TheGenealogist Releases International Bomber Command Centre death records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist Releases 67,000 Death Records from the International Bomber Command Centre

TheGenealogist is proud to announce the release of the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC): Losses Database on its website. This significant collection honours the men and women who served and died while supporting Bomber Command operations.

The IBCC Losses Database includes detailed records of over 67,000 Bomber Command casualties, capturing personal details, aircraft information, missions, and circumstances of death. This fully searchable resource allows family historians, researchers, and aviation enthusiasts to access an unparalleled level of detail about those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

The records link on to the IBCC database, compiled from over 6.2 Million pieces of data, giving an incredible amount of information for each individual, often including a photo.

● 67,140 Records

● Covers 1936 to 1968

● Gives over 100,000 names of Parents, Spouses, Siblings and Children

● SmartSearch links to our AIR 27 Operations Record Books (ORBs), which can provide details of the fateful mission where the crew member lost their life

Among the notable entries in the database is Percy Charles Pickard, the legendary RAF officer known for leading the daring Amiens prison raid in 1944. His inclusion in the records offers a poignant reminder of the bravery and sacrifice that marked the RAF’s wartime efforts. You can read his remarkable story here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/target-for-tonight-8696/

Mark Bayley, Head of Online Content at TheGenealogist, said:

"This is a moving record collection that sheds light on those who served in one of the most dangerous roles of the Second World War. We’re making this release free to everyone as a tribute to the Bomber Command staff and crew who paid the ultimate price."

The IBCC Losses Database is now available for free for all registered users. Sign up for your free account at https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/account/signup/

(With thanks to TheGenealogist)

Chris  

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available - Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Recent notable additions to Ancestry

The following are some of the more noticeable collections aded to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) over the last couple of months that may be of interest:

UK, Recommendations for Honours and Awards, 1935-1943
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63097/ (full collection on Fold3.com)

UK, Postal Establishment Books, 1691-1979
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62454/

UK, Navy Board and Predecessors Prisoner of War Registers, 1755-1831
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63094/ (full collection on Fold3.com)

Web: Caribbean, Aircrew in the RAF during World War II, 1939-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63333/

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

RAF lists added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following collections amongst this week's latest releases:

Royal Air Force Lists 1919-1945

If your ancestor served in the Royal Air Force between 1919 and 1945, their name may appear within this new record collection.

For details of this and other collections visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/poland-italy-monumental-inscriptions-barrow-news

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

UK and Allies Bomber Command Losses database added to MyHeritage

Added to MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

United Kingdom and Allies, International Bomber Command Losses, 1936-1968

This collection contains death records of service members who died during service in the International Bomber Command of the UK and its allies, between 1936 and 1968. Records typically include the name of the deceased service member, country of birth, place of residence, date of death, age at the time of death, place of burial, names of the parents and spouse, and service information.

In World War II, Bomber Command was a division within the British Royal Air Force (RAF) responsible for conducting strategic bombing missions. The command was established in 1936 and played a pivotal role in the Allied air campaign against Germany and the Axis powers. In an effort to cripple the enemy’s war effort, Bomber Command’s aircrews conducted perilous missions to attack enemy industrial sites, transportation networks, and military installations.

The database can be searched at https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20667/united-kingdom-allies-international-bomber-command-losses-1936-1968 (subscription required to view results).

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

TNA outlines Ancestry's Second World War UK military records digitisation plans

The National Archives at Kew in England (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) has recently announced that Ancestry would be digitising service records material from the Second World War, but it has now extensively detailed its digitisation plans remit for the next few years. First, its introductory post (from https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/award-of-mod-records-digitisation-contract/)

We have announced that we have awarded Ancestry®, a contract to digitise the first tranche of Ministry of Defence service personnel records. Both parties are looking forward to working to make these important records accessible online.

Gemma Maclagan Ram, Commercial Director at The National Archives said:

‘Widening access to records is very important to us and we are pleased that this partnership with Ancestry will allow people to look at these records in the comfort of their own homes. We know how important these records are to military groups, veterans and family genealogists and we are working with Ancestry to ensure that they are accessible online as early as possible.’

