Cockenzie & Port Seton

Researching Military Ancestors

Researching Military Ancestors – Some Tips

· Most records prior to 1914 are held at the Public Record Office.

· Officers’ Records 1914-1921 are held at the Public Record Office.

· Further information about Officers can be found in the Army Lists. The Public Record Office and National Army Museum have virtually complete sets of these.

· Most Service Records of Other Ranks 1914-1920 were destroyed in 1940. Some of the surviving records are held at the Public Record Office; the majority are currently held at the Army Personnel Centre.

· Records of Officers and ORs post-1922 are held at the Army Personnel Centre.

· The Commonwealth War Graves Commissions has an on-line Debt of Honour Register.

· A few Nominal Rolls are held in Battalion Regimental Archives.

· Digests of Services and some War Diaries are held in Battalion Regimental Archives.

· (World War I only). If you have your ancestor’s regimental number, it may be possible to ascertain in which Battalion(s) or other units he served through the Medal Roll for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A copy is held in Regimental Archives.

Useful Addresses

· Public Record Office Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU ( www.pro.gov.uk ). The PRO has an on-line catalogue, but it is usually necessary either to visit Kew in person, or to engage a professional researcher.

· Army Personnel Centre Historic Disclosures, Mailpoint 400, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow, G2 8EX. Postal enquiries only. For a fee (currently £25) the APC will undertake a search of the records, and, if found, will provide a typed summary of the Record Sheet.

· Commonwealth War Graves Commission 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX ( www.cwgc.org ).

· The Army Museums Ogilby Trust’s web site at www.armymuseums.org.uk provides a list of useful addresses and bibliographies.

· National Army Museum Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HT ( www.national-army-museum.ac.uk ).

Something to think about!!

Something to think about!!

This is pretty good info. Never even thought about key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room!

HOTEL KEY CARDS

Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?

Answer:
a. Customer’s name
B. Customer’s partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer’s credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest’s information is electronically “overwritten” on the card and the previous guest’s information is erased in the overwriting process.

But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it’s illegal) and you’ll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!

If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Information courtesy of: Police Service.

PLEASE let you friends and family know.

With Regards Paul Rafferty

Change your name and lock up yir birds

UK Armed Forces Veterans Lapel Badge

UK Armed Forces Veterans Lapel Badge

For generations our Armed Forces have served their country across the world in many roles from war fighting, peacekeeping and reconstruction to home defence. In so doing, they have defended our country, our way of life and our cherished values. A large number of our veterans are young and active and now use the skills, the discipline and the leadership they learned in the Armed Forces to benefit their civilian employers and the wider community. The Ministry of Defence Strategy for Veterans highlights that because of all this it is important to focus on supporting veterans of all ages by celebrating, and raising public awareness of, their achievements and their contribution to society. To promote recognition of veterans by the wider British public the unique and unifying symbol of the HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge is available to all those who have served in HM Armed Forces.

The HM Armed Forces Veterans’ Lapel Badge was launched in May 2004 by the Minister for Veterans, to raise the profile of veterans by assisting the wider public to recognise them. The first veterans badge was issued to Lord Healy, a veteran of the Battle for Monte Cassino, on 10 May 2004, which initiated the roll out of the badge to the generation who served in the Second World War. Since then eligibility to apply for the badge has been extended in sequential phases and now all veterans are eligible to apply.

The badge is an enamelled, engraved, and pinned, lapel badge featuring the words “HM Armed Forces – Veteran”, which encompass the Tri-Service, Anchor, Crossed Swords and Eagle motif. Its symbolism is intended to unite all veterans in recognising the commonality of their service, to encourage a sense of unity and community between surviving veterans and to ignite public recognition of our veterans and their continuing contribution to society.

Eligibility

Criteria
All those who have served in HM Armed Forces, including Volunteer and Regular Reserves

Exceptions
Veterans who served in Armed Forces of other Countries and those who served alongside HM Armed Forces are not eligible (e.g. Canadian Navy or Royal Australian Air Force).

Posthumous requests
The badge is a survivors badge and therefore is not issued posthumously.
The only exception is for War Widows and Widowers who are in receipt of a War Widows/Widowers Pension paid by the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency. This also includes those who have received an award of Survivors Guaranteed Income Payment (SGIP) under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. This is in recognition of the fact that their death was due to their military service.
How to apply
You can apply by any of the following methods:
Click on one of the links below to access the application form.

Application Forms

Acrobat Reader Version
Microsoft Word Version
Rich Text Format (.rtf)
Please ensure you complete the form including your service details as fully as possible.

You may post or fax your completed form to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.

Another option is to download the form, complete it electronically, save the form and return to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency by email.

If you wish, you may call the Freephone number to apply. Please ensure you have to hand all the details asked for on the application form.

Postal address:
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency,
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys,
Lancashire,
FY5 3WP

Fax:
01253 330561(UK Only)
+44 1253 330561 (Overseas)

Email: SPVA-VeteransBadges@mod.uk

Freephone Helpline
Free: 0800 169 2277 (UK only)
Free: 0800 169 3458 (Minicom UK only)
+44 1253 866043 (Overseas)

Information for Third Parties

ex-Service organisations
public advisors
If you wish to publicise the availability of the Veterans Lapel Badge, please use the exact criteria and contact details as shown above.

Website

The Cockenzie & Port Seton Website is currently being design and will be fully launched in the near future.