Anyone can apply to the MOD for the service records of a deceased veteran, and the permission of the next of kin isn't required.
The only restriction is that if the veteran has died within the past 25 years the following information will be withheld unless the next of kin have given their permission for the applicant to access it.
The units in which he/she served...the dates of this service and the locations of those units...
the ranks in which the service was carried out and details of campaign medals awarded.
It's all explained on the MOD link...
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-re...Being on the Navy List up to 1949 ?,...well do the arithmetic,...in 1949 he would be 65 and that's the U.K. retirement age.