This contract covers the first four groups of non-officer British Army service records: approximately three million files in total, amounting to an estimated 36 million images. We anticipate that the digitisation will take over four years, so from late 2024 Ancestry will publish in tranches, when each series of records is ready for publication online. 

The real detail, however, is in the subsequent link at https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/our-role/plans-policies-performance-and-projects/our-plans/ministry-of-defence-service-records/ - and it is packed with information.

The following are some key snippets:

• The records included in this collection cover personnel in all three services – Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force – where the individual has a date of birth before or up to 1 January 1939.  They include around 500,000 personnel with First World War service, and the vast majority of those who served in the Second World War.
• The most common information within the collection are attestation papers, which capture details of when the individual joined the service, along with a Record of Service that shows which units and between what dates the individual served in.
• There are just under ten million records, representing the biggest and most complex transfer of public records in our history.
• We have already received over four million records and expect to complete the transfer of all Army non-officer records within the scope of the project by the end of March 2024. We will then move onto RAF non-officer records in 2024-25. The whole transfer process will run until 2026.
• The first four collections to be digitised are British Army service records of non-officer ranks:    WO 420: Approximately 54,000 service records of other ranks (not Officers) who served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) during the Second World War. The REME was established in October 1942 and was responsible for the maintenance and repair of military equipment. It consisted of skilled tradesmen, many of whom had initially transferred from other units.  WO 421: Over 94,000 records, originally held at the Bournemouth Combined Manning Record Office, of soldiers from 12 smaller units/corps during the Second World War and immediately after, discharged as over age personnel. WO 419: Over 830,000 records of other ranks discharged from the infantry of the British Army between 1921 and 1939. The majority of the service records relate to individuals who served during the First World War, and who opted to continue their service beyond 1921, but also include those who served only throughout the inter-war period and were discharged before the outbreak of the Second World War. WO 422: Over two million records of non-commissioned officers and other ranks who served in infantry regiments of the British Army during the Second World War and who were discharged from the armed forces as ‘over age’ before their time expired in the reserves after 1945.
• These collections were chosen as they contain the largest proportion of open and publishable records. They also include records of individuals from across the world who served in the British Army, particularly during the Second World War.
• Are you digitising everything in each MoD service record? No – due to the scale of the project, and the nature of the information that records contain, it is not possible to digitise each service record in its entirety.
• Will MOD service records for living individuals be digitised? Only MOD service records of individuals with a date of birth over 100 years ago will be published.
• Our licensing partner for the first tranche of records, Ancestry, will publish the records on their platform in phases between 2024 and 2029.
• The service records will be available to view free of charge in digital format in our reading rooms.  They will also be available free of charge at two more public access venues within the UK, details to be confirmed. Libraries and other public institutions with institutional Ancestry subscriptions may also offer free access.
• The digitisation project "consists of just over three million records, and an estimated 36 million images".
• We are gradually cataloguing the service records as they are transferred to us... Collections now partially available to search and browse (on Discovery) include: WO 420: Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers regiment (other ranks); WO 421: selected smaller corps (other ranks); WO 422: infantry over age (other ranks)
• Will MOD service records for living individuals be digitised? Only MOD service records of individuals with a date of birth over 100 years ago will be published. The long-accepted assumption of 100 years for life means that records can be opened 100 years and one day from the date of birth of the individual. Our licensing partner for the first tranche of records, Ancestry, will publish newly opened records on an annual rolling basis as they reach 100 years old.

It looks like we'll have lots to get stuck into over the next few years! For further detail, visit the link above.

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry adds UK, British Air Force Lists, 1919-1922 and 1938-1945

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has launched a new Royal Air Force database with information sourced from the National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk):

UK, British Air Force Lists, 1919-1922 and 1938-1945
Source: National Library of Scotland. British Air Force Lists. National Library of Scotland, 2020. https://data.nls.uk/data/digitised-collections/british-air-force-lists/.

