Advice required

[Jackarmy1]

Hi, I'm looking for some information and direction of where to go with trying to locate my maternal Grandfather. He and my Grandmother divorced in 1954 and that was the last information I've been able to find. My Grandmother passed away in 1990 and my mother was only 9 or 10 yrs old when they split up, so doesn't remember a lot. My mother is fairly adamant he was in the RAF and was based in Swansea during the WW2, manning the anti aircraft guns overlooking BP oil refinery. I have 2 photographs of his wedding to my Grandmother and the uniform he is wearing certainly lends itself to him being in the RAF. I cannot find him however on any of the military searches. He has 3 forenames and a not common surname so I find this fairly surprising. I am in the process of applying for his records from the MOD. Anyone have any advice or tips, would RAF personnel be based defending an Oil refinery? for example. Many thanks in advance.

[philipsearching]

Greetings, and a warm welcome to Rootschat.

As your grandfather served in WW2 he would be approaching 100yrs old if still alive, so (although Rootschat has a policy of not naming living persons) it should be safe to let us know his full name.

Also, if you let us know your late grandmother's name, it could help track down a marriage and we can work with that.  Your grandmother's maiden surname should be on a birth certificate of a child.

Also, if you can scan and post a photo of your grandfather in uniform (with the best view of any buttons or badges) we should be able to confirm if he was RAF or an army regiment.

Rootschatters can point you in the direction of free websites to search and many have specialist knowledge, so you have come to the right place!

All the best
Philip

(ADDED _ I am not sure if you would need proof of death to apply to the MOD as next of kin.  If so, it would be useful if we can help find that out.)

[CaroleW]

Welcome from me too

If your main aim is to locate his whereabouts after 1954 it's unlikely his WW2 records will help you unless he was receiving a service pension.

He may have re-married in which case we could try and locate a marriage for him once we know his name etc   You could try www.freebmd.org.uk

It's probable he is now deceased in which case we may be able to find his death registration/will for you  (I visited an ex-neighbour today who served in WW2 and who will be 99 in October so you never know!!)

See this link re: applying for service records

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

[macwil]

Yes a death cert. will be required, even a widow/er has to supply one if s/he requests their spouses records and they had died after discharge from the service, there is no charge to them however. Anyone else has to pay £30. The only person who does not need to supply a cert. is the subject themselves and if they are alive no one else can obtain the records.
A service number is not neccessarily required but a DATE OF BIRTH is.

[Jackarmy1]

Many thanks for the quick replies, the military services records I'm looking for are purely for interest and have no bearing on his whereabouts and subsequent life. It is fairly likely that he had another family after the divorce, so it is of great family interest to myself. His name is John James William Thorne, DOB March 1921 West Ham, my grandmothers name was Valerie June Thorne nee Wilding. DOB, 3/6/1924. I'll attach a picture as well.

[Jackarmy1]

John James William Thorne

[CaroleW]

Hi

His birth was registered in the March qtr 1921 but was he actually born in March 1921 as per your opening post?

The March qtr covered births registered 1st Jan - 31st March but births in December of 1920 may have been registered after Christmas so would show as 1921

Deaths from 1969 show full birthdate so it would be useful to have his actual DOB if known as there is no obvious death so far

[Jackarmy1]

Hi,

Many thanks for your unbelievably quick response. Unfortunately no-one in the family knows his actual DOB.

[Jackarmy1]

One other thing, on my mothers birth certificate his name is shown as J J Thorne, he seems to have dropped the William. Not sure how significant that could be.