Unless the rules have been recently changed, it is possible for the Next of Kin to obtain the records upon proof of death. Howard Stutt Ottawa Angie Kemp <ang1e@bluewin.ch> wrote: Hello My name is Angela and I am researching my grandfather Stanley H. BEECHING born 16 Jan 1917. He was in the Canadian forces during World War II and was from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He served in the following units of which I know only what I have shown below. Up to May 1943: No. 1 Cdn Eng. Reinf. Unit based in Aldershot, Hampshire, UK >From May 1943: G. H. Q. 2nd Echelon, Cdn Army Overseas based in Farnham, Surrey, UK Posted to southern Italy November 1943 (Near mountains somewhere near Mount Vesuvius) Returned to London around April 1945 I have been in contact with the Canadian War Museum and they told me the following:- The Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) possesses the complete personal files of all who served in the Canadian military in the two world wars and these would be the most complete source of information on the services of any one veteran. However, due to privacy regulations, access by second parties to Second War files is possible only if the veteran has been dead for 20 years or more. And proof of decease has to be presented. If you wish to inquire further about this you can obtain contact information for the LAC on its website: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/. I have sent a request mail to the LAC and am awaiting their response. On the basis that my grandfather died in 1995 I do not expect them to be very forthcoming so hope somebody out there can assist through knowledge of the units or my grandfather. Any information or assistance would be gratefully received as I am new to genealogy and this kind of research. Thanks & regards Angela ==== 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. ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

I have been waiting to write to this list about this very problem. My father, Malcolm Griggs Lashlee, was a member of the 44th tank battalion, during WWII. He was wounded in action and received a Purple Heart. He and I filled out the forms to have his missing war medals sent to him in January 2005. He passed away in February 2005. The local veteran's affairs department will not release the medals to me, because his "wife" (yes my mother) is still alive. His wife left him 5 years before he died, to live with someone else, but still stands to collect widows pension and social security because they were still married when he died. To complicate matters, the local VA has a working relationship with my mother's company and will not release anything to anyone but her. I have searched high and low and I cannot find anything that says that only the wife is eligible to claim these items. I have contacted our local state senator, who has been researching the matter for a month. I have tried to contact my mother, but she does not return any of her children's phone calls. I have contacted the local VA hospital and they have said they would release the medals to me, if there were some way I could have them sent to them. I was the one who brought my father to all of his doctor's appointments in the years before he passed away and my name is listed as the contact for him in all of their records. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Or any one else that I can contact? Thank you in advance for any advice Sam Lashlee --- HOWARD STUTT <howardstutt@rogers.com> wrote: > Unless the rules have been recently changed, it is > possible for the Next of Kin to obtain the records > upon proof of death. > > Howard Stutt > Ottawa > > Angie Kemp <ang1e@bluewin.ch> wrote: > Hello > > > > My name is Angela and I am researching my > grandfather Stanley H. BEECHING > born 16 Jan 1917. He was in the Canadian forces > during World War II and was > from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He served in the > following units of which I > know only what I have shown below. > > > > > > Up to May 1943: No. 1 Cdn Eng. Reinf. Unit based in > Aldershot, > Hampshire, UK > > > > >From May 1943: G. H. Q. 2nd Echelon, Cdn Army > Overseas based in > Farnham, Surrey, UK > > Posted to southern Italy November 1943 (Near > mountains somewhere > near Mount Vesuvius) > > > > Returned to London around April 1945 > > > > > > I have been in contact with the Canadian War Museum > and they told me the > following:- > > > > The Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) possesses > the complete personal > files of all who served in the Canadian military in > the two world wars and > these would be the most complete source of > information on the services of > any one veteran. However, due to privacy > regulations, access by second > parties to Second War files is possible only if the > veteran has been dead > for 20 years or more. And proof of decease has to be > presented. If you wish > to inquire further about this you can obtain contact > information for the LAC > on its website: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/. > > > > I have sent a request mail to the LAC and am > awaiting their response. On > the basis that my grandfather died in 1995 I do not > expect them to be very > forthcoming so hope somebody out there can assist > through knowledge of the > units or my grandfather. > > > > Any information or assistance would be gratefully > received as I am new to > genealogy and this kind of research. > > > > Thanks & regards > > > > Angela > > > > ==== 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. > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million > records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the > world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > > > > > > ==== 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. > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about > your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the > last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > > Art students check us out on the web at http://www.lashleefineart.com