About UK, British Air Force Lists, 1919-1922 and 1938-1945

This collection includes lists of people who served in the British Air Force between the end of the First and Second World Wars. The lists are dated between 1919-1922 and 1938-1945 and were produced monthly, bimonthly, and quarterly and were published in pamphlet form with a cover page. Names and information about Royal Air Force members are listed under headings for each military rank. In addition to service members who were active at the time of each publication, the lists also may include information about retired officers, medical staff, nurses and chaplains, decorations and awards, and holders of the Victoria Cross.

Using this collection:

• Records in this collection may include the following information:
• Name
• Rank
• Date individual joined the Royal Air Force
• Military unit or organization
• Military occupation

The records in this collection can be used to verify that your ancestor served in the Royal Air Force at a specific time and the rank they had attained. The lists were produced at regular intervals, so your ancestor's military career could be traced over time by searching across multiple years.

For further details visit https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62383/

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist releases RAF Operations Record Books 1911-1963

The RAF Operations Books from 1911-1963 are now available via TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Announcing the largest collection of fully searchable RAF Operations Record Books online

TheGenealogist’s latest release of transcripts of RAF ORBs provide the most complete collection of indexed AIR 27 records TheGenealogist has today released over 4.2 million transcripts for its RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs), fully searchable by Name, Rank, Aircraft, Squadron, and Date plus many other fields, making it simpler to find your air force ancestors.

TheGenealogist uniquely allows you to search the period 1911-1963. With over 11 million records online, this is the largest collection of searchable AIR 27 records making it the best place to find details about your RAF ancestors.

TheGenealogist’s significant transcription effort has been aimed at providing detailed indexes which cover 1911 to 1963.

Mark Bayley, Head of Content at TheGenealogist said: “We are delighted to be releasing such a large number of AIR 27 ORBs, making TheGenealogist the most comprehensive site for AIR 27 records online.”

The ORBs on TheGenealogist include not only the journal-like day to day entries recorded on Form 540 in which you can find RAF personnel mentioned, but also all of the appendices that go along with these documents, giving many statistical details as well as “Secret Orders”.

Some feedback TheGenealogist has received:

“One of your best. To be able to follow the day to day activities of individuals down to the hours the planes take off and land is amazing. I look forward to the rest of this data set.”

“A 2 minute search brought up 2 years of operations logs for my Father, who was a pilot in 123 Squadron stationed in North Africa, India & Burma. They are full of amazing information. Everything from a near miss when a Japanese machine gun bullet ‘entered his cockpit’, what films they watched & complaints about the food. Just wonderful.”

“Just to say a big THANK YOU for giving my family access to records of my late Uncle Douglas Thom's operations in 90 Squadron Bomber Command in 1944. We have been very frustrated that his log books seem to have "disappeared" when his home in mid Wales was cleared. Now at least we have a time-line of his sorties and more information to add to his "not often spoken about" story. I will be passing what you have on him to my cousin, his son Doug, in Canada.”

Learn more about RAF records and read TheGenealogist’s free articles here: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/raf/

This collection is provided in association with The National Archives.

These records and many more are available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry releases RAF Operations Record Books, 1911-1963

From Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

UK, Royal Air Force Operations Record Books, 1911-1963
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62280/
Source: AIR 27 Air Ministry and successors: Operations Record Books, Squadrons Record books 1911-1993. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives.

About UK, Royal Air Force Operations Record Books, 1911-1963

General collection information

This collection contains records documenting operations conducted by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) between 1911 and 1963. The collection includes complete records for each squadron made up of summaries of events forms, details of work carried out and operational orders. The collection also includes records for allied squadrons from other countries under British command. Most records in the collection are typed, but will vary by record type.

Using the collection

Records in the collection may include the following information:

    Name
    Rank
    Service number
    Date of operation

Depending on the type of document, records may also include information about aircraft type, aircraft number, the region where the operation took place, names of other crew members, type of operation, and notes about the operation.

