The list has been very patient and helpful with my search for my elusive father .........and a letter I received this am from the MOD may help others who have the same sort of problem.............from the Deputy Departmental Records Officer, MOD , Whitehall . I have summarised it except where the sentence is directly of interest . `Thank you for your email addressed to Adam Ingram , Minister (Armed Forces) dated 3 Dec 2005 on the subject of Service personnel records . In noting that this matter falls with the Under Secretary of States area of responsibility I have been asked to reply ....... It might be helpful to explain that the archive services provided by TNT are similar to those services previously carried out at the former site of the repository , Hayes , Mddx . The records formerly stored at Hayes have now been transferred to a modern storage facility in South Derbyshire . Before their transfer, all the holdings at Hayes , including any Service personnel files, were indexed using set criteria to ensure there is a full inventory and to enable their recovery when required . All records now deposited with TNT Archive Services undergo the same process. Should a legitimate request be received for information contained in a Service personnel file , certain details ( such as service no , name, date of birth) would have to be provided to enable the file to be located and the information provided . To turn to your question with regard to placing the records on line to allow pay per view before the end of the 60 year closure , this would be a matter for The National Archives ( TNA) . Before Service personnel files would be released into the public domain through their transfer to TNA, they must be at least one hundred years after the date of birth of the individual . However you may be reassured to know that in Dec 2001 , the Lord Chancellor`s Advisory Council on Public Records ( now the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives ) considered the question of the post World War 1 Service personnel records and subsequently decided that they should be preserved through transfer to TNA . TNA and MOD is ( sic) now actively engaged in discussions that will lead to their eventual transfer to TNA . How these records will eventually be preserved and made accessible to the general public is a matter that TNA are now considering . I hope this is helpful . ` I am pleased with this letter, overall, and at least it shows that MOD know where these records are and what is happening to them . I am not sure however whether I am clear as to the closure times. Is MOD talking about `the 60 yr closure` as being for all WW2 records including these personnel records, or is it still sticking to the idea of 100yr closure from the dob of the serviceman ? does 60yrs mean from the official end of the war in ? July 1945 ? and without the dob of the serviceman how do you know if his particular record is now in the public domain ? But it does seem that these will end up in TNA and hopefully before I am carried off in a box !!!!

Hi Elizabeth & Listers Thanks for your work on this, Elizabeth. I felt a little embarrassed when, all those months ago, I started off this particular hare and then found no time to follow it up - I wasn't even sure that my information was correct. At least we now know that TNT does have custody of these records and we almost know where they are held. It would seem, however, that only proven kin will be allowed to receive the data, altho' there is no clue as to how far 'kin' extends from the subject of the record. I imagine that the most immediate way of discovering the cost of access would be to seek such access; hopefully, it will not be as high as the 60GPB that my informant told me. John > -----Original Message----- > From: elizabeth howard [mailto:elizgh@btinternet.com] > Sent: 04 February 2006 11:58 > To: WORLDWAR2-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [WORLD WAR II] MOD records > > > The list has been very patient and helpful with my search for my elusive > father .........and a letter I received this am from the MOD may > help others > who have the same sort of problem.............from the Deputy > Departmental > Records Officer, MOD , Whitehall . I have summarised it except where the > sentence is directly of interest . > `Thank you for your email addressed to Adam Ingram , > Minister (Armed > Forces) dated 3 Dec 2005 on the subject of Service personnel > records . In > noting that this matter falls with the Under Secretary of States area of > responsibility I have been asked to reply ....... > It might be helpful to explain that the archive services > provided by > TNT are similar to those services previously carried out at the > former site > of the repository , Hayes , Mddx . The records formerly stored at Hayes > have now been transferred to a modern storage facility in South > Derbyshire . > Before their transfer, all the holdings at Hayes , including any Service > personnel files, were indexed using set criteria to ensure there > is a full > inventory and to enable their recovery when required . All records now > deposited with TNT Archive Services undergo the same process. > Should a legitimate request be received for information > contained in > a Service personnel file , certain details ( such as service no , > name, date > of birth) would have to be provided to enable the file to be > located and the > information provided . > To turn to your question with regard to placing the > records on line > to allow pay per view before the end of the 60 year closure , > this would be > a matter for The National Archives ( TNA) . Before Service > personnel files > would be released into the public domain through their transfer > to TNA, they > must be at least one hundred years after the date of birth of the > individual > . However you may be reassured to know that in Dec 2001 , the Lord > Chancellor`s Advisory Council on Public Records ( now the > Advisory Council > on National Records and Archives ) considered the question of the > post World > War 1 Service personnel records and subsequently decided that > they should be > preserved through transfer to TNA . > TNA and MOD is ( sic) now actively engaged in discussions > that will > lead to their eventual transfer to TNA . How these records will > eventually > be preserved and made accessible to the general public is a > matter that TNA > are now considering . > I hope this is helpful . ` > > I am pleased with this letter, overall, and at least it shows > that MOD > know where these records are and what is happening to them . I am not > sure however whether I am clear as to the closure times. Is MOD talking > about `the 60 yr closure` as being for all WW2 records including these > personnel records, or is it still sticking to the idea of 100yr > closure from > the dob of the serviceman ? does 60yrs mean from > the official > end of the war in ? July 1945 ? and without the dob of the > serviceman how do > you know if his particular record is now in the public domain ? > But it does seem that these will end up in TNA and > hopefully before > I am carried off in a box !!!! > > > > ==== WORLDWAR2 Mailing List ==== > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Military/WORLDWAR2.html > This is the link to our archives. You may search or browse. > Also, subscribe or unsubscribe and contact admin. We are an > international list. Please remember to tell us what country your > ancestor was from and what country you are in now if different. > This helps us help you. If you give dates please help us > understand the date you are referring to. For example: 4 Nov > 1944 or Nov 4, 1944. > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.0/249 - Release Date: 02/02/2006 > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.2/251 - Release Date: 04/02/2006