled his name?

My mum found out the true story of her great uncle who died at stow maries in 1919. There was always some mystery as there was no record of a Gerald but she knew he'd died in a crash testing something. Stow Maries had a mystery of its own. A pilots grave with a name then "Gerry" underneath. The cheeky chap had absconded from a hospital after being shipped back from the trenches (boil on the bum apparently) and reinvented himself as a canadian pilot strong suspicions his aunt who was from canada played a part in the subterfuge.

this link might help

[url= https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records ][/url]

Already got that one Hustler thanks, looks like It's the only option.

Found this site... http://www.rootschat.com/forum/armed-forces/
Which may be helpful to someone.

SAFFA should be able to give you his service no from his name and DoB. They have done this for me on three separate occasions.

Never thought about asking SSAFA as I understood they were a charitable organisation.

OP I will send you some photos of the old aldergrove hangar if I can find them. It was used in ww2 for work on liberators and I was lucky enough to get a walk around it before it was demolished. It didn't resemble the ww2 days much in the end as it was later used as the airport terminal. There is also a hangar down the road from aldergrove at Langford lodge that sits pretty much untouched. I work in that area and take every chance I get to look into the history of the area.

Another group that might have some information for you would be Ulster aviation Society. They are very passionate about all this stuff and might have info on the work at aldergrove.

Brilliant lyrikal, thanks!

got any old letters he sent home? They would all have his serial number on them particularly the type of pre-printed postcards they used to use

This kind of thing, serial number likely to be on the reverse with the address details

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If you send me some details I may be able to search for you at work. We have free access to many of the genealogy sites,being an archive centre.

I found a relative on my grandmas side who flew for coastal command, he was the pilot and unfortunately crashed upon taking off, killing all crew and 7 ground crew who had rushed to help. Found letter from his commander writing about the event to family. Also found part of the investigation in to the crash, and sadly pilot error was to blame. Difficult to think about it really, I think he was flying constantly over north sea hunting subs and dropping mines.

EGF - SSAFA are a charity that can assist anyone who has done a period in the services. Because they have homeless people turning up who have no paperwork with them to back up their claim to entitlement they have access to the MoD database. As I said, worth a try as they have provided details on 3 occasions for me.

You may run into difficulties around Data Protection, I did not as I had the serviceman with me on each occasion, but if you don't ask.........

Good luck.