Armed Forces Advice Hour

Got a photo of an ancestor in uniform that you’re unsure about? Need help with military acronyms on a service record? Or simply not sure where to look next for more information on your armed forces ancestor? Graham will be on hand to answer questions big or small, whether you’re already well into your armed forces research or entirely new to this area of interest.

1. Gibraltar birth, army family, illegitimacy and marriage questions (starts at 1 min 40 seconds)
   Researching a woman believed born in Gibraltar around 1814, linked to a British Army baptism where no maternal surname is recorded. Exploring whether a child baptised to a serving soldier may have been illegitimate, whether army couples could cohabit without formal marriage, and what records might identify the mother. Useful for anyone tracing military families in Gibraltar, army baptisms, illegitimate children, and early nineteenth-century British Army relationships overseas.
2. Late First World War enlistment, Army Service Corps, remount depots and complex service identities (starts at 7 min 11 seconds)
   Seeking context for a Birmingham commercial traveller who enlisted in 1918 aged nearly 48 and joined the Army Service Corps horse transport section, including whether wartime recruitment appeals targeted older men and whether service could have involved Romsey Remount Depot. Also researching a later soldier linked to the Royal Tank Corps and 7th Dragoon Guards, with possible multiple marriages and uncertainty over whether records relate to one man or two.
3. Civilian or military uniform in First World War photograph (starts at 24 min 30 seconds)
   Trying to identify whether a photograph of a London man born in 1888 shows genuine military service during the First World War, despite family belief that poor eyesight prevented enlistment. Research focuses on recognising uniform details, possible non-combatant or home service roles, and whether men rejected for full military service could still appear in uniform. Relevant for identifying First World War uniforms from family photographs.
4. Death of a British soldier in Germany in 1990 and missing memorial records (starts at 33 min 46 seconds)
   Investigating the death of a Royal Artillery bombardier who died in Düsseldorf in 1990 while serving with 19 Field Regiment, including why the death may not appear in GRO indexes or on the Armed Forces Memorial. Research includes probate records, overseas military deaths, BFPO addresses, and discreet tracing because of DNA-linked family circumstances. Useful for those researching post-war Army deaths in Germany.
5. Royal Navy national service in the late 1940s and sparse service papers (starts at 42 min 26 seconds)
   Interpreting newly obtained Royal Navy national service papers for a man born in 1928 who served in the late 1940s, with family stories of travel to Gibraltar by naval ship. Looking for ways to understand sparse service documents, postings, ships served on, and naval movements after the Second World War. Helpful for others researching post-war Royal Navy national service records and Mediterranean postings.
6. Royal Artillery service in India, North West Frontier and post-war records (starts at 46 min 3 seconds)
   Researching Royal Artillery service in India between 1945 and 1948, including E Troop 28/76 Field Battery, 9th Field Regiment, and postings at Nowshera in the North West Frontier Province and Bombay around Partition. Also seeking meanings of abbreviations such as P/L/Sgt and field branch references, plus information on army teaching duties. Useful for tracing British soldiers in India after the Second World War.
7. Royal Tank Corps enlistment record columns and later overseas marriage (starts at 60 min 38 seconds)
   Seeking help reading Royal Tank Corps enlistment records from 1919, especially transfer, discharge and non-effective columns, to understand later service implications. Research concerns a soldier who enlisted young, later married in Hyderabad in an Army overseas return, and may have remained connected to military service into the Second World War. Useful for interpreting Tank Corps records and overseas army marriages.
8. Military hospitals in Surrey during and after the First World War (starts at 62 min 11 seconds)
   Looking for military hospitals in Surrey, especially near Guildford, during and shortly after the First World War, where a civilian family member may have worked in a non-medical role. Interested in locations, staffing, employment records and how civilian workers supported wartime hospitals. Useful for anyone researching military hospitals, convalescent centres and civilian employment connected to wartime Surrey.

10 April 2026