Military Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Official secrets act

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Mark

Mark Report 3 Sep 2019 20:21

How and when can I find out what My deceased aunt Florence Anderson did during the second world war?
I understand that she had to sign the official secrets act but I'd like to know her role during the war.

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 3 Sep 2019 20:58

Where did she live, Mark? What were her dates of birth and death?

The Official Secrets Act covers a lot of occupations, including civil servants.

Researching:
Old genealogists never die.....they just lose their census.

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 3 Sep 2019 22:15

The only entry on the NA site.....

Florence Anderson

Reference: WO 409/27/90/22
Title: Florence Anderson
Description: Florence Anderson - born 27/04/1909 - Durham Home Guard, 26th Battalion
Date: 1940-1945
Held by: The National Archives
Legal status: Public Record
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Open on Transfer
Record opening date: 05 June 2012

If her dob wasn't 27 Apr 1909, then there's nothing else on the site.
.....

We did find a record a while ago for someone else. Although it started off as a joke, we realised that she was employed at Bletchley where they intercepted & broke codes. The lady's records were still closed.

Researching:
Dormant member as from 20 Sep 2019 . Click on my board name to send a message

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 3 Sep 2019 23:38

On the forces-war-records site, there are these

Florence Anderson 432750 1941 Royal Air Force
Florence Anderson 889104 1939 Royal Air Force
(possibly both the same person)

Or if she had a middle name:

Florence Amelia Anderson 445192 1941 Royal Air Force
Florence Helen Anderson 2059306 1941 Royal Air Force
Florence Helen Anderson 2165138 1942 Royal Air Force
Florence Jessie Margaret Anderson 2173505 1942 Royal Air Force
Florence Joan Anderson 2018819 1941 Royal Air Force
Florence Muriel Anderson 436472 1941 Royal Air Force
Florence Violet Anderson 2046686 1941 Royal Air Force


But of course she may not have been in the forces.

Researching:
Old genealogists never die.....they just lose their census.

PatinCyprus

PatinCyprus Report 4 Sep 2019 17:45

All forces personnel have to sign the official secrets act whether they deal with sensitive material or not. It doesn't mean she necessarily dealt with anything secret.

I signed the official secrets act and I was a dental nurse in the WRAF. :-D in peacetime.

All civil servants have to sign it too.

Researching:
Lloyd,Paddock,Cooper,Morris,Rigby West Midlands Salop Worc