Brick wall

[rspltd]

I would love to get started on my family tree but I have hit a brick wall right at the beginning!! Allegedly the mother of my mother was a Phyllis Davies - no father declared who was WAAF number 2106561 and reported living at 5  BrynCastle Terrace Gobowen, Salop. I can find no birth for this lady, no marriage subsequently anfpd the WAAF number (and name) turns up a blank. Surely all the information can't be wrong? Any help/ advice gratefully received PS 1939 registration no help either.

[avm228]

At what date was Phyllis said to be resident at that address?

Also you say 1939 is no help, but you don't say why - are you saying you have found the address and Phyllis is not listed there?

Did your mother know her mother at all, or was she adopted into a different family?

[pete edwards]

Could be a start

Births Jun 1918   (>99%)
Davies    Phylis P    Ing_an    St.Asaph    11b   494

Pete, 

[groom]

We need to know a little more about the background - did your mother know anything about her mother eg when was she born and when did she die? Or was she adopted and you want to find her birth family?

[crisane]

You can apply for her service records which are still held by the MoD
The National Archives guide is here
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/womens-royal-air-force-personnel/
It gives a link to download application forms which will cost you. The only problem being that you do need  a death certificate.

[rspltd]

Thanks for the replies. Answering in order- this was the address given on the birth certificate in 1945 when my mother was born in an unmarried mother's hospital in London.  My Mother was adopted. I cannot find the address in  the 1939 records although it does seem to be Bryn y Castle Terrace Gobowen. My Mother didn't know or try to trace her mother until after her death - we have a death certificate so will apply for her service record.

[avm228]

My Mother didn't know or try to trace her mother until after her death - we have a death certificate so will apply for her service record.

You have Phyllis' death certificate?  So you must know the name in which she died and her age at death (or even her precise birthdate, depending on when she died)?

[rspltd]

Duff information I'm afraid. The death certificate was offered by someone else and proved not to be the right one. I suspect the only route we can go down is the service record. Hopefully this should tell us if Phyllis was a member of the household rather than being billeted there and her birth date and place. I've not seen a service record before so am speculating. Worth a punt!

[groom]

The problem, as Crisane, said is that without a death certificate it doesn't look as if you can apply for her records.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-records-of-deceased-service-personnel