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Post 1921 Service

Generally speaking only the Service Records for those military personnel who finished serving in the Forces before 1921 are available at the National Archives. If you are seeking data on individuals who served after this date then it is necessary to write to the appropriate branch of service at the Ministry of Defence (see below). These service papers are normally only available to the next of kin and the Ministry of Defence usually charges.

Even if the person you wish to research served after 1920, and you are not the next of kin, there are other avenues that can be tried. However, the more senior the person the easier it will be to trace him / her. It is possible to use Army / Navy / RAF Lists for officers and these would give an outline of their service.

Post 1921 Service Records can be obtained from

British Army including ATS

(1) Officers & Other Ranks:

CS(R)2b (Army Personnel Records), Ministry of Defence, Bourne Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1RS

(2) Officers and Soldiers whose service ended between 1921 and 1997:

Army Personnel Centre, HQ Secretariat, Historic Disclosures, Mail Point 400, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX

(3) Officers and Soldiers of the Foot Guards Regiments:

Regimental Headquarters, The ***** Guards, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1E  6HQ

***** (Insert as appropriate: Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish or Welsh)

(4) Officers and Soldiers whose Regular or Reserve service ended after 1997:

Army Personnel Centre, HQ Secretariat, Disclosures Section 1, Mail Point 520, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow G2 8EX

Royal Navy

(1) Officers & Other Ranks:

The Director Naval Career Management, Navy Search, TNT Archive Services, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0BB
Tel.: 01283-227913
Fax: 01283-227942

(2) Officers aged 60 or under (in 2005):

DNCM, RESWO, Room 171, Victory Building, HMNB Portsmouth PO1 3LS

(3) Retired Officers:

The Directorate of Personnel Support (Navy), Navy Search, TNT Archive Services, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0BB
Tel.: 01283-227913
Fax: 01283-227942

(4) Officers born before 1914 and Ratings enlisted before 1924:

See National Archives.

(5) Ratings enlisted after 1924:

The Director Naval Career Management, Navy Search, TNT Archive Services, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0BB
Tel.: 01283-227913
Fax: 01283-227942

Royal Marines

(1) Officers and Other Ranks enlisted before 1925:

See National Archives.

(2) Officers and Other Ranks enlisted after 1925:

The Director Naval Career Management, Navy Search, TNT Archive Services, Tetron Point, William Nadin Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0BB
Tel.: 01283-227913
Fax: 01283-227942

Merchant Seamen (Second World War)

(1) Officers and Seamen:

Registry of Shipping and Seamen, MCA Cardiff, Anchor Court, Keen Road, Cardiff CF24 5JW.
Telephone +44 (0) 2920 448800,
Fax +44 (0) 2920 448820

email rss@mcga.gov.uk

Royal Air Force including Women's Auxiliary Air Force

RAF Innsworth used to hold the service records for those who served in the RAF after the end of the First World War. RAF Innsworth was closed down in early 2008 and I have been notified that these service records are now held at RAF Cranwell at the addresses below. Should anyone find anything to the contrary please do inform me. 

(1) Officers whose service ended in 1920 or later and Airmen whose service ended in 1920 or later:

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

Surviving servicemen / women should contact:

RAF DPA, Room 220, Trenchard Hall, RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincs, NG34 8HB

(2) Officers whose service ended in 1920 or earlier and Airmen whose service ended in 1920 or earlier:

See National Archives.

 Home Guard (Local Defence Volunteers)

(1) Officers and Other Ranks:

Army Disclosures, MP 515, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow, G2 8EX
Tel: 0845 600 9663

Women's Land Army

The original service records of the Women's Land Army have not survived. However, the index cards to them have survived and are available at The National Archives on microfiche in series MAF 421. The cards do give a certain amount of information on the individual's service and they cover the period 1939-1948. There are a total of 808 fiche, the final sheet being a compilation of mis-sorts. No further additions to this series are expected.

Medal Office

The Ministry of Defence established a tri-service medal office in February 2005 from the previous separate service medal offices. Currently serving personnel (RN, RM, Army or RAF) should apply for their medals via their unit whilst veterans or their next of kin can apply directly. The current address to contact is:

MoD Medal Office, Service Personnel Veteran Agency, Building 250, Imjin Barracks, Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1HW
e-mail: jpac@spva.mod.uk
Tel: 0141 224 3600 or 0800 085 3600