Obtaining RAF Personnel Information

RAF personnel records

RAF personnel records are held at RAF Cranwell. If service number and details are known please quote them in the correspondence. The personnel records department will only divulge information to whom it refers or, if he or she has died, to his or her immediate next of kin. Anyone else must obtain written permission from about whom they are enquiring, or from his or her next of kin, before any information will be given to them. This address can also be used for records of decorations & citations.

RAF Disclosures Section
Room 221b Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 8HB

A charge of £30.00 is made for any information provided. If cheques are submitted with queries they should be made payable to HMG sub account 3267. This applies to personnel records only. The only people exempt from charge are the person to whom records refer to or their widow or widower.

Records for precursors of the RAF (RFC, RNAS) are held at The National Archives, as are records for the RAF during the First World War.

Medal claims

You can apply to the Medal Office for a medal or veterans badge if you’ve served in the UK armed forces and are eligible.

  • You can apply for a medal (eg a campaign medal) if you’re entitled to one but haven’t claimed it.
  • You can also apply if you’re a deceased veteran’s legal next of kin.

Service Personnel & Veterans Agency
MOD Medal Office, Imjin Barracks
Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1HW

Veterans UK

Casualty enquiries from the year 2000 to the present day

Information is deemed to be personal and only enquiries from or on behalf of Next of Kin can normally be considered.

Enquiries regarding Personnel from 2000 to present day should be directed to the Air Historical Branch. Please refer to The Air Historical Branch for further information.

Casualty enquiries are dealt with by-

Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre
Room G35, Innsworth House
Imjin Barracks
Gloucester
GL3 1HW

Group and Command records

Group & Command records are available for public reference from The National Archives or the Air Historical Branch.

Air Document Groups with content relating to Bomber Command are-

  • Air 14 – Reports on Operations & Night Raids.
  • Air 24 – Command ORBs.
  • Air24/214-325 – B.C. Intelligence Reports.
  • Air 25 – Group ORB’s.
  • Air 27 – Station ORB’s. 101 Squadron Records under reference – Air27/802 to 804.
  • Air 28 – Squadron ORB’s.
  • Air 42 – Combined Ops Planning Committee.

The National Archives
Kew
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 4DU

national archives

Further Information

To assist further research, the following archives may be of service;