Please note when “i/c” is listed in front of the officer’s rank, it indicates that the officer was in charge of the mission.

Visit the link for further contextual information.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Ancestry adds more UK military records

The following military collections have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) this last week: 

UK, Military Records of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Burials, 1813-1957
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62113/
Original data: WO 156: War Office: UK and overseas garrisons: Registers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Deaths/Burials, and Marriage. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives.

This collection contains registrations of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, banns, and burials for individuals who served in the British military, including those stationed overseas. This collection is unique in that the original records were recorded by military chaplains. Because of this, the collection combines the level of detail you find in parish records with the uniformity of civil registrations.

(NB: In the rest of the description Ancestry claims the Church of England is the 'official state religion of the United Kingdom' - perhaps ignore this bit, or maybe let the Kirk write to them!)


UK, Royal Navy Officer Patrol Service Cards, 1904-1970
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62112/
Original data: ADM 364: Admiralty: Royal Naval Officers Patrol Service (Trawler Skipper) cards, 1904-1970. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archive.

This collection contains records for those who served in the Royal Navy Patrol Service from 1904-1970. Records in this collection are Royal Navy Continuous Record cards, which were updated throughout the serviceman’s naval career. Records are handwritten in ledgers and organised by function and service number.


UK, World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62274/
Original data: AIRMEN DIED IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-45. East Sussex, England: The Naval and Military Press Ltd.

This collection comprises a comprehensive list of British, Commonwealth, Dominion, and Allied European air service members who lost their lives in service during the Second World War. More than 129,000 air service members are recorded in this index-only collection, which includes valuable personal information, such as aircraft serial numbers, details that may be hard to find in other collections.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Clare Wilson's new Allied Air Force Research website

From genealogist Clare Wilson:

Do you have Air Force Ancestors?

As many of you will know Clare Wilson of Treehouse Genealogy has a passion for Air Force Research having had family members serve during World War 1, World War 2 & the Cold War.  Over the years she has worked with many organisations & Museums researching the circumstances of those who sadly lost their lives in Aircraft losses. Clare currently works as the Archivist for 102 Squadron & is part of the research team at the Aircrew Remembrance Society.

Having Recently set up the Allied Air Force Research Facebook group, Clare has now gone on to set up a website of the same name. This new Website will cover all time periods, countries & trades. The website will continually grow & will contain details of some of the projects Clare works on, hints & tips to assist your own research & a blog which will feature news, articles on Aviation Museums & much more.   

You can sign up for FREE to receive Articles & Newsletters direct to your inbox via this link
https://www.alliedairforceresearch.com/blog

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist adds RAF Operations Record Books

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

RAF Operations Record Books for the Dambusters squadron go online

TheGenealogist is marking the anniversary of the famous Royal Air Force Dambusters raid on the Ruhr Valley dams in May 1943 by releasing a massive tranche of fully searchable RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs) including those ORBs for the famous No 617 Squadron giving an insight into their lives.

With a release of 1,550,018 records, bringing the total to 6,748,021 these new diary-like RAF documents paint a picture of the goings on in a squadron on a day-to-day basis for those units under British control.

These are uniquely fully searchable by:-
●    Forename and Surname
●    Squadron
●    Date Range

Using keywords users can also search for Service Number, Rank, and Duty, Aircraft type and location where the fields appear in the record. This makes it possible to easily find your Royal Air Force ancestors and discover more about their war time activities on the base and in the air.

The Operations Record Books are for squadrons primarily from after the First World War, although there are a few early squadron records from 1911 to 1918. These ORBs follow the daily happenings in the air and on the base, and frequently name the brave aircrew who battled against the odds.

You can use the collection to follow an airman’s war time experiences from these fully searchable Air Ministry operations record books which cover various Royal Air Force, Dominion and Allied Air Force squadrons that came under British Command. The AIR 27 records allow the family history researcher a fascinating insight into their relatives serving in a number of wartime air force units, as can be seen in the video and article that shines a light on Wing Commander Gibson and his squadron.

