Could DNA testing help me find my birth father?

[VillageDuckpond]

For many years now I have been trying to find my birth father and don't seem to make any progress. When my birth mother gave me up for adoption she said that my presumed father, who was in the RNVR and based in the Port of Aden in 1939 was apparently from Sunderland.
I recently did my DNA test in the hope that I would get some encouraging results but so far nothing.
Can anyone please help me?

[shellyesq]

Sometimes, it takes waiting to get a match close enough for you to figure it out.  More people are testing all the time, so you never know.  What was your closest match?

If you haven't done it yet and can do so, considering adding your data to gedmatch.com, as it may give you matches who tested through other companies.

[sugarfizzle]

I agree with shelleyesq, It can be a waiting game. But you are likely to get results eventually, especially if you tested with the biggest DNA company, Ancestry.

Follow the advice given here -

https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/wedding18.htm#Masterclass

If your father had any other children, or his siblings had children, you will get some very close matches at some stage.
If not, you may have to work a bit harder with your closest DNA matches.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Regards Margaret

[Malcolm33]

    Have you tried to get some information from the Navy?    They would have to know what ships were in Aden in 1939 and therefore lists of Personnel and where they were from.

     I can't recall a Naval Base as such while I was serving there in the RAF from March 1952 to March 1954, but no doubt it was all quite different what with the war coming on.

     I'm from Consett myself but have quite a few Mackem ancestors.

     Good Luck with your search,   Malcolm

[brigidmac]

Do you know if any of your birth morhers family or birth half siblings have done DNA tests ?
If you have 2nd or 3rd cousin matches with them you can add to your tree and look for 2nd cousins which dont match them to be potentially from fathers side
Or find regional matches which are unique to 1 line to get clues ....does that make sense ? The more people you can cross check with the better . GOOD LUCK

[whiteout7]

"By checking your Y-DNA against a huge database of other men, you can find cousins who share a common ancestor in your father’s paternal line.

Since men usually pass down their surname to their sons, you may find that a majority of your matches cluster around one particular surname.

That name, most likely, will be the last name of your biological father.

   
Once you find that name, tracing birth parents becomes easier. You can narrow your search to men of that surname who lived in the time and place of your conception."

https://www.dna-testing-adviser.com/Tracing-Birth-Parents.html

[Gadget]

I experienced something similar but from the other side ~

When I uploaded my Ancestry results to My Heritage, I found some close matches (2nd cousin level) who I knew about but one who I couldn't place. I came from a small village and knew a fair number of my 1st and 2nd cousins. I contacted one of my matches and she didn't know the person either. X was almost certain to descend from one set of grt grandparents - but which of the 12 children that they had! I contacted the match and was told the story about the mother's affair with a soldier overseas.

I contacted various cousins to find if they knew of any of the family who had been in the army at a particular time and place. We managed to narrow it down to be one of the number of sons of a particular great uncle but not which one.

So, I suggest you be patient and upload your results to all the sites that are mentioned here.


Gadget

[VillageDuckpond]

Thank you all very much indeed for your replies. I shall work my way through them when I have a bit more time to spare but in the meantime again many thanks.
VDP

[VillageDuckpond]

Thank you all very much indeed for your replies. I shall work my way through them when I have a bit more time to spare but in the meantime again many thanks.
VDP

I just wanted to say to all those who replied to me that I have, after 30 years of searching, found him! I can still hardly believe it but wanted to thank you all again very much for trying to help me.
VDP