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Royal Navy LogoHow to obtain Royal Navy Service Records, Medals and Information

A. ROYAL NAVY SERVICE RECORDS

1. Commissioned Officers
a. Commissioned officers who entered the service during, or before, 1916:

The National Archives,
Ruskin Avenue,
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey TW9 4DU.

Telephone: 020-8876 3444.
Fax: 020-8878 8905.
Website: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

b. Commissioned officers who entered the service between 1916 and 1950, inclusive, who are either deceased or aged 61, or over:

Navy Search *,
TNT Archive Services,
Tetron Point,
William Nadin Way,
Swadlincote,
Derbyshire, DE11 0BB.

Telephone: 01283 227912
Fax: 01283 227942
Email: navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk

c. Commissioned officers who are currently serving, or who are retired and aged 60. or under:

The Naval Secretary *,
Ministry of Defence,
Victory Building,
HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire PO1 3LS.

Telephone: 02392 727433
FAX: 02392 727413.

2. Non-commissioned ranks
a. Non-commissioned ranks who enlisted into the service between 1853 and 1923:

The National Archives (for address, see 1a, above).

b. Non-commissioned ranks who enlisted as Regular Service entrants between 1924 and the outbreak of the Second World War, inclusive.

Navy Search (for address, see 1b, above).

c. Non-commissioned ranks who enlisted as Regular Service entrants from the outbreak of the- Second World War, up to the present. Including National Servicemen who enlisted between 1945 and 1950, inclusive:

Naval Pay & Pensions (Accounts) *,
Ministry of Defence,
Centurion Building,
Grange Road,
Gosport,
Hampshire PO13 9XA.

Telephone: 02392 702174
FAX: 02392 702211.

*Navy Search, the Department of the Naval Secretary, and Naval Pay & Pensions (Accounts) are not open to the members of the public.

The Ministry of Defence will normally only release the information given in service records to the subjects of those records, or to their next of kin; and it may charge a search fee, which cannot be refunded.

B. CLAIMS FOR MEDALS

These should be addressed to:

AFPAA (JPAC)
MOD Medal Office,
Building 250,
RAF Innsworth,
Gloucester,
GL3 1HW.

C. THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

The National Archives (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) is the national repository for the archives of all the government departments, including the Admiralty and the Ministry of Defence; and it is there that you are most likely to find the Logbooks, and other records, of HM Ships, and the Station Records of the Royal Navy.

The National Archives does not offer a research service, though it may be able to suggest professional researchers who could help you if you cannot undertake your own research. These professional researchers would, of course, charge a fee.

TNA is open to the members of the public at the following times:

  • Monday 9.00-17.00
  • Tuesday 10.00-19.00
  • Wednesday 9.00-17.00
  • Thursday 9.00-19.00
  • Friday 9.00-17.00
  • Saturday 9.30-17.00

Admission is by Reader's Ticket. Readers have to register in person bearing adequate proof of identity, such as a passport or UK driving licence or UK bank/credit card. If in doubt the applicant should call in advance of their visit on 020 8392 5200.

Intending visitors are advised to check (a) the opening times as sections are closed occasionally; and (b) that the documents they wish to study are available, for they are sometimes withdrawn for official use.

D. THE ROYAL NAVY: OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Most libraries, museums and archive collections have too small a staff to offer a research service, but they may be able to suggest professional researchers who could help you if you cannot undertake your own research. These professional researchers would, of course, charge a fee.

As stated above, the National Archives are the national repository for the archives of all the government departments; but you might also be able to find archive materials relating to the Royal Navy in the following collections:

Chatham Historic Dockyard,
Chatham,
Kent ME4 4TE.

Telephone: 01634 812551
FAX: 01634 8269918

Fleet Air Arm Museum,
Royal Naval Air Station,
Yeovilton,
Yeovil,
Somerset BA22 8HT.

Telephone: 01935 840565
FAX: 01935 840181.
Website: http://www.fleetairarm.com/

Imperial War Museum,
Lambeth Road,
London SE 1 6HZ.

Telephone: 020-7416 5000
FAX: 020-7416 5379.
Website: http://www.iwm.org.uk

National Maritime Museum,
Romney Road,
Greenwich,
London SE10 9NF.

Telephone: 020-8858 4422
FAX: 020-8312 6632.
Website: http://www.nmm.ac.uk

Royal Marines Museum,
Southsea,
Hampshire PO4 9PX.

Telephone: 01706 819385
FAX: 01705 838420.
Website: http://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk

Royal Naval Museum,
HM Naval Base,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire PO1 3NU

Telephone: 01705 733060
FAX: 01705 875806
E-mail:
postmaster@rn-museum.compulink.co.uk
library@rn-museum.compulink.co.uk

Royal Navy Submarine Museum,
Haslar Jetty Road,
Gosport,
Hampshire PO12 2AS.

Telephone: 01705 510354
FAX: 01705 511349.

Almost all of these also have reference libraries, and hold collections of photographs and other pictorial materials.

In addition, there are four other libraries which hold extensive collections of published material on the Royal Navy:

Naval and Local History Collection,
Portsmouth Public Library,
Guildhall Square,
Portsmouth,
Hampshire PO1 2DX

Telephone: 01705 819311
FAX: 01705 839855.

Naval Collection,
Rochester-upon-Medway Studies Centre,
Civic Centre,
Strood,
Rochester,
Kent ME2 4AW.

Telephone: 01634 732714
FAX: 01634 297060.

Naval History Collection,
Plymouth Central Library,
Drake Circus,
Plymouth,
Devon PL4 8AL.

Telephone: 01752 305909
FAX: 01752 305905
Email localstudies@plymouth.gov.uk

Intending visitors to these museums and libraries are advised to telephone in advance, to enquire whether it is necessary; to make an appointment.

E. PHOTOGRAPHS

The Ministry of Defence collection of ships' portrait photographs had been transferred to the Imperial War Museum (for address, see D, above).

There may also be portrait photographs of ships, and photographs of other aspects of the Royal Navy in many of the other collections described in D.

F. SHIPS' PLANS

The National Maritime Museum (for address, see D, above) holds the most extensive collection of ships' plans in this country; and some may also be held in the other collections described in C.

G. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • BRYON, Rita V, AND BRYON, Terence M (Editors) - Maritime information: a guide to libraries and sources of information in the United Kingdom. 3rd edition. London: Maritime Information Association, 1993. ISBN 1-85609-069-8.
     
  • COX, Jane, AND PADFIELD, Timothy - Tracing your ancestors in the Public Record Office. 4th edition, by Amanda Bevan and Andrea Duncan. Public Record Office Handbook No.19. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1990. ISBN 0-11-440222-1.
     
  • FOSTER, Janet, AND SHEPPARD, Julia (Editors) - British archives: a guide to archive resources in the United Kingdom. 2nd edition. London: Macmillan, 1989. ISBN 0-333-44347-0 New York: Stockton Press, 1989. ISBN 0-935859-74-0.
     
  • RODGER, N.A.M. - Naval records for genealogists. Public Record Office Handbook No.22.London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1988. ISBN 0-11-440209-4

Last Updated: 3 Jun 05