●    See the wartime operations of air crew
●    Discover pilots, navigators, radio operators and gunners mentioned in the diaries
●    Find airmen receiving an Honour or a Medal
●    Note the names of squadron members wounded, killed, or who did not return
●    Fully search these National Archives records and images

Find out more about the AIR27 recordset here: https://www.TheGenealogist.co.uk/Air27

This release expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection for Diamond subscribers.

To take a deeper look into these records read TheGenealogist’s feature article and see how 617 Squadron recorded the famous Dambuster operation in the ORBs from the time.
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2021/guy-gibson-and-the-dambuster-raid-found-in-raf-operations-record-books-1411/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast expands Northern Irish deaths database

The following are included in this week's FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) release:

Ireland, Northern Ireland Deaths 1998-2020
We’ve also created a distinct record set for recent Northern Ireland deaths and expanded the resource with over 5,000 new records. The entire collection now stands at over 92,000 records. In it, you can discover your relatives' names, birth and death years and where they lived.

(NB: FindmyPast has also updated its equivalent England and Wales deaths database.)

Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, Mentioned in Dispatches 1940-1945
Unique to Findmypast, this useful index can help you trace high-flying family members from World War 2. The collection is compiled from lists of names and regimental details that were originally published in London Gazette.

For news of other additons, including Roman Catholic records for Philadelphia in the United States, and for the relevant links, visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/catholic-death-raf-records

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Forces War Records adds Air Ministry - Casualty Communiques WWII collection

From Forces War Records (www.forces-war-records.co.uk):

New Collection Release – ‘Air Ministry - Casualty Communiques WWII’ are now available on Forces War Records.

An exciting ‘new’ collection of records has been added to the Forces War Records database that may contain your WW2 Royal Air Force ancestor. A collection of over 178,000 records from the ‘Air Ministry - Casualty Communiques 1939-46’ are now available to view online.

Throughout the Second World War, the Air Ministry regularly published Casualty Communiques through the Ministry of Information which announced, or updated the status of missing Air Force personnel. Once the next of kin had been informed these reports were then released to various newspapers and periodicals of the era including The Times, many Daily Gazettes and magazines such as Flight.

Services covered are:

· Royal Air Force
· Royal Australian Air Force
· Royal Canadian Air Force
· Royal New Zealand Air Force
· South African Air Force
· Royal Indian Air Force
· Women’s Auxiliary Air Force

The size and scope of WW2 Records held by Forces War Records makes them a fascinating resource for genealogists. These records, cover Armed Forces personnel injured or killed in action, those receiving awards, mention in dispatches or those captured as a P.O.W. and so much more!
 
You may not be aware of this, but the Ministry of Defence has a 100-year disclosure rule on service records, this applying to all service post 1921. Although, at Forces War Records we have over 7 million WW2 Records.  

To search the collection visit https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/collections/212/air-ministry-casualty-communiques-wwii

(With thanks to Neil White)

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Further R.A.F. Operations Record Books released on TheGenealogist

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Additional R.A.F. Operations Record Books released on TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist has today released additional new R.A.F. records that are fully searchable by name, aircraft, location and many other fields, making it simpler to find your air force ancestors.

In a release of over 1.8 million records, this batch of R.A.F. Operations Record Books (ORBs) joins TheGenealogist’s huge military records collection and includes entries for the famous children’s author Roald Dahl when he flew Hurricanes in WW2.

The Operations Record Books record the stories of day to day operations of units and so will give the researcher an idea of action that took place as well as give insights into the everyday lives on the bases. You can use this collection to follow an airman’s war time experiences by searching these fully searchable Air Ministry operations record books which cover various Royal Air Force, dominion and Allied Air Force squadrons that came under British Command. The AIR 27 records allow the family history researcher a fascinating insight into their relatives' time while serving in a number of units of the air force.

