I have been lurking for a while and trying to learn :) Having been researching family history for a long time (35 years - I started at a young age :) I have decided to try and find out a little more about my maternal grandfather's service in WWI. When we were children Pop gave all his medals to my late brother for being such a brave boy (he spent a great deal of his childhood in hospital). I have just two medals left, one for Grandad and one for his father. Pop was always proud of having served with the Royal Naval Flying Corps, born 19th November 1896 his medal shows 223639 Cpl T Murray R.A.F. (Thomas Murray of London). This is the Great War medal. Among those that were lost over the years I remember one shaped like a cross, he had four or five medals, but they may not have all been his (I had not realised that one is for his father until a couple of years ago).. I remember my parents taking him to visit the Museum at Hendon, he remarked to one of the RAF people there, 'I can remember repairing many of those engines and radiators', the reply was something along the lines of, no you are mistaken these are from the first world war! All we ever knew was that he had served on airfields in northern France and he did once say that he had seen the Red Baron in action. When aged 94 he revealed that he had been up in a plane, but only the once! My grandmother always complained that when he had leave, he would go to Paris instead of coming home. He told me it was only ever a day or two, and only happened a couple of times, he would go to Paris and have a decent meal and a good nights sleep. The other medal shows a horse and rider, with skull and crossbones by the horses hoof / head of George the fifth on the reverse. It reads 63616 Sapper T Murray R.E. (again Thomas Murray of London). It seems easier to trace service people who perished in wars than to find out about service for those who survived. But, I shall be pleased to be corrected. Where should I begin to look, assuming I can find anything? Are there records at Kew? What should I be looking for please? Any advice would be warmly received. Thank you. Pat ... www.suffolk-surnames-list.co.uk