Useful contacts for British Veterans & others

Useful AddressesA good starting point which may save a lot time and effort is
The Veterans Advice Unit . An MoD confidential telephone helpline
Open Monday to Friday (9am to 5pm)Subjects most frequently dealt with are - Service Pensions,service Records, contacts for military associations, unclaimed medals, war pensions, lost medals,tracing former comrades, historical records, welfare cases
Tel :- 0845 6020302 If calling from outside UK; +4420 7218 9621
e-mail:- veteransadvice@veterans.mod.uk

Also The Veterans Agency is now handling enquiries from veterans on a wide range of subjects. These include how to secure accomodation, how to purchase army vehicles, the types of flags and hymns that can be used at ex-servicemen's funerals and where to obtain regimental badges.
e-mail:- help@veteransagency.mod.uk
Website :- http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk
Helpline Tel:0800 169 2277
Textphone :0800 169 3458

ARMY SERVICE RECORDS
1. Serving Officers and Soldiers
Army Personnel Centre,
Kentigern House,
65 Brown Street,
Glasgow
G2 8EX Fax: 0141 225 8402.

2. Retired Officers since 1914 and Soldiers since 1920
Army Records Centre,
Ministry of Defence CS(RM)2b,
Bourne Avenue,
Hayes,
Middlesex UB3 1RF.
fax: 0208 569 2751.
The Ministry of Defence does not normally release information from a service record to persons other than the individual concerned or their next of kin and a nonrefundable search fee may be charged. Officers' records for the period 1914-20 were transferred to the Public Record Office in January 1998.

3. Soldiers 1914-1920
These records were transferred to the Public Record Office in November 1996 but initial enquiries should still go to Ministry of Defence, CS(RM)2, Bourne Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1RF. A fee of £20.00 is charged and this service is now available to anybody. Because of bombing in 1940 only about 25% to 30% of soldiers records from this period have survived.

4. Officers and Soldiers pre 1914
The Keeper of Public Records,
Public Record Office,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. Telephone: 0208-876 3444. Fax: 0208-878 8905. Website:http://www.pro.gov.uk/
The Public Record Office,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey TW9 4DU. Telephone: 0208-876 3444. Fax: 0208-878 8905. Website:http://www.pro.gov.uk/ The Public Record Office is the national repository for official government records, including the War Office files and records amongst which are to be found surviving unit war diaries and army service records. The PRO does not undertake research for enquirers. Its public opening hours are as follows: Monday 9.00-17.00 (ordering times - 9.30-16.00) Tuesday 10.00-19.00 (ordering times - 10.00-16.30) Wednesday 9.00-17.00 (ordering times - 9.30-16.00) Thursday 9.00-19.00 (ordering times - 9.30-16.30) Friday 9.00-17.00 (ordering times - 9.30-16.00) Saturday 9.30-17.00 (ordering times - 9.30-12.00 and 13.30-14.30) Admission is by Reader's Ticket which may be obtained in advance by writing, or on arrival on production of proof of identity, such as a passport or driving licence. Intending Visitors are advised to check
(a) the opening times prior to a visit as sections are occasionally closed for stocktaking and
(b) that the documents are available for consultation, as they are sometimes withdrawn
for official use. If you are unable to undertake the research personally, or send a proxy, the
PRO should be able to provide details of professional researchers and their charges. See http://www.pro.gov.uk/news/ww1.htm for information on the PRO's archives of World War I records.

C. THE BRITISH ARMY - Other sources of information

1. County Record Offices
Many county and borough record offices have military collections, usually based on local Militia / Yeomanry / Volunteer / Territorial / Home Guard units but in certain cases covering locally recruited Regular units as well. Details of record offices appear in: The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. Record repositories in Great Britain: a geographical directory.
HMSO Ninth edition 1991. ISBN 0-11-440243-4.

