Military Chat

My above mentioned relative served in the British Army during the Second World War.
He signed the official secrets act and would not tell us what he actually did. he worked in The Pentagon for sometime.
He was also adwarded an MBE in 1948...

Is there somewhere I can go to find out what he did and what the MBE was awarded for?

He died in 2002.

Thank you

Sorry place of birth should be Huyton

His service record will still be with the MOD and not online. Look here to see how to order the records:-

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

They will cost £30 and may take several months to arrive.

Kath. x

Hi Kath
I have a copy/ list of his service record. It doesn’t go into details.

I will have a look at that web site..thank you. Will they be able to tell me about the MBE do you think?

Many thanks

Elizabeth

When did you get the list of his service records? If it was a long time ago then you may get actual copies of his documents if you apply again now.

The National Archives should have details of MBE's and they should also have been published in the London Gazette.

Kath. x

Hi Kath
The list was in his papers.

How do I get details from the National Archives?

Thankyou

Elizabeth

Sorry Elizabeth, but the National Archives website has always been a mystery to me. I just don't seem to be able to work my way through it.

Perhaps you could phone them and ask about the MBE:-

Phone: 020 8876 3444

Kath. x

A search on the London Gazette site suggests that he served in the Intelligence Corps, so I would imagine that full details of his service may not be disclosed.

Thank you Kath and Gwyn.

Yes he did work in intelligence. We always wonder if he was a spy. He had a lot of German books..ie dictionaries etc.

Oh..no..perhaps his secret has gone with him then.

............and if he was still alive, he wouldn't tell you.


Maybe he was a linguist?

Hi Gwyn

He died in 2002.

He was a second cousin to my Mother. She asked him what he had done but he wouldn’t tell her.

She said the war is over you can tell me. But he said no as he had signed the official secrets act.

It would be lovely to know what he had done

Elizabeth

Secrets don't stop being secret just because the war is over though.

Intelligence gained might be used many years later.

It's frustrating, but unlikely that you will ever have the full story.

Thank you Gwyn..indeed very frustrating.

He was a most interesting man :-)

You might get help here regarding the reason for his award.........

http://www.militaryintelligencemuseum.org/about-us/


Judging by the detail recorded on casualties of war on that site, it may be possible to find more about where he worked.

Thankyou.
I know he worked in America at the Pentagon

Elizabeth.
There is ref.to him below... You will need to cross ref.Louis L Lochner

German Resistance against Hitler: The Search for Allies Abroad 1938-1945



https://books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0191606790

Klemens von Klemperer - 1994 - ?History
Letter from Louis P. Lochner to Lt.-Col. John Learmont, MBE, Lebanon, Pa., 24 July 1949, Louis P. Lochner Papers, Correspondence, British Embassy; Testimony of Mr Lochner taken at Berlin, Germany on 25 July 1945 by Colonel John H. Amen IGD, NA RG 238, Lochner, What About Germany!, 4–5. 357. Foreign Relations ...

Gosh..thankyou so much for this