The ORBs give summaries of events and can reveal encounters with the enemy, pilots who went missing or were shot down, plane crashes, as well as less traumatic details such as weather and places patrolled by the aircraft and where the squadrons were based as the war wore on. As aircrew personnel are named in these Operations Record Books, researchers wanting to follow where an ancestor had been posted to and what may have happened to them will find these records extremely useful.

Family historians will find the duties recorded in these documents interesting when they reveal the assignments that a serviceman took part in. Examples include Bombing, Convoy Escort, Submarine Hunt, Fleet protection, Attacking Aerodromes and Shipping, Dive Bombing Raids and more.

Use these records to:

• Add colour to an aircrewman’s story
• Read the war movements of personnel in air force units
• Discover if a pilot, navigator, radio operator or gunner is mentioned in the action
• Find if an airman is listed for receiving an Honour or an Award
• Note the names of squadron members wounded, killed, or who did not return
• Easily search these National Archives records and images

This expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection.

Read TheGenealogist’s feature article: R.A.F. Operations Record Books that tell a storyteller’s story https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/raf-operations-record-books-that-tell-a-storytellers-story-1356/

These records and many more are available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist.co.uk 

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Pre-order my next book, Sharing Your Family History Online, at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

RAF air force lists and war memorial records added to TheGenealogist

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

RAF Air Force Lists and thousands of extra War Memorials released

TheGenealogist has released 71 new Air Force Lists with over 2 million names, as well as 385 extra War Memorials listing over 31,000 names.

Air Force Lists

The launch of this major resource gives access to 71 new Air Force Lists from 1919 to 1945 with over 2 million searchable names.

Air Force Lists are useful for family history researchers to see when an officer joined the RAF. They can also tell you what the airman’s rank was in different years and, by looking at the letters written after his name in the list, they can tell you what medals your ancestor had been awarded. These join a large run of similar Army and Navy Lists and other military records on TheGenealogist.

Use these records to:
●    Find ancestors who became officers in the Royal Air Force
●    Discover their ranks, service numbers and medals awarded
●    See which branch they served in and their dates of posting

War Memorials

With 3,400 new photos in this release, these new records include a number of schools and colleges including the Sevenoaks School where WW1 former pupils who served are recorded as well as casualties and medals awarded to them. Other schools and colleges included in this release are: The University College School, Hampstead; Merthyr Tydfil County School; Lord Weymouth Grammar School in Warminster, Wiltshire; Leeds, St Anne's RC School; and West Leeds High School.

War Memorials for workplaces and sporting organisations can help flesh out an ancestor’s life in revealing their occupation or recreational pursuits. Examples include the Gloucester Rugby Club; Gloucestershire County Hall staff for WW1 WW2; the Travellers Club in Pall Mall; Leeds Council employees WW1; Leeds, Kirkstall Brewery; Leeds Stock Exchange members and clerks; London; Army & Navy Stores WW1 - memorials for two of their department stores; and London, Union Discount Co.

Rolls of Service

Included in this week's release are also a number of Rolls of Service for the Boer War, WW1 and WW2, as well as some for civilian casualties in the Second World War such as Salcombe in Devon and Portsmouth.

This release brings the total number of War Memorials on TheGenealogist to over 597,000.

Use these records to:
●    Find ancestors who fought for their country in various conflicts
●    Discover workplaces or organisations that some ancestors were associated with

This release expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection and when used with connected resources, such as the RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs), Aircraft Identification book from 1939, Military Death records, War Memorials and others on TheGenealogist, it can be possible to really build an ancestors story.

To see an example of this, read TheGenealogist’s article: Paddy Finucane the Spitfire Ace
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/air-force-lists-and-records-find-paddy-finucane-the-spitfire-ace-1308/

These records and many more are available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist adds Battle of Britain RAF Operations Record Books

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Battle of Britain RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs) released on TheGenealogist

To mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain (10 July 1940 - 31 October 1940) TheGenealogist is releasing over 2 million new RAF records. These records not only cover this important fight for Britain’s survival, but also encompass all of the Second World War period for a number of squadrons. This release brings the total ORBs records to 3.7 million and are part of TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection.

