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Information about access to service records of members of the of Royal Navy, Women's Royal Naval Service, and the Royal Marines
The most frequently asked questions which we receive are in relation to accessing service records, this page is aimed at providing a summary of the facilities, procedures and regulations concerning access to them.
Who holds which records?For more information from the UK National Archive on searching for the military records of members of the Royal Navy visit their page Some important information which contains a wide range of advice and directions on where to look. Also includes how to search for POW records from WW1 & WW2. Visit the MoD web site for information about requests for other personal data and service record requests
The UK National Archive (formerly the Public Record Office) holds the following records which are available for online access:
These records are freely available for public access; however the National Archives does not have the manpower to perform searches. Enquirers are instead welcome to visit the archive and perform their own search, or hire an independent researcher - see the National Archive website for further details.
The National Archive (formerly the Public Record Office) holds the following records which are available for public access:
The reference BT 391 includes the T124X records which detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. Information is contained in pouches and includes personal details such as name, age, rank, rating/grade and qualifications, together with details of the vessels on which the individual served. The pouches are presented in alphabetical order by the seaman's last name.
CLICK HERE to open the National Archive catalogue page Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office Merchant Navy Operations, Seamen's Pouches Enter the name to search for as SURNAME, FIRST MIDDLE
These records are not digitised so they cannot be downloaded - they are copied upon request.
The
MOD is the custodian of the records of service personnel until they are opened to general public access at the
National Archives. Subject to the payment of an administration fee
of £30 per record and provision of a death certificate (except where
death was in service), certain information can be provided from the
records of service of Service personnel on request under the
publication scheme.
DOWNLOAD, PRINT, COMPETE & RETURN THE RELEVANT FORMS TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE
For Next of Kin applicants:
Application part 1:
Request for Service personnel details: next of
kin form (v6)
PDF or
DOC
formats
For None Next of Kin applicants:
Application part 1:
Request for Service personnel details: general
enquirer's form (v6)
PDF
or
DOC formats
Send your completed forms to:
RN Disclosure Cell, Room 48, West
Battery, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 8DX
Accepted methods for payment of the fee: - Besides a cheque, other acceptable methods of payment are Postal Order, Banker’s Draft or International Money Order, made out to the value of 30 GBP and payable to ‘the MOD Accounting Officer’.
All questions or requests for
more information write to the above address or see
Service records of deceased Service personnel
on the MoD web site.
|
4: Obtaining information about yourself: Records of non-commissioned officers and ratings who entered the Royal Navy or Royal Marines after 1924 that are still living |
The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA98) provides access for living individuals (including foreign nationals) to personal data held about them by any organisation. The MOD does not currently charge for requests made under DPA98 although in certain circumstances, requests for unstructured manual data may attract a fee. DPA98 does not give private individuals access to personal data about other people or non-personal data.
To make a Subject Access Request (SAR) please download and complete DPA SAR Form 1694:
Application form: DPA SAR form 1694 (PDF) PDF or DOC formats
Please state clearly the information you require and send it, with the necessary proof of identification requested, to :
RN Disclosure Cell,
Room 48,
West
Battery,
Whale Island,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire,
PO2 8DX
All questions or requests for
more information write to the above address or see
Obtaining information about yourself (Subject
Access Requests) on the MoD web site.
5: Royal Navy & Royal Marine Commissioned Officers currently serving, or who are retired and aged 60. or under: |
All enquiries should be addressed to:
The Naval Secretary,
Ministry of Defence,
Victory Building,
HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire PO1 3LS.
|
NOTE: Prior to 1972 all RN personnel were given their service record when they discharged. After 1972 the RN retained pay details for pension purposes. Therefore the only information held on RN personnel who served prior to 1972 are their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases. |
Some frequently asked questions answered |
Q Who can request information held on service records?
A
Anyone. Provided they have a valid reason - there are many reasons
for requesting someone’s service record. Some of the more common
reasons for requests are:
Proof
of service for joining military associations or ex-services
organisations.
Proof
of service to enable welfare assistance from ex-service
organisations.
Proof
of occupancy of Married Quarters to qualify for local council
housing.
Researching
family trees or history.
Information
held on service medical records.
Q.
Will I have to pay?
A
Only if your request is for genealogical/family tree reasons.
Q
As a former member of the Armed Forces can I obtain my own service
record?
A
Yes. Requests from former Service personnel for his/her personal
data held by the Ministry of Defence are processed in accordance
with the Data Protection Act 1998; such requests are called Subject
Access Requests (SAR).
Click here for a downloadable copy of a Subject Access Request form.
After completion it should be submitted to the address on the form.
You will need to provide some form of ID, (e.g. a copy of a passport
or recent utilities bill) which should accompany your completed SAR
form.
Q
Can I request a complete copy of my service record?
A
Yes, write to the relevant record office listed above.
Q
As the widow/widower or legal next of kin of an ex-serviceman can I
obtain information held on my spouses/parents/relatives service
record?
A
Yes, but you will need to provide proof of death and of kinship.
Write to the relevant record office listed above.
Q
If I am not the widow/widower or legal next of kin of an ex-service
person can I still obtain information about the service record of an
ex-service person?
A
Only if you can obtain a letter of consent from either the person
the record belongs to or, if that person is deceased from the
widow/widower or legal next of kin. Write to the relevant record
office listed above.
Information contained on this page is drawn from
the
Ministry of Defence
www.gov.uk/
the Veteran's Agency www.veterans-uk.info/
and The National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Information last verified January 2017
© The Royal Navy Research Archive 2005 -2017