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I forgot to mention - Sandra said she thought her grandad (Mark Watson) died whilst serving in the RAF which could explain the Singapore story, although Jacqueline could not verify this so I'm not too sure ..

Can't help with the Singapore angle for Mark, I thought he died locally as it tied in age wise.

However, I can help with the Preston name - I think I mentioned it in a pm as a "possible" marriage for Jacqueline when I gave you Sandra's details.

Added - can't see a death for Mark on CWGC. and wouldn't he have been a bit old (56) to be in the RAF at the start of the war?

Hi Julia- I found it a little odd that Sandra knew and Jacqueline was quite shocked by it. I wonder if I mentioned something about Singapore to Sandra in my phone call on Monday night and that's what is confusing her? You would have thought that their grandad would have been remembered on 11th November every year had he died during active service surely? I'm not convinced. However, at least we know Jacqueline can't have gone with her maternal grandmother. Do you know where you got the name Preston from?

Yes, Preston came up as a possible local marriage for Jacqueline on freebmd, but as her surname is not too uncommon there was always the chance it was wrong, which was why I only gave you Sandra's details as that looked more promising.

Not sure I'd rule out the maternal connection to Jacqueline though - your father would probably have been too young to realise if she was with the maternal grandmother, and for most of his younger life was in care so maybe wouldn't have known anyway. I don't think there are many angles to try with the paternal grandparents as Charlie doesn't appear to have had any siblings for us to try to trace their descendants.

Alice (b1913) may be your best lead judging by your conversation with Sandra, but it is a common name. If she stayed local then the possible marriage to George West gave 3 children between 1933 & 1938 all of which have very common names - again not easy to trace.

Ada (b1910) may have moved to the seaside, but if the marriage to George Thorne (in 1929) is correct, then her oldest son born in 1930 looks to have got married in 1948 in Dewsbury, and I can't see a death for him.

Don't get too down with this, it was always going to be a difficult one to crack, and at least you've got some details to get certificates. Who knows what they will show, maybe a small clue that can lead to a major breakthrough!

Keep on trying, it's all you can do.

atb

How about your father contact DR Barnados as he is a sibling he will get a priority search done of their records its worth a try,,,,,and a free service for siblings,
he will need to request an application from from them......they also hold records of if a child was rehomed for adoption....they run children homes all over,and often was known under another name,,,,,,,such as ??? House/Grange or the like......

Tanners Lane,
Barking Side
Ilford
Essex
IG6--1QG.

Thanks - I'm trying to stay upbeat, I knew this was going to be hard to crack,, there's no way I cannot do this with people like you helping me. My wife is on her way back from my fathers house as we speak and has text to say she has got some info from him so I will keep you posted. Definitely going to try Bernados - I had already considered hem but thought that because the home wasn't run by Bernados they wouldn't be able to help.

My father's father was Charles Barrett Wells who was an Electric Welder in the RAF (A.C.2/100385). I don't know what the letters/initials stand for. They lived at 8Yard, 1 Purwell Lane, Batley. I think Charlie's middle name was in fact his mother's maiden name. This certainly backs up the story that he died in Singapore....

local council run homes moved childen on elsewhere when space was getting crowded,,,,,a child could be moved from one end of the country to another,,,,,,,also,

up till the 1960s charities such as Barnados were shipping children to Australia &Canada,,,,,,,,and in lots of circumstances without any parental permission or a parent hoodwinked into signing forms they just didnt understand or were never shown the full contents of,,,,,,,,

dont leave it an age to start as 1938 is a good few years ago now,,,,

Hi

As an ex WRAF I know AC2 was a very old rank

AC1 aircraftsman 1 (first rank)
AC2 would be the second rank he could be. The numbers I don't recognise. All service numbers when I was in had a letter first.

That rank had already gone a long time before I joined and replaced by leading aircraftsman so as we're going back that far would suggest that it's his service number which could be important in finding out if he died when in the RAF.

Correct way to write it is
Service number, then rank, then surname followed by given names if you have to send any correspondence.

Pat

So why is this not his death which you have already been given?

Name: Charlie B Wells
Birth Date: 29 Oct 1917
Date of registration: Jun 1990
Age at Death: 72
Registration district: Nuneaton and Bedworth
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 31
Page: 169

There was only one Charlie B Wells born that I can see reg dec 1917

Hello! What have we here.

I just knew it. So maybe that tree on Ancestry is right after all and he re-married in Nuneaton (PM sent previously).


Name: Charles Barrett Wells
Birth Date: 29 Oct 1917
Date of registration: Jun 1990
Age at Death: 72
Registration district: Nuneaton and Bedworth
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 31
Page: 169

Jan

Hi again,

Just done some checking with RAF war deaths and their service numbers didn't have a letter prefix so I think it is his service number you've been given.

Pat

The marriage on the Ancestry tree - Peter has this already by the way. I am aware it is moving away from the main focus but for this search everything helps.

Name: Charles B Wells
Spouse Kathleen M Sutton
Date of registration: Apr-May-Jun 1947
Registration district: Atherstone
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume Number: 6d
Page Number: 59

Chares Barrett Wells surely seems to be the same person in the family tree, however I need to completely discount this idea that he was killed in Singapore. Can anyone tell me the right place to search this info? I really need to be able to tell my father one way or another.

The birth cert should give you your answer as it will have his date of birth. I guess it shouldn't be too long before it arrives now?
Jan

On a completely different tack, have you considered 'going public'? By which I mean using local newspapers - even radio if possible?
Jan

cwwg,,,,shows no matching name or even leaving out middle inital being killed in WW2.either civillian or forces.

What about getting the certificate for Irene's second marriage, it should show her status - ie widowed or divorced?

Marriages Dec 1947 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Townend John H Wells Dewsbury 2b 807
Townend John H Watson Dewsbury 2b 807
Watson Irene Townend Dewsbury 2b 807
Wells Irene Townend Dewsbury 2b 807

You say Sandra's mother was close to sister Alice - did she confirm Alice's married name?

Hi Julia - Sandra didn't confirm Alice's married name but she did refer to her children Eric & Jack.
My mother's older sister is visiting this weekend and she has confirmed Jacqueline didn't actually go to the cottage homes - she was taken in by her paternal grandmother (Charlie's mother).
I have an archavist who works for kirklees doing a search on some old records for cottage homes - he is adament no records from Cottage Homes exist however some of them were run by the childrens union who do have some records.
I think I need to redirect my search now to Charlie's mother.
As for Derek - I don't have a clue where to start with him. I think it's a case of waiting for the birth certificates now.
I've learned that you can't rely on people's memories.
I'm not giving up - Jacqueline and Derek MUST have been registered somewhere at some point.