Get involved and respond to the survey. Personally I think it is a great idea to open up the files. If the Australians can do it, why can't we. News | Have your say: MOD's transfer of historic armed forces personnel records to The National Archives Those collections that are in scope for early transfer to TNA include: Approximately 170,000 records for soldiers with dates of birth of 1895 or earlier who served beyond the end of the First World War. Approximately 45,000 records of airmen who enlisted in the Royal Air Force up to 1928. Approximately 4.5 million records of those that enlisted in the Home Guard during the Second World War. Approximately 60,000 cards detailing ratings who enlisted in the Royal Navy from 1924 up to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Hopefully this is the start of a complete opening. Does anyone know what the difference in privacy laws is between Australia and the UK that is an impediment to having the records open to public view?
T.N.A. Releases I hope it does come to fruition as it is a total change of attitude. Last year I asked for a section of a Report made by an Escaper to be reunited with the original. This was refused on the grounds of "unsubstantiated allegations had been made against a P.O.W." The File is WO208/3305/1 After making enquiries elswhere it turns out the accused was an R.S.M. with the D.L.I. who was born in 1897.So he would have been 100yrs old if still with us. Five men who were with him as P.O.W. made the allegations,two of them were from his own Regiment. "For Distinguished Conduct in the Field"was first published in Canada where the records are open gives the information from the closed section. Even when informed of this the release was refused. Amazing.
Freedom Of Information Act Geoff. even though we have a Freedom Of Information Act, access to information can still be refused under The Public Records Act. We have the right to appeal against such a decision,and finally can approach the Commissioner for the F.O.I. act. One of your fellow Countrymen we both know is having a problem getting a list of Australian P.O.W. who were in Concentration Camps released.
Has that also got something to do with the UK as the 23,000 Australian POW's of Asia and the Pacific theatre are available on the AWM website.
P.o.w. No Geoff, Bill and a friend in Wellington are trying to list all Anzacs who were in European Concentration Camps. There are still some such Anzac P.O.W. or Widows who haven't claimed the Compensation they are due to. There seems to be a reluctance in both Countries to release the information and I have only had minor success at T.N.A.
