01935 429609
Somerset & Dorset
Family History Society

Basic sources for tracing World War II soldiers

The SDFHS Military Advisor, Col Iain Swinnerton, summarises basic sources for tracing British soldiers who served in the Second World War (Note: the details below apply equally to women) Service Records All records of post-1920 servicemen are confidential and remain with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) They are available free of charge to the man himself However, in recognition of the duty of care owed to the family of the deceased subject, for a period of 25 years following the date of death...
more

Sherborne Festive Shopping Day

Our Family History Centre in Sherborne was open today for the town's Festive Shopping Day We were selling new and second-hand books on family/local history, providing tea/coffee and home-made mince pies, and our Volunteers were on hand to give advice on research There was a lovely Christmassy atmosphere, with peals of bells from the Abbey, and carol-singing around the crib at the Conduit, just outside our door The main street, Cheap St, was packed with shoppers taking advantage of special...
more

Family Wedding – Chicago Style

Before going to the USA for a family wedding Barbara Elsmore wrote here about a charming family tradition She now summarises her visit and reflects on the importance of family connections, past and present Just back from my nephew’s wedding held in a swish, downtown hotel in Chicago It was  certainly different from anything I had been to in the past but then our own, once familiar, wedding ceremonies are evolving with the changing times The minister talked of the young couple’s heritage...
more

Member and Guest Blogs Welcome

We welcome guest and member blog posts on any topic with a family history connection and invite you to send your contributions, which should include photo/photos, to the editor Barbara Elsmore

Archives