any ideas

[cookie]

Hi all

Im new to all this and would appreciate a bit of help.

My nana was married twice. My dad was born in 1945 and her 1st husband died only a few months before my dad was born. Ive also found out that my nana and grandad ( her 2nd husband) didnt marry until 1952.  As theres a 7 yr gap did they have to wait ex amount of years to marry? Could she have been told her 1st husband had died or was missing in action?
I have very little to go on apart from her 1st husbands death info and yes, my dad is definately her 2nd husbands child.

Many thanks for any info.

cookie

[suttontrust]

What information do you have about her first husband's death?  Was he a serving soldier?  If his death was confirmed in 1945 there would be no reason for your nana to wait to re-marry.  The explanation could be that the first marriage had broken down well before his death and she had another relationship which couldn't result in marriage.  Perhaps her second husband was married when your father was born.  What was your father told about the circumstances?   

[casalguidi]

Hi Cookie

If the first husband died during active service WW2, he "should" be listed with the Commonwealth War Graves

http://www.cwgc.org

Casalguidi

[cookie]

Hi all

Many thanks for this.
Ive just looked on the CWGC site and have found that he died in Aug 1945, my dad was born in Dec 1945. It says that the casualty type is commonwealth war dead. Does that mean that he then died serving in the war?
It could be possible that her 1st marriage broke down. I just have no idea. It just looks strange( especially on paper) that my dad was born a few months after her 1st husband died. No one in the family really seems to know anything about it.

Cookie

[casalguidi]

Hi Cookie

Does it give his rank/regiment/number etc. and where is he buried/commemorated?  This will give some indication of whether he died whilst in action.  Every case is different - mostly killed in action or died of wounds received etc. - prisoner of war - died as the result of an illness ie. TB contracted whilst serving - civilian casualties of bombing ......... .  The full details for this man might give you some idea ............... do you want to post his name etc. so we can take a look?

Best wishes

Casalguidi

[cookie]

Hi casalguidi

His name was Kenneth George Fitch and he is buried in Labuan war cemetery. It says that  his rank is gunner and his regiment is Royal Artillery.

Many thanks
cookie

[casalguidi]

Hi Cookie

He was obviously serving in the area but whether he was killed in action/died of wounds/tropical disease or prisoner or war I wouldn't know.  You could post on the WW2 forum:

http://www.wwiiforum.com/

If the family don't know, or aren't prepared to say, anything about it then you might not find out exactly what happened ........... it could just be that the marriage broke down - these things happened during war time.  Perhaps he was a prisoner of war and thought to be dead?  They're just ideas.  Unfortunately WW2 army records are only available to next of kin (or with their permission) and there is quite a hefty fee.

Strangley enough, the period for somebody to be presumed dead after going "missing" is 7 years but I doubt this would be the case if he is commemorated by the CWGC unless, of course, your grandmother didn't know what became of him if they had already parted and she wasn't listed as his next of kin on the war records or maybe she had moved and was untraceable.  Many of the CWGC entries list next of kin but there is none listed for Kenneth Fitch.

Best wishes

Casalguidi

[cookie]

Many many thanks casalguidi for taking the trouble to look this up for me and to give me a few things to look into.
I will certainly b using this site more often.
My first time and it wasnt bad at all.

best wishes and thanks
cookie

[ozwendy]

Hi Cookie

As a history teacher, I can tell you that there were many illicit affairs in the past, especially during war time. often couples got married in a hurry because he was going away to war and then the girl, who was usually young, was left alone and wondering what she had done. I think during war time there is also a feeling of 'enjoy yourself and live today as you don't know what will happen tomorrow'. I have quite a few illigitimate children and marriages only shortly before births on my family tree in the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of these occurrences I have found during my research as the family didn't discuss it. I think we have always been told that these things didn't happen in the good old days, but in truth it was just that they weren't talked about.
They may have waited seven years to marry because the ist husband was missing in action, although I don't think the rule about waiting seven years for a missing person to be declared dead applies during wartime. Maybe they waited to spare the feelings of some family members or maybe it was just because there was still rationing and shortages for years after the war so they wanted to wait until they could afford a wedding or a house. Was the wife still living with her parents during this time?
Anyway, Cookie, just some ideas.
Wendy