2. Genealogy
Society of Genealogists,
14 Charterhouse Buildings,
Goswell Road,
London EC1M 7BA. Telephone: 0207-251 8799. Website: http://www.sog.org.uk/ A good Website for Wales: Cyndi's List - Wales - CymruOtherWeb Sites www.familyrecords.gov.uk - Aims to provide easy access to information and links to the main UK family history sites.
www.familia.org.uk - A directory of family history resources held in public libraries
www.genealogylinks.net - Lists 7,000 links to online searchable records such as ship's passenger lists, church records, cemetary inscriptions, military records and census information.

3. Honours and awards
The Army Medal Office,
Ministry of Defence,
Government Buildings,
Worcester Road,
Droitwich,
Worcestershire
WR9 8AU. Enquiries about decorations for gallantry and distinguished service (except
those relating to Northern Ireland) prior to 1980 should be addressed to: The Public Record Office,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. Telephone: 0208-876 3444. Fax: 0208-878 8905. Website: http://www.pro.gov.uk/ Awards are announced, sometimes with citations, in Supplements to the London
Gazette. Copies of London Gazettes are held in the Public Record Office at Kew and in several of the principal reference libraries. Any public library should be able to help you find a library that holds it.

4. Indian Army (until 1947)
Oriental and Indian Office,
British Library,
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB Website:http://www.bl.uk 5. Lost Trails Possible ways of tracing former comrades:
a. By placing an advertisement: Soldier Magazine,
Parson's House,
Ordnance Road,
Aldershot,
Hampshire GU11 2DU
Telephone: 01252-347351 Fax: 01252-347358 Website: www.soldiermagazine.co.uk The Legion,
Magazine of the Royal British Legion,
48 Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5JY
Telephone: 0207-973 7200 Fax: 0207-973 7399 Website: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

Service Pals' Teletext Limited.
PO Box 297,
London SW6 1XT
Telephone: 020-7386 5000 Fax: 020-7386 5618 [Page 676 Channel Four]
b. By contacting the Regimental Association.
c. By requesting the branch which deals with army service records to forward a letter to the last known address. The branch to which you should write is:
Army Records Centre,
Ministry of Defence CS(RM)2b,
Bourne Avenue,
Hayes,
Middlesex UB3 1RF.

6. Museums
a. Imperial War Museum,
Lambeth Road,
London SE1 6HZ Telephone: 0207-416 5000 Fax: 0207-416 5374 Website: http://www.iwm.org.ukCoverage: all aspects of war in the 20th Century which have affected Britain and other members of the Commonwealth.

b. National Army Museum,
Royal Hospital Road,
Chelsea, London SW3 4HT Telephone: 0207-730 0717 Fax: 0207-823 6573 Website: http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/Coverage: British Army; Indian Army (prior to 1947); British Colonial Forces
up to their independence. Index to military casualties from 1900 giving details of next of kin and dispersal of personal possessions. Collection of Victoria Cross and George Cross files.

c. Regimental Museums MoD guide to Military museums -www.army.mod.uk/ceremonialand-heritage/museums_main.htm Details of regimental museums are given in the publication by Terence and Shirley Wise, "A Guide to Military Museums and Other Places of Military
Interest". Imperial Press, 8th edition 1994. ISBN 185674-020-X The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, Caernarvon Castle. http://www.rwfnet.co.uk/museum.htm7. Population Censuses and Surveys Births, baptising, marriages and deaths: Families Record Centre,
1 Myddelton Street,
London
EC17 1UW Tel: 0207 533 6400 8.
War Graves
War graves of World War I (1914-1921);
World War II (1939-1945) and the
Korean War (1950-1953).
Commonwealth War Graves Commission,
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead,
Berkshire SL67DX Telephone: 01628-34221 Fax: 01628-771208 Website: http://www.cwgc.org/cwgchome.htm Message Boards.

A Royal Welch Forum has been created by Phil Jones of Wrexham, the forum is beginning to get busy with many serving and non serving Royal Welchmen visiting the site. Many Old Friends have been re-united. With the message board, you can view discussion folders quickly in the left-hand column and read up to 20 messages at a time. You can even attach files (such as pictures and programs) directly to messages -- just like e-mail. It's fast, easy, and efficient. The best way into the Forum is at the following URL: http://forums.delphiforums.com/Royal_Welch

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