The ORBs are fully searchable by name, aircraft, location and many other fields, making it easy for researchers to find their aviation ancestors. These ORBs are the latest release to join TheGenealogist’s large military records collection which is always being expanded.

The fascinating pages from these diary-like documents tell the stories of brave aircrew, including those at the time of the Battle of Britain, 10 July 1940 - 31 October 1940. Recording patrols flown, the daily journal records give insights into the everyday lives of the personnel on bases. Researchers can use the collection to follow an airman’s war time experiences from these fully searchable Air Ministry Operations Record Books which cover various Royal Air Force, dominion and Allied Air Force squadrons that came under British Command. Sourced from The National Archives the AIR 27 records allow the family history researcher an interesting insight into relatives who had served in air force units under wartime conditions.

The ORBs provide a summary of daily events. Some are ordinary entries, such as the names of new pilots posted to the squadron, entertainment on the base, or even noting the fact that an officer has become engaged. Sadly, these ORBs also record the death of pilots, crashes, or names of airmen that were missing in action. As names of personnel are recorded in these reports, for a family history researcher wanting to follow where an ancestor was posted to and what may have happened to them in the war, ORBs are often very enlightening documents.

Use these records to:

Read the war movements of personnel in air force units
Discover if a pilot, navigator, radio operator or gunner is mentioned in the action
Find if an airman is listed for receiving an Honour or an Award
Add colour to an aircrewman’s story
Note the names of squadron members wounded, killed, or did not return
Easily search these National Archives records and images

Read TheGenealogist’s article: Ace in a day
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/ace-in-a-day-1278/


(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts July 6th - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My next book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Further military records added to FindmyPast

Just added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

British Army Service Records
This essential military collection has been enhanced with over 89,000 records from the Coldstream Guards, spanning from 1800-1947. A Coldstream Guards enlistment register including the soldiers' service numbers, dates and places of birth and occupations.

Royal Engineers Journals 1939-1945
This unique collection is formed from The Royal Engineers Journal, a private newspaper that was converted into a journal and supplement in magazine form. In it, you can discover what life was like for anyone who served with the Royal Engineers during the Second World War.

Royal Air Force, Operations Record Books 1939-1945
We’ve added over 65,000 transcripts that provide a daily record of events within each RAF squadron during the Second World War. These operation record books can be used to create a list of all the flying operations that RAF aircrew completed during the war. They are also an excellent resource for compiling a record of a squadron's operations.

British Royal Air Force, Combat Reports 1939-1945
We've released over 30,000 transcripts for combat reports that were filled out by RAF pilots or air gunners after they had encountered enemy aircraft on operational flights.

For further details and links visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/ww2-british-military-records

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts June 8th - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My next book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is out shortly, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist expands early RAF Operations Record Books collection

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

Over One Million RAF Operations Record Books released on TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist has expanded its unique collection of searchable RAF Operations Record Books with the addition of 1.2 Million new records for aircrew operations.

Operations Record Books (ORBs) are official air force documents chronicling an air force unit from the time of its formation. They were intended to be an accurate daily record of the operations that the squadron carried out in peace and at war. The ORBs are for squadrons primarily after the First World War, but there are a few early squadron records from 1911 to 1918. TheGenealogist uniquely has made the Operations Record Books fully searchable by name, year and keywords.

This collection also includes some record books for Dominion Air Forces (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa) as well as Allied Air Force squadrons under British Command and can be used to find the stories of brave aircrew, giving insights into the operations that they carried out. The ORBs follow a daily diary format giving summaries of events and can reveal the death of aircrews, crashes, as well as less disquieting entries such as the weather for flying, promotions and the decorations men of the squadron received. ORBs also detail the areas that the fighter planes patrolled, or the bombers targeted, as well as where the squadrons were based as the war wore on. These duties and assignments include bombing the enemy, patrolling the skies, convoy escorts, submarine hunts, attacking docks & shipping, dive bombing raids, and more.

