Billy's (William Windsor) official Naval records 1940-1944
One year ago, I sent a request to the UK government in the hope of obtaining my great-uncle Billy's naval records. He had enlisted during WWII at just 17 years old writing on the application forms that he was a 23-year-old fisherman. He joined the Royal Navy Patrol Service in the spring of 1940. I forgot about my request for his records. I didn't hear back from them until recently, one year later when this email landed in my inbox: "Thank you again for your application for the service records of William Henry Windsor. The records are now ready to be posted out to you via Royal Mail." I was so excited! I was about to uncover new pieces of this puzzle, more of Billy's brave journey. Let me share them with you. Record of Service for William Windsor DSM. Efficiency: Sat.: Satisfactory Character: V.G.: Very good. The records don’t tell a story in the way we might hope. They list places, dates, postings, brief entries that, at first glance, feel almost clinical. But be...
