WWI RAF Service Records Declassified

cvalk · 12 November 2009, 06:32 PM

As of 11/11/09, from the National Archives web site (nationalarchives.gov.uk):

"The National Archives has made 99,000 RAF officers' service records available online for the first time. These records are easily searchable by first name, last name and date of birth, and were previously only accessible to visitors at the Kew site. You can view and download records via the DocumentsOnline service."

Downloads cost 3.50 pounds per record.

FliegerJG1 · 12 November 2009, 08:33 PM

Thank you for posting this! Very good information to have.

FliegerJG1

errolmartyn · 13 November 2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cvalk

As of 11/11/09, from the National Archives web site (nationalarchives.gov.uk):

"The National Archives has made 99,000 RAF officers' service records available online for the first time. These records are easily searchable by first name, last name and date of birth, and were previously only accessible to visitors at the Kew site. You can view and download records via the DocumentsOnline service."

Downloads cost 3.50 pounds per record.

Be aware that not all of these (AIR 76 series) records include first names, some have just initials. It may be necessary therefore to search both on first name then, if this fails, by initials to find your man. The reverse also applies. I tried a surname/initials search for a particular officer and was puzzled why he was not there when I was 99% certain that there should be a record for him. A new search on surname/first name then brought up the record.

I would also caution against accepting birth dates at face value. A significant portion of these are incorrect (usually the year).

Ironically, for a visitor to Archives the cost of securing a copy of the average 2-4 pages of a record (at 3.50 pounds) is now 400-800% more expensive than the old printout self service from microfilm (now withdrawn). The term rip off comes to mind...

Errol

normanf · 15 November 2009, 04:10 AM

Also keep in mind that the Air 76 stuff in not complete. Some are just plain missing, and most of the airmen who remained in the RAF post war had their cards removed to, presumably, their post-WW1 service record. These will be with their files until their release at some stage in the future. Also remember that often their are two cards (and the backs of each one) so one will need to get a total of four print-outs to cover everything. Normanf

john_g · 15 November 2009, 01:43 PM

errol

At present the films are still available, although I believe they may well be withdrawn in the future.

Norman is right about the outstanding officer’s records. I have been for some time (over two years) been trying to get the MoD to pass these on to Kew, but my understanding is that Kew are not keen to take them and for some strange reason they are interested in taking WW2 Home Guard records before they consider the WW1 RAF Officer records.

john-g

66 Squadron