Help finding a record

[Laura Harris]

Sorry, I hope this is not boring and I would be hugely grateful for help. Even if it were somewhere to look for ship crew listing's for Omaha Beach. Here's hoping.

I am trying to find some details of my grandfather's record from ww2. I can't afford the £90 quoted by Kew but happy to put in time. I've spent hours on ancestry and the gazette to no joy. I've put in an FOI via the MOD route but it says it could take a year.

Ronald Ernest Harris, born 26/12/1914, London

Now my dad and uncle have given me some info, though uncle says Royal Navy, Dad says Merchant.

Grandad Harris was a First Class Convoy Signalman in the Royal Navy. As far as dad knows, his main duties were around Britain & the Continent.

He was only on the fringe of the Arctic Convoys.

On D Day, he was on the American Landing Ships on Omaha Beach & it was so horrific he wouldn’t talk about it.

He was awarded an Oakleaf & mentioned in dispatches but we don’t know why. It was on his Atlantic Star Medal.

He was blown up & lost his hearing & his hair. Possibly at the landings. Not sure.

[Doc Vernon]

He was in the Merchant Navy on COMNO Service , his Seamans Record for the Period should be here!


Name: Harris, Charles Ernest. Service Number: R165543. Date of Birth: 25/08/1914. | The National Archives


You can request a copy but dont think it would be so much as 90 GBP. ?? tHATS VERY HIGH!
Cheers
Good Luck

As far as i recall it is 8GBP for the initial search (Non Refundable ), then they will Email you with a Quote of hw much the File would cost, you can then agree or reject
Cheers

[Laura Harris]

Thank you!
I thought it was but that was what was quoted when I asked for a paid search. Quoting from their email (which was followed by a quote):

Thank you for your request for a search for records of the merchant navy service of Ronald Ernest Harris.

A fees notice, giving the full cost of the search you have requested, will shortly follow this email. This is based on our rate of £116.88 (inc. VAT) per hour of research. If you want to have the search carried out by us, please follow the instructions on how to pay by clicking on the attached link shown in the fees notice

Does it not matter that the name and DOB aren't quite right? Very new to this!

[Doc Vernon]

Thank you!
I thought it was but that was what was quoted when I asked for a paid search. Quoting from their email (which was followed by a quote):

Thank you for your request for a search for records of the merchant navy service of Ronald Ernest Harris.

A fees notice, giving the full cost of the search you have requested, will shortly follow this email. This is based on our rate of £116.88 (inc. VAT) per hour of research. If you want to have the search carried out by us, please follow the instructions on how to pay by clicking on the attached link shown in the fees notice

Does it not matter that the name and DOB aren't quite right? Very new to this!

Hi Laura
Just a question on this , when you applied and got that Costing, did you ask for his File only, as if not then it seems that they may be quoting the Entire Series to me ?? As that cost is as said very high indeed! I have dealt with then for a long time, helped others here as well, and never came across such an amount? But things may have changed i dont know but if so its Exorbitant!!
Did you Pay the 8 GBP initially for the start of a search??
Cheers

A fees notice, giving the full cost of the search you have requested, will shortly follow this email. This is based on our rate of £116.88 (inc. VAT) per hour of research. If you want to have the search carried out by us, please follow the instructions on how to pay by clicking on the attached link shown in the fees notice


The above states a fees Notice at so much an Hour! With the info thay would have on your request of that Pouch, it should not take more than 10 Minutes , so feel that the cost you would receive in an Email after they have done the search would be far far less!
Cheers

[Laura Harris]

Hi Laura
Just a question on this , when you applied and got that Costing, did you ask for his File only, as if not then it seems that they may be quoting the Entire Series to me ?? As that cost is as said very high indeed! I have dealt with then for a long time, helped others here as well, and never came across such an amount? But things may have changed i dont know but if so its Exorbitant!!
Did you Pay the 8 GBP initially for the start of a search??
Cheers

A fees notice, giving the full cost of the search you have requested, will shortly follow this email. This is based on our rate of £116.88 (inc. VAT) per hour of research. If you want to have the search carried out by us, please follow the instructions on how to pay by clicking on the attached link shown in the fees notice


The above states a fees Notice at so much an Hour! With the info thay would have on your request of that Pouch, it should not take more than 10 Minutes , so feel that the cost you would receive in an Email after they have done the search would be far far less!
Cheers

Maybe I've done the wrong kind of request but this was what I got back:
Dear Miss Laura Harris

Thank you for your recent request for information from The National Archives.

Check your enquiry details below and follow the link to Worldpay to proceed to payment.

Enquiry reference number: PAY-04924-H5D9G4

Fee request:

Fee amount: 87.66 GBP (including 14.61 GBP VAT)

- - - Updated - - -

This was the original automated reply:
Your reference number:
TNA1715199369G65
Thank you for contacting The National Archives paid search service.

