1851/61 census look-up request

Post by **daggers** » 27 Jun 2011 17:45

My Freeman link is via my wife's family and we are receiving a lot of information on them, bit by bit, from a distant cousin. So far nothing shows up for Enfield, but your connection is probably too recent, and we have had no mention of pilots so far!
I'll try fishing in those waters and get back if there is any chance of a link.
Daggers

Post by **batiurf** » 27 Jun 2011 17:57

Thank you very much Daggers

I'm beginning to think I've come to a dead end before I've started. I wish I'd asked my family more questions while they were still alive but I know my mother didn't know very much herself.

Post by **Hilary** » 27 Jun 2011 19:28

RAF Hendon is now the Royal Air Force Museum

Have you or the person's nearest living relation thought about obtaining the person's RAF records? This would cost £30.

Did he marry during the war or have children? Either way a certificate might contain useful information such as a number or his rank.

Post by **batiurf** » 28 Jun 2011 21:30

I didn't realise there was an RAF Museum in Hendon, I will look it up & make a visit as soon as I have a free wknd.

I hadn't thought of RAF records for him as I know nothing more about him & I may be his nearest living relative...I have no idea!

I think he was married during the war as my Grandmother mentioned that his wife was very ill in hospital. Maybe this is where they first met as she was a nurse. She always said he was the love of her life.

I think they had two children, one for definite, my mother. But my mum died nearly 11 years ago now & I'm not sure if she even met him as she was adopted. There was no mention of her father on her birth certificate, only records from the childrens home she went to.

Post by **Hilary** » 28 Jun 2011 22:02

This will give you a little more on availability of RAF records.

Royal Air Force Service Records

(3) Second World War (1939-45)

The National Archives is not the place for Second World War Service Records (see Post 1921 Service). However, the National Archives can yield data on individuals via:

Rolls of Honour
Entries in the Air Force List for Officers
Citations for gallantry awards
Operational Record Books (ORBs) - essentially a diary kept by each unit. They may include nominal rolls, lists of officers, promotional details, transfers and awards etc.,
Squadron Combat Reports,
Aircrews' Flying Log Books,
accidents (operational) in Squadron ORBs,
Details of those who crashed overseas e.g. Allied airmen buried in Denmark,
Known Prisoners of War (POWs) from the RAF,
Courts Martial records.

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

Royal Air Force service records
Royal Air Force personnel records are held at RAF Cranwell. If service number and details are known, please quote it in correspondence.

Please note that the Ministry of Defence does not release information from a service record to persons other than the individual concerned or their next of kin until 25 years after the date of death. There is a search fee for third party genealogical enquiries which currently stands at £30.00.

You should write to:
RAF Disclosures
Room 221b
Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincs NG34 8HB

I think you would have to show that you are the next of kin and when the person died. I presume you have their name etc. Did he and his wife have any children?

Post by **batiurf** » 30 Jun 2011 21:49

Wow, I didn't know there was so much information available out there.

Unfortunately I have no idea of birth or death as yet or if he & his wife had children....I am really clutching at straws.

Post by **MaryA** » 30 Jun 2011 22:13

Sorry you may not get any information from the RAF, my mother had to give details of her next of kinship to her brother when we requested his documents, they cost £25 at the time of applying but that was in 2003.

We first of all wrote to the Air Historical Branch (RAF), Ministry of Defence, Room G1, Building 266, RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 3HH.

They gave us information on the Squadron he was employed in and where it was based and details of his last mission, including the names of his crew.

To answer the queries we asked they "consulted the Casualty File which is normally held at the archives at Hayes. These files are closed to the Public and are normally only referred to in order to supplement information when dealing with an enquiry from a relative." This file gave the information as to where the crew were buried.

They enclosed copies of letters that were sent to his parents notifying them of his loss of life and also Bomber Command Report from the night in question.

Importantly they say that it is possible to discover more about the mission and also any previous missions that he may have taken by consulting the Operations Record Book (ORB) for the Squadron. This is a "daily diary of events and will list dates, crew, aircraft and missions undertaken, as well as giving a flavour of the life of the squadron." The ORB for the Squadron we were interested in was held with the RAF records at the Public Record Office (The National Archives) under the reference AIR 27 Series/889. The documents are available for public inspection.

The letter also advised that we might be able to obtain a copy of the Service Records by writing to the RAF Personnel Management Agency which was at that time at RAF Innsworth, as mentioned by Hilary above, and the written permission of his immediate next of kin would be required, plus a fee would be charged.

Remembering back to 2003 I'm not sure that the National Archives documents were available online then and since I never got to visit the PRO we never did get any additional papers.