This is a brief guide to researching someone who served in the Fleet Air Arm. Relevant records are kept in various places. This guide will help you to find out where the information you are looking for might be, and how to go about finding it.
-
What do I need to know before I start?
-
Try to find out:
- the officera senior member of staff in the armed forces or ratingA seaman ranking lower than an officer. These are the most junior class of seamen in the Royal Navy.'s full name
- his dates of service
-
-
What records can I see online?
-
Air Ministry Combat Reports (1939-1945)
Search by surname or squadron number and download (£There may be a charge for accessing this information. Searching indexes may be free.) Air Ministry Combat Reports (AIR 50). The records mainly consist of either a printed Personal Combat Report or a Fighter Command Combat Report.
-
-
What records can I find at The National Archives at Kew?
-
Squadron diaries (1939-1957)
Browse Discovery, our Catalogue, for Fleet Air Arm squadron diaries in ADM 207. You will need to know the squadron number. The diaries sometimes mention people by name.
-
To access these records you will either need to visit us, commission research (£there will be a charge) or, where you can identify a specific record referencea unique set of letters and numbers identifying a document in The National Archives, order a copy (£there will be a charge).
-
-
What records can I find in other archives and organisations?
-
Use the Veterans UK website to find out how to obtain the service record of a Fleet Air Arm officera senior member of staff in the armed forces or ratingA seaman ranking lower than an officer. These are the most junior class of seamen in the Royal Navy..
-
-
What other resources will help me find information?
-
Websites
Look up an announcement of a person's gallantry awardmedals awarded for heroic or exceptional service in the London Gazette.
Browse the websites of the Fleet Air Arm Museum and the Royal Aeronautical Society. -
Books
Read Tracing Your Naval Ancestors by Bruno Pappalardo (The National Archives, 2003).
Read Air Force Records for Family Historians by William Spencer (The National Archives, 2008).
-
Royal Naval Air Service ratings