As aircrew personnel are named in these reports, those wanting to follow where an ancestor had been posted to and what may have happened to them will find these records extremely informative.

Use these records to:

• Add details to an aircrewman’s story
• Study the war movements of personnel in air force units
• Discover if a pilot, navigator, radio operator or gunner is mentioned in the action
• Note dates airman received promotions, medals, or other honours
• See the names of squadron members wounded, killed, or who did not return
• Easily search the transcribed records and images licensed from The National Archives

This latest release expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection and is available to all Diamond subscribers.

You can read their article about a famous fighter ace and a bomber pilot who flew more than 120 operations:
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/air-27-operations-record-books-capture-airmen-from-fighter-and-bomber-squadrons-during-ww2-1261/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts June 8th - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My next book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is out shortly, also available are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Forces War Records updates RAF records 1918-1975 collection

From Forces War Records (www.forces-war-records.co.uk):

We have now added over 2 million NEW Royal Air Force Records from 1918 to 1975 for you to search.

Forces War Records UK based team of experts has now transcribed a nominal roll of other ranks – both male and female who served in the Royal Air Force.

Records in this collection are likely to include the following:

• Surname
• First Name
• Service Number
• Maiden Names or Aliases
• ‘Enlisted after’ date
• Place of Enlistment
• Trade
• Nationality

NB: The collection was initially launched in August 2019 with 1.5 million records, so this appears to be an update of an existing record set.

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

TheGenealogist releases RAF Operations Book Records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

New RAF Operations Book Records released on TheGenealogist

This is the first time that these RAF records are fully searchable by name, aircraft, location and many other fields, making it easier to find your aviation ancestors.

In a release of over half a million records, this is the first batch of RAF Operations Records Books (ORBs) to join TheGenealogist’s ever-expanding military records collection.

The operations records books are for squadrons primarily after the First World War but there are a few early squadron records from 1911 to 1918.

These documents tell the stories of these brave aircrew who battled against the odds and give insights into their everyday lives. You can use the collection to follow an airman’s war time experiences from these fully searchable Air Ministry operations record books which cover various Royal Air Force, dominion and Allied Air Force squadrons that came under British Command. The AIR 27 records allow the family history researcher a fascinating insight into their relatives serving in a number of wartime air force units.

In the last week we have been sad to hear of the death of the last surviving Battle of Britain ace pilot from World War Two. Wing Cdr Paul Farnes (right) died aged 101 a few days ago and so it is, therefore, poignant that as one of the last from among the 3,000 airmen – known as The Few – who had defended Britain's skies in 1940 he appears in this release of RAF records from TheGenealogist.

Wing Commander Farnes had six confirmed enemy aircraft destroyed, two shared destroyed, two possible destroyed and 11 damaged in his impressive war time tally making him qualify as an ace (a pilot who shot down five or more enemy planes).

The records provide summaries of events and can reveal the death of aviators, crashes, as well as less traumatic details such as weather and places patrolled by the planes and where the squadrons were based as the war wore on. As aircrew personnel are named in these reports, those wanting to follow where an ancestor had been posted to and what may have happened to them will find these records extremely informative.

Of value to researchers are the duties recorded in these documents so that you can find the assignments the men took part in. This includes Bombing, Convoy Escort, Submarine Hunt, Attack Docks & Shipping, Dive Bombing Raids and more.

Use these records to:
Add colour to an aircrewman’s story
Read the war movements of personnel in air force units
Discover if a pilot, navigator, radio operator or gunner is mentioned in the action
Find if an airman is listed for receiving an Honour or an Award
Note the names of squadron members wounded, killed, or did not return
Easily search these National Archives records and images

This expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection.

Read their article:
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/raf-operations-books-build-a-picture-of-wwii-aircrew-ancestors-action-1231/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.