Thank you for this post; it's good to know that I'm not the only one. I made a request for records (although this was for a soldier who served in WW1 and afterwards) back in October of last year.
I just received an email from them this evening saying:
Our current average timeline for records to be sent is ten to twelve months, which does not factor in any time that your request was with the MOD.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide an exact timeframe for when you request will be completed. We apologise for the delay in responding to your request and thank you for your continued patience.
Please be reassured your case is still being progressed. We will next be in touch once your case: XXXX [I've redacted that bit] has been resolved.
They also said, "don't bother trying to contact us for updates":
To allow us to process cases as efficiently as possible, please note that we will not be able to answer standard queries or hasteners of cases between these updates. We thank you for your continued patience.
As I understand it, if you are seeking the records for a younger person then there is no charge. But since I am looking for the records of my grandfather's brother (my grand uncle?) who was born before 1910 then there is a charge of £24.35. They say:
As this record is dated to an individual over 115 years old, your request for it is subject to our paid search system.
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By the way, I'd just like to point out that this does apply to any service person who served after 1921. So, if anybody has a relative who served in the armed forces during WW1 and stayed on after 1921 then this will be a source to look at.
The person I'm looking for joined the Royal Horse Artillery just after his 17th birthday around Christmas 1908 and by 1911 was in Lucknow, India.
He seems to have been a not untypical soldier according to this report from the Gloucestershire Chronicle of 12 Nov 1910, just before his 19th birthday:
"XXXX, private of the Royal Horse Artillery, stationed at Chapel Town Barracks Leeds, appeared in court in full regimentals and admitted being drunk and disorderly in Spa Road, Gloucester..."
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Although what really did catch my interest was that he reenlisted in 1919 in Baghdad.
My initial thoughts were, what on earth was he doing in Baghdad in 1919? Was the British Army even there then?
It turns out that the army was in Baghdad in 1919. It turns out, rather ironically, that the British Army found itself short of soldiers in 1919, so offered new terms of service, for shorter periods, to address this.
By 1921 he was back in Lucknow India and then received a long service medal in 1927.
I am really intrigued to find out how he ended up in Baghdad in 1919.