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Has she tried one of those DNA testing kits? More and more people in US are using these and making connections.

Rose

RAF Sculthorpe has a Facebook page - not that anyone posting on there would remember Frank - too long ago.

Yes I thought it was probably a joke until I realized that there were lots of Wahingtons!
We will try the Tracepw although there is a possibility that she has already done so. She is away at the moment but before she left she was considering going down the Ancestry DNA route. I have had quite a lot of success personally with this. It is a real blow to find out about the fire = certainly not making the research any simpler. Thank you so much for all the help.

At least this one was in the Air Force!

U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010

Name: Frank Washington
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 14 Dec 1931
Death Date: 1 Apr 1974
SSN: 204240077
Branch 1: AF
Enlistment Date 1: 1 Mar 1952
Release Date 1: 19 Jun 1956

Nope - Navy
Name: Frank Washington
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 10 Nov 1931
Death Date: 29 May 1986
SSN: 225388470
Branch 1: NAVY
Enlistment Date 1: 28 Jun 1951
Release Date 1: 27 Jun 1955

There's a possibility that Frank was a diminutive of Franklin. Could he have been having a joke when he said he was actually born in Washington? Many African American families took their surnames from popular historical figures once they achieved emancipation.

Aha! There are several Washington Counties, for instance in
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho.

Another elimination?

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Frank Washington Jr
[Frank Jun Washington Jr]
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Birth Date: 9 Feb 1932
Birth Place: Gadsden, Alabama
[Birmingham, Alabama]
Death Date: 25 Jun 1984
Father: Frank Washington
Mother: Willie M Herston
SSN: 401365456
Disability Status: Disability denied - no record of type.
Notes: Jun 1946: Name listed as FRANK WASHINGTON JR; Jul 1968: Name listed as FRANK JUN WASHINGTON; 12 May 1983: Name listed as FRANK WASHINGTON

U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
Frank Washington
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 9 Feb 1931
Death Date: 25 Jun 1984
SSN: 401365456
Branch 1: ARMY <<<
Enlistment Date 1: 9 Feb 1951
Release Date 1: 8 Nov 1952 <<< Before your friend's conception

Generally browsing on line records on Ancestry, the following is posted for elimination purposes only.

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Frank Theodore Washington
[Frank T Washington]
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Birth Date: 28 Jun 1930
Birth Place: New York City, New York
[New York Cit]
Death Date: 29 May 1999
Father: Lewis Washington
Mother: Myrille E Watson
SSN: 079248462
Notes: Jul 1947: Name listed as FRANK THEODORE WASHINGTON; 05 Jun 1999: Name listed as FRANK T WASHINGTON

From the record of his internment, you can see that he was in the Army, not the Air Force

Frank T Washington
Service Info.: PVT US ARMY KOREA <<<<
Birth Date: 28 Jun 1930
Death Date: 29 May 1999
Service Start Date: 18 Sep 1951
Interment Date: 4 Jun 1999
Cemetery: Calverton National Cemetery
Cemetery Address: 210 Princeton Boulevard Rt 25 Calverton, NY 11933
Buried At: Section 24 Site 3090

https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel-archival

Says -
Please Note: On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the NPRC destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files.
The records affected:
Air Force Personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964
(with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.) 75% loss

The US Embassy link given earlier has the address of TRACEPW (formerly TRACE)
(Transatlantic Children’s Enterprise) in the UK. Perhaps you/your friend can ask for their advice?

Thanks for trying to help. I am researching this for a friend who is the daughter of Private 1st Class Frank Washington in Motor Vehicle Squadron (poss. 47th) who was stationed in 1953/1954 at RAF Sculthorpe and later at RAF Greenham Common. She was adopted in 1955 and only managed to trace her birth mother fairly recently and who has since died. He was 25 at that time and was black or mixed race. He said that he was born in Washington but not clear State or DC or even if information correct although apparently he did offer to marry the mother. I am fairly new to this type of research but it looks as if military records 1956 and before should be available to the public but can't navigate to that site.

Don’t know if this might help?
https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/government-agencies/dao/tracemil/

It may be less straight forward if he isn’t named on the BC.

We could look at online civilian records, but there’s no guarantee it’s the right person. Bearing in mind that eg 1930 & 1940 US census categorises skin colour, how would his likely be described?

Added - 1940 categories described here (both lines)
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/1940_Census_United_States_–
_Census_Form_Headings#1940_Census_Form_Categories

No he didn't marry in Uk but did have a child. He was posted from Norfolk to Greenham as soon as the mother said she was pregnant. Details we have are very sketchy so I know this is a long shot but ever hopeful!

Did he marry in the UK?

Looking for any relative/descendant of a Private 1st class Frank Washington b.c1929 USAF Motor Vehicle Squadron based in Norfolk and Greenham Common England in 1954. Any hints of tracing Amercan Servicemen would be appreciated.
Barbara