Military Chat

As title says I am well and truly stuck. I have two uncles who were both in the Royal Army Service Corps. One was a mechanic but the other one I don't know what his role was. I was interested to see their service records but nowhere can I find any records for RASC. I have tried Ancestry and found an RASC Association but nowhere lists service records, enlistment or anything else. Can anyone advise where else I can look. ? The uncle who was a mechanic was John Mason Blaylock born 1914 Northumberland.

If they are WW2 records then they are not online and are still with the MOD.

Look here to see how to order them (cost £30 and could take several months to arrive):-

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

Kath. x

Thank you Kathleen - that info has stopped me thinking I was going mad. I would love to know what was on them but don't feel inclined to send for them for that amount. Thanks again

The fee has been the same for many years and I must admit I think it is well worth it. You used to only get a list of places where the person was posted to with dates, but now you get photocopies of the actual records and they can be very interesting.

Kath. x

Thanks for that bit of info.Kathleen.
When I sent for my father and uncles records some 15 years ago ...(cost £30 then) They told me no more than what you have stated postings and dates..info I already had from their respective "Army Books"....given my father was in Burma Campaign It would be interesting to find out what I would receive now....

I got my father-in-law's army record about 12 to 15 years ago and as I said, it was just a page with a list of places and dates of posting. However when I got my own father's record a few years later we got photocopies of all the records they had for him. I then phoned and asked if I would get the same if I re-applied for my father-in-laws and was told "yes", so we sent off again and my husband was really pleased with what arrived.

Kath. x

I f you saw the size of the wherehouse where the records are stored (about the size of 4 football pitches) then you would see why they charge so much.
All the military records are stored in the same wherehouse, but you have to apply to different addresses depending on if RAF, Army or Navy where the storage location is kept on computer. It then has to be forwarded to the wherehouse to find the records, have them copied and forwarded back.

My father was also in Burma.
This posting has given me the push to apply for his records.

My husband helped his father to apply for his own records.
The amount received and detail was amazing and helped father-in-law recall many a tale, which he enjoyed sharing with us.

There was no cost, as I remember, due to them being for a living person who had served.