Getting started
Applying for a Service Record from the Ministry of Defence.
What you’ll need:
- Veteran’s full name
- Veteran’s date of birth
- Veteran’s service number
Researching squadron records
The Operational Record Books for most RAF squadrons are available online via the National Archives website.
Type in the squadron you want into the search function and the year you need. You can then sign up for a free user account to download the PDFs for free.
Search the records here.
Other records held at the National Archives (some records not digitised):
Using online genealogy services
If you don’t know the date of birth or service number of the person you are researching, the best approach is to use one of the many genealogy websites.
Here are my recommendations:
Some of the records from the National archives are only available through Find My Past, so you may have to sign up for this service to access those files.
Fleshing out your veteran’s story
By far the quickest way to get extra information about a veteran’s squadron or the missions they participated in is to reach out to the amateur historian community. This can be found on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, or website forums. I find Facebook the easiest to use for most people.
Here is a list of recommended Facebook groups to join:
Bomber Command:
General WWII
For good secondary sources about particular squadrons, contact Barry “Buzz” Hope in his Facebook group.
‘And in the morning’ Official Group
More details coming soon…