Help is at hand for family researchers seeking information on their military connections, thanks to a London-based researcher who volunteers for the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust.

Ian Macrae, who lives near the National Archives at Kew, has many years of research experience, at Kew and elsewhere. He has compiled 'A Guide For Researchers' which is now available at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, run by the Sunderland Trust.

And the new publication, produced by the Sunderland Trust, will be put to good use at the first of a series of 'Research Events' which will take place at the Heritage Centre on and around the annual Armed Forces weekend this month.

Said Ian: "Pembroke Dock heritage projects prompt many requests for information about individuals and families connected with the town and area. Many of these requests relate to the maritime, military and aviation connections locally.

"Since moving into the Heritage Centre last year;" added Ian, "we are getting more and more enquiries, some from as far as Australia. This guide has been drawn up to help many more families discover their military links."

The guide is split into sections covering all three UK Armed Services, the Merchant Navy and the Pembroke Royal Dockyard and is packed with useful facts on sources of information, websites and archive locations. It has a 'First Steps' section which will assist newcomers to overcome what may appear to be daunting research hurdles, and can be updated easily as addresses change and other sources emerge.

The new guide will be available to purchase at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre - in the Royal Dockyard Chapel - at the first 'Research Event' which covers five days from today (Friday) to Tuesday, June 30 (Armed Forces Day is tomorrow, Saturday, June 27). The Heritage Centre is open from 10 am to 4 pm daily.