National Archives - London

Question:

Has anyone here done research through the National Archives in London. They have WW2 records available.

My Uncle left NY and went to Canada and signed up with the RCAF inb 1941. He went to England and flew with a RAF Squadron there. He has a very extensive file and documents in the archives there.

Problem:
I live in California....
Cost to have a search done through the National Archives would be huge.....
(Uncle would have, service records, POW, Liberation, Intelligence, Escape and Evasion records, Belgium Underground, etc....)

Any contacts that would not charge an arm and a leg?

Any suggestions? (Don't want to sell my youngest grandchild!

Absolutely Sincere,

Jo Ann

 

Jo Ann

I've done research there. Do you have a reference number for the file?

Steve W.

 

Steve,

Thank you for responding to me. I will see what I can find on-line as far as a reference number. All I have so far is what section the reports are in and my Uncle's Service number and POW number. I have his Squardron and Wellington number too. So I will try and see if there are particular reference numbers to the specific reports that I want. I will go back to the website and see if I can find some reference numbers and get back to you.

Any help/advice that you can give me would be much appreciated. If you or someone you know that could go there I would of course make sure the cost would be covered!

Thank you,

Jo Ann

PS Please forgive my lack of Military knowledge, I am just starting to put my Uncle's "Story" together. I have another thread going with the information that I have so far.

 

Jo Ann

I believe that firm has an on-line site that you can order from that is even searchable. As I work on a LW unit this fall and through next year I myself will have to ever delve deeply in what they have to offer....

good luck on your search

 

Jo Ann,

OK. Just had a thought. If you let me have his name I might be able to find something.

Steve W.

 

Steve,

I will let you have anything!!!! Except the grandchild, he is too cute!

Ok here goes:

Walter J. Mullaney RCAF (he was a jr.) (Born in New York)
Enlisted in Canada: August 29 1941
(There is a Canada number on a doc Number: J53363)
Service Number: R 129105
POW Number: 259891
Squadron 429
Wellington HZ355
XID: AL-G (I don't know what XID is?)

Operation: Dusseldorf
Took off June 11 1943
Shot down over Belgium: June 12 1943 at approx.: 1:00 a.m.

I know there is going to be a lot of information on him.... He went through the Belgium Comet line and was captured in Paris. Turned over to the Gestapo by a traitor, Prosper De Zitter. Spent time in La Fesnes Prison then went to various Stalags. Escaped quite a few times then went to Buchenwald for punishment. In my other thread it explains a lot more details on him, I don't know how to attach that thread here....Newbie! Sorry but if you search on him here you can find him.

Anything else I need to find? I am very excited and about to cry! You guys here are wonderful!

Jo Ann

 

Erich,

"I believe that firm has an on-line site that you can order from that is even searchable. As I work on a LW unit this fall and through next year I myself will have to ever delve deeply in what they have to offer...."

I looked at the prices for their time to do the search and it would be a lot for me, if I understand the exchange properly. My Uncle would have a lot of information on him there and it could get a bit much. I will still try and see what I can find on a search. I ended up at a WW1 search that had docs on-line but I could not find it for WW2.

I have been lucky this past week with finding information...opened many doors for me that led me to find the National Archives site in London. I like having the docs to support things...been doing geneology.

What is a "LW unit"? sorry....newbie to Military knowledge.

I will aim to learn and understand.....My promise to myself and my Uncle!

Jo Ann

 

It's just shorthand for 'Luftwaffe'.....

 

Jo Ann

I've had a look at your other thread, and you seem to have amassed a great deal of information. So that I don't cross ground already covered, what gaps in your information need filling?

Steve W.

 

Steve,

I am in the middle of some communications right now about a lot of things. Can't explain right now. I will be back but it appears that I may only need to get his POW file, I will let you know more as I do find things out. I know where my Uncle was (Ref. Camps) but I wanted to get the information for my research and see if there was mention of Buchenwald. I will be back and let you know for sure soon, I promise.

Jo Ann

 

Understood.

Steve W.

 

Steve,

I am going to have to ask for the favor, if you can. I have been told though, it can take a bit of time to find it. I will go to the site and search more and see if I can get a File number first. I will let you know!

Oh my....this site put me in the right direction....
Skipper and everyone that has responded I owe so much to you all!

I have gotten my self into an amazing adventure. I wrote several emails to some authors of books, found links to websites all over (and I mean all over)! Sent emails to the sites and ened up finding the son to the man who found my Uncle in Belgium after he was shot down. The son was also the nephew to the Doctor that removed the 34 pieces of shrapnel from my Uncle and then led my Uncle to the Belgium Resistance. I have pictures of the two men and the home where my Uncle was taken. It has been an emotional ride and very little sleep. My Uncle is so overjoyed and happy! I will be taking the photos to him along with quite a few emails. I want to make sure from the son/nephew that I can post names and such before I do. I think you would understand that.

I want to continue with this but I want to do it with the other thread...

Wellington HZ355 from Squadron 429

I don't know how to link over to it....sorry

Steve I will be checking soon and let you know!

Jo Ann

 

Steve,

I haven't forgotten. All I could find on the site, if I am at the right one was WO (War Office) numbers for the report where they would be found but I couldn't figure out how to get the specific file number for my Uncle. I will go back and see if there is something I missed or if I have to send a request to get the file number.

I will keep you posted.

Thank you.

Jo Ann

 

Jo Ann

Let me have the numbers and I'll try and interpret.

Steve

 

Steve,

You will be proud of me! I spent so much time yesterday on the site....I was determined to figure it out! I think my lack of sleep in the past week kept me from something so simple as "Registering" first so that you get the little button to push for the search!!!!!

I have been told that it could take hours, days and weeks to figure out the reports if you just go there. I don't want to put anyone through that. If I do these searches first then I can narrow it down. I hope I am right!

The search takes about 10 days and I will receive an email telling me whether they are available and how many pages (and estimate). I will be doing more searches in the mean time. There are so many sections that he could possibly have reports in. I am going to ask my Uncle about what he had been interviewed on (Reference to Buchenwald, Treatment of Civilians, the POW camps, Escape, and the shooting of the British escapee from Luft 3) so it will narrow down what to find.

I am still trying to figure out if the POW information is just a list of men at the camps or Individual reports. I have the information on which camps he was at but I don't know how detailed the information is on the POW's themselves.

Jo Ann

 

Jo Ann

Brilliant! Let's wait and see what the NA staff say.

Steve

 

Thank you for being so patient with me! I am going in so many directions....I will keep you informed!

Jo Ann