We will use the information you have provided to assess whether or not we can carry out the search.
You will receive an email response within 20 working days.
If we can carry out the search, we will quote you a fee via email to be paid before we proceed with the search.

[Doc Vernon]

Well Laura
All i can say is that things must have increased a tremendously .
Gees i am shocked by this!!
If it wasnt for the fact that one has to Pay that initial fee of 8 GBP for them to just tell you that there is something there!?? Never actually used to have that either, but it was introduced a few Years back.
Cheers

You did PAY 8GBP initially didnt you ?????


Requesting a page check

Send us detailed information about what you would like copied, and we will carry out a page check to determine whether it is possible to make a copy. A page check involves a member of staff collecting the relevant record from our repositories, looking for the information you’ve specified and assessing the record’s suitability for copying. The page check costs £8.40 and is non-refundable. This covers the cost of the service and is agreed by the Treasury.
Ordering your copy

If the page check shows that we can make a copy we will email you with a full breakdown of the cost of copying the record. If not, we will email you to explain why we are not able to make a copy.

If you choose to go ahead with your order, you can decide whether you would like to receive a digital copy via email, or a hard copy by post.

[Laura Harris]

Well Laura
All i can say is that things must have increased a tremendously .
Gees i am shocked by this!!
If it wasnt for the fact that one has to Pay that initial fee of 8 GBP for them to just tell you that there is something there!?? Never actually used to have that either, but it was introduced a few Years back.
Cheers

You did PAY 8GBP initially didnt you ?????


Requesting a page check

Send us detailed information about what you would like copied, and we will carry out a page check to determine whether it is possible to make a copy. A page check involves a member of staff collecting the relevant record from our repositories, looking for the information you’ve specified and assessing the record’s suitability for copying. The page check costs £8.40 and is non-refundable. This covers the cost of the service and is agreed by the Treasury.
Ordering your copy

If the page check shows that we can make a copy we will email you with a full breakdown of the cost of copying the record. If not, we will email you to explain why we are not able to make a copy.

If you choose to go ahead with your order, you can decide whether you would like to receive a digital copy via email, or a hard copy by post.

Actually no, as I couldn't find the record (i presumed the one you mentioned wasn't his as incorrect birthday and name) I used this:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...-request-step1

instead of this:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...opy-documents/

Which is where I can see synergy with what you are saying. I suppose I wasn't asking for a 'copy' because I couldn't find the right one and that is where I went 'wrong'.

Do you think the one you listed above is correct?? In which case I can try the copy?

[Doc Vernon]

Well Laura
Let me have another look and see oif there may be another such name , but in those days there were a lot of errors made on Entries, and also there were many Lads who for reasons changed their date of Birth.
But looking at the closeness of that record, i would at a guess say it is the correct one, as it has the Full name .?
But hang fire i will get back soon!
Cheers

Name: Harris, Charles Ernest. Service Number: R165543. Date of Birth: 25/08/1914. | The National Archives

Added I have checked through all the Surnames of Harris , with the Initials , and the above is the only one that is a very close match, so its up to you if you want to try it!



Page Check Request (nationalarchives.gov.uk) I would start from the initial page though Laura to save any errors on their Search! So Click on the other Link i give which will show his Details to start!
Cheers

When yiu get to the Page that askes for info, please do give as much detail as possible, especially quoting the NA Ref Number of the File you are requesting!

Again just hang fire for now, as i want to double check on the Records! There are other Avenues i have !
Thanks May take some time though, so possibly will only get back now in a day or so!
Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

Sorry, I hope this is not boring and I would be hugely grateful for help. Even if it were somewhere to look for ship crew listing's for Omaha Beach. Here's hoping.

I am trying to find some details of my grandfather's record from ww2. I can't afford the £90 quoted by Kew but happy to put in time. I've spent hours on ancestry and the gazette to no joy. I've put in an FOI via the MOD route but it says it could take a year.

Ronald Ernest Harris, born 26/12/1914, London

Now my dad and uncle have given me some info, though uncle says Royal Navy, Dad says Merchant.

Grandad Harris was a First Class Convoy Signalman in the Royal Navy. As far as dad knows, his main duties were around Britain & the Continent.

He was only on the fringe of the Arctic Convoys.

On D Day, he was on the American Landing Ships on Omaha Beach & it was so horrific he wouldn’t talk about it.

He was awarded an Oakleaf & mentioned in dispatches but we don’t know why. It was on his Atlantic Star Medal.

He was blown up & lost his hearing & his hair. Possibly at the landings. Not sure.

Oak Leaf.JPG

[Doc Vernon]

Complications , as i have found such a name but cannot see any DOB , so not sure on this one ??
Only way is of course to apply , but again there is csting and it may not even be him?
Oh boy this is tough.
I have also looked at the Service Medals but cannot find any Medals issued to him ?? Strange that as you mention the Atlantic Star!! ??
Where did you see this, do you have the actual Medal at Hand?
Cheers

R780842 HARRIS R E | The National Archives