ADVICE

Before reading further, or sending us a query, please understand

 
1. We are a small independent charity relying on public donation.

2. The Trustees employ (both posts part-time) one official and one clerical assistant.

3. Both of these individuals have a variety of duties to fulfil ranging from the organising of major ceremonial events through lesser commemorative services, the maintenance of the Memorial and its contents (including the Rolls of Honour and their binders), organising Trustees Meetings and recording the Minutes thereof  through to matters and meetings with Historic Scotland and the Army connected with the day to day working of Edinburgh Castle. For these reasons they do not have time to devote to lengthy research on your behalf.

4. By consulting our list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) you will find a speedier resolution of your query.

5. The key to all service records is the individual’s number. Without this you are unlikely to locate the relevant record. This number may be found on official documents or, sometimes, on the rim of a medal. Do not ask us for it - we need it to locate correctly an individual in our Rolls of Honour.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

 

Question 1. What does F and F stand for?

Answer 1. France and Flanders. This was the main British theatre of operations in the Great War.

 

Question 2. What was so and so doing when he was killed?

Answer 2. We cannot answer this question and it is unlikely that anyone can now. Your best approach would be to consult the relevant Regimental History or the War Diary of the relevant Battalion. Advice on regimental histories may be obtained from the relevant regimental museum the location of which should be obtainable from

Army Museums Ogilby Trust,
59, The Close,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire,

whose web site has a search facility at               www.armymuseums.org.uk

 

or from                                                
The Imperial War Museum,
Lambeth Road,
London,
SE1 6HZ.

 

War Diaries are likely to be held by                  
The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU.

 

Question 3. Where was so and so when he was killed?

Answer 3. We do not know. You could try the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at   www.cwgc.org or the relevant War Diary [see previous answer].

 

Question 4. Where is so and so buried?

Answer 4. Again, consult the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on   www.cwgc.org

 

Question 5. I have a badge/button/ picture of a uniform. To what regiment does it belong?

Answer 5.   This is not within our expertise. Try asking 

The Curator,
The National War Museum of Scotland,
The Castle,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2NG.

 

Question 6. I wish to find out more about someone’s military service.

Answer 6.  We are not a Military Records Office and consequently cannot answer your question. We think Service Records are held as follows:

 

Royal Navy.

Officers born before 1914     }

Ratings enlisted before 1924 }
 The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU.

Ratings enlisted after 1924 }                
NPP Accounts 1, AFPAA,
Centurion Building,
Grange Road,
Gosport,
Hampshire,
PO13 9XA.

Officers aged 60 or under }                 
Naval Secretary (OMOBS),
Room 169,
Victory Building,
HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth,
POL 3LS.

 

Royal Marines

Officers and Other Ranks enlisted before 1925 }         
The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU.

 

Officers and Other Ranks enlisted after 1925 }
Historical Records Office Royal Marines,
Centurion Building,
Grange Road,
Gosport,
Hampshire,
PO13 9XA.

 

Army

Officers or Soldiers who service ended before 1921 }  
The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU.

 

Officers and Soldiers whose service ended between

1921 and 1997 [less Foot Guards] }                                       
Army Personnel Centre,
HQ Secretariat,
Historical Disclosures,
Mail Point 400,
Kentigern House,
65, Brown Street,

 

Officers or Soldiers whose regular or reserve service

ended after 1997 [less Foot Guards]}                          
Army Personnel Centre,
HQ Secretariat,
Disclosures Section 1,
Mail Point 520,
Kentigern House,
65, Brown Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8EX.

 

Officers and Soldiers of the Foot Guards Regiments }
Regimental Headquarters,
***** Guards,
Wellington Barracks,
Birdcage Walk,
London,
SW1E 6HQ.

(***** insert Grenadier or Coldstream or Scots or Irish or Welsh)

 

Royal Air Force

Officers whose service ended in 1920 or earlier }

Airmen whose service ended in 1928 or earlier  }        
The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey,
TW9 4DU.

 

Officers whose service ended in 1920 or later }       

PMA (Sec ) IM 1 b,

Airmen whose service ended in 1928 or later }

Room 5,
Building 248 a,
RAF Innsworth,
Gloucester,
GL3 1EZ.

 

Question 7. I cannot find a name in your Web Site Rolls of Honour. Why is this?

Answer 7. It may be because you looked in the incorrect group. The Rolls are listed under three headings:

Search the first world war

Search the second world war

Search entries Post 1945

 

Question 8. Why is so and so not recorded in the Rolls of Honour?

 Answer 8. Probably because we were not notified of his death [if a soldier he may not be listed in Soldiers [or Officers] Died in the Great War or the Army Roll of Honour World War II].

 

Question 9. Can I have a name added to the Rolls of Honour?

Answer 9. Given the length of time since the ending of both the First and Second World Wars, the Trustees have decided that there has been ample time for the immediate families of casualties to request that their names be added to, or existing entries be amended in, the various Rolls of Honour.

Bearing in mind that it is and was the wish of the immediate family of the casualty that was paramount, they have decided that they will accept such requests from only the following relations of a casualty:

Father or Mother
Husband or Wife
Son or Daughter

and, in each instance, the application must be accompanied by a signed statement that the applicant is the immediate next of kin of the casualty.

In exceptional circumstances they will consider a request which comes from:

a. the Regimental Headquarters of the casualty�s regiment [or current successor regiment].

b. For members of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force the request must come from the Officer in Charge of the relevant Records Office.

c. Should the casualty have been killed in the armed forces of one of the former Dominions then the request should be made by the chief executive of the appropriate national ex-Serviceman�s organisation (such as the Australian Retruned Servicemen� league).

In all cases the applicant is responsible for providing full documentary proof of the casualty�s service to support the application and similar documentary proof that the serviceman or woman has been accepted as a war casualty by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission [this may be in the form of a printed copy from the Commission�s electronic Debt of Honour register]. Where the individual has not served in a Scottish Regiment (Royal Scots Greys, Scots Guards, Royal Scots, Royal Scots Fusiliers, King�s Own Scottish Borderers, Cmeronians (Scottish Rifles), Black Watch, Highland Light Infantry, Seaforth Highlanders, Gordon Highlanders, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) documentary proof that he was born in Scotland must be included.

Electronic copies of documents will not be accepted.

 

Question 10. Can I have a correction made to an entry in the Rolls of Honour?

Answer 10. We will need to see the individual’s Service Record (see Answer 8).

 

Question 11. What medals did so and so have?

Answer 11. We cannot answer that question. Try writing to

Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,
Ministry of Defence Medal Office,
Building 250.
Imjin Barracks,
GLOUCESTER,
GL3 1HW.

 

Question 12. One of my ancestors was born in/ served in/ was in detention in Edinburgh Castle. Please tell me more about him.

 Answer 12. We cannot answer that question and we do not know of the existence any records of past garrisons of Edinburgh Castle.

 

Question 13. I am carrying out research into my family and one of them had a Service connection. What can you tell me about him?

 Answer 13. Nothing. It is possible that his Service Record might provide a clue. See  Answer 6 above.

 

Question 14. When I look up a person with a certain army number, I find several records. Why is this?

 Answer 14. Because originally army numbers were regimental numbers so several men in the army would have the same number.
                     It was only later that army-wide numbers were introduced. We are unable to provide the date when the army-wide system was introduced.