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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Ayrshire => Topic started by: Ad van Zantvoort on Friday 05 August 16 14:03 BST (UK)
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Dear members,
A few months ago I got in touch with the relatives of a Pilot named Sgt Donald Valentine JORDAN. The aircraft a 619 sqdn Lancaster bomber was shotdown homebound over Asten in the S.E. part of The Netherlands while bombing a target at Krefeld. Together( the relative of Sgt Jordan) we exchanged information and he would like to share his information with other crew relatives. Maybe in the nearby future we would like to erect a memorial close to where the accident occured. On board this Lancaster was the Navigator Flying Officer William (Bill) McCall Girdwood who was the son of James and Helen McCall Girdwood,of 4 Main Street,Muirkirk,Ayrshire,Scotland. William Girdwood was only 23 years old when he died. I know the rules for tracking down or publishing addresses of living relatives on this website but we hope that someone are avilable to help us out and if they have an address they would like to send me a PM.
Thank you so much for you help,
Adrian
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Hi Adrian ,
Some information which may help , Scotlandspeople website has a marriage for a James Girdwood / Nellie(pet name for Helen?) McCall 1911 Muirkirk , Ayr(shire).
Also a death Helen Girdwood(other surname McCall) 1963 Muirkirk , Ayr(shire) , born c1891.
ev
Added -
Death for a John Girdwood(mother's maiden name McCall) 1995 Muirkirk Ayr(shire) , born c1912.
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Hi Adrian,
If you are a Facebooker :) , Muirkirk has a Community page which states -
This group is for people of Muirkirk, past and present, to share memories and pictures.
Perhaps it would be worth asking to join the group page and posting your request on there. It has nearly 1000 members , so perhaps someone may be able to help. If you are not on Facebook let me know .
Good luck
Looby :)
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Many Thanks Ev for your kind help. The info you have send was very usefull I will let you know the outcome of my research.
Many Thanks Looby, I am not a facebooker but will see if Muirkirk have a Historical group who can help us out as well.
Regards,
Adrian
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No problem Adrian.
If you have no joy with a historical society the Facebook group would be a good bet as it is active group with recent posts and photos on the page.
Looby :)
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You could also try and put something in the Ayrshire Post for older people and will cover surrounding areas too.
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I would need to look at the marriage for James Girdwood and Helen McCall but I think I know who James could be.
Possibly the son of John Girdwood and Alison Coulthard.?
He is in the home of his maternal grandmother in Muirkirk with his mother and 3 brothers.
Two of those brothers ( Thomas and William) emigrated to the US and Thomas married my relative Los Angeles.
1901 Muirkirk:
Janet M G Culthert 72 ( should read Coulthart)
Allexen Girdwood 36 ( should read Allison)
***Jams Girdwood 16
William Girdwood 15
John Girdwood 14
Thomas Girdwood 12
Edit:
Thomas and my relative had 2 children ( possibly first cousins of deceased airman?)
their son died in childhood and daughter born in LA 1927 was married 3 times ( 1948/1951/1966)
So far, I haven't located any children from any of her marriages
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Hi PharmaT and Anne_p,
PharmaT; Thanks for your help and i will contact the Ayrshire post to put an appeal in to their
newspaper.
Anne_p ; Thank you very much for your information. I realy don't know how to verify this ,I hope
you are at the good end.
Thanks,
Adrian
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Hi again Adrian,
Although pharma's suggestion of contacting Ayrshire Post is a good one , I'm not so sure that particular newspaper covers Muirkirk which is in East Ayrshire. It certainly is not a paper widely read in my East Ayrshire village. I would suggest you also contact Cumnock Chronicle too which may be more of a local newspaper to Muirkirk.
Looby :)
PS. I'm still hoping a Muirkirk resident picks up your request .
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Think I've located a sister via newspaper articles
Alison Coulthard Girdwood, daughter of Mr & Mrs James Girdwood of Muirkirk, Ayrshire married Alexander Forbes Hamilton at Alexandria North Church on 29 Oct 1935.
Sister Helen Girdwood was bridesmaid.
Alexander Forbes Hamilton was from Stirling and a banker with the Clydesdale Bank
Also, from another article dated Oct 1925, there was a brother named James Girdwood
( middle name possibly Brown)
Based on the names, I guess that the WW2 airman was the grandson of John Girdwood and Alison Coulthart after all
Definitive children of James Girdwood and Helen McCall who married in 1911
( may not be all of them)
Ellison Coulthard Girdwood b 1911 Muirkirk
( married Alexander F Hamilton in 1935. Announcement names her as Alison)
Helen Gibson McCall Girdwood b 1914 Muirkirk
William McCall Girdwood b 1922 ( The airman)
You may be wondering how I knew that William & Thomas Girdwood were the brothers of James?
Thomas emigrated to the US in 1910.
He gave the address for brother William in PA but his UK contact was for his mother in Muirkirk
Both men died in the US
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Ellison Hamilton b 1911, other name Girdwood died 1970.
Her death is recorded in Falkirk, Stirlingshire.
Alexander Forbes Hamilton b 1909, died in 1966
Death also recorded in Falkirk
As the marriage announcement states that Alexander was a banker from Stirling, I would guess that any children born to the marriage would probably be born in this area.
Could be?
There is the probable birth of a son b 1940, (same names as Ellison's husband) .
Registered Haggs, Stirling
This son married in Bonnybridge in 1967
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Hi,
Got in touch with James McCall Girdwood(Nephew of F/O William Girdwood) Thanks to your professional help. He was glad to be in touch with him and shared all the info I have collected sofar.
Many,Many Thanks to Anne and ev
Regards,
Adrian
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Hi Adrian,
Only just found this site and hope you are still active on it!
My mother (Janet Girdwood) was the niece of William Girdwood. Her father was John Girdwood. She is also the half sister of James Girdwood whoI believe still lives in Muirkirk.
I've heard so much about William over the years who, by all accounts, was a lovely man. My mum told me he was desperate to join the RAF but couldn't due to a hearing problem. He badgered his parents so much that they paid for an operation to correct it. Of course after being so sadly killed it was, according to my mum, a decision they later regretted. I also have his war time diary which I'm very happy to have copied and sent to you if you'd like.
Kind regards,
Laura Hamilton
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Laura, welcome to RootsChat.
There is a private messaging feature which new members can use after they have posted a few times.
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Hi Laura,
Please be so kind and contact me because I have some info to share. Looking forward to hear from you,
Adrian
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Laura can increase her quota by posting another reply on here simply saying "O.K." or similar. Then she will be able to use the private message option.
Putting an email address on the open forum is discouraged.
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Maybe Laura don't know the rules and think some one could send her a PM. I know that an email on a open forum is discouraged but I am still waiting for her message to come, and maybe she missed my email address as she cannot get it because she didn't increase her quota. Anyway i hope she will contact me.
(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Regards,
Adrian