Harold Atkin, RCAF of Leamington, Ontario

[daretodiscover]

Thanks, bbart.

Could I ask if "Atkins" is a typo as this man was "Atkin"?

I've been going through the Detroit Free Press looking for any sign of Harold Atkin and nothing.

Thanks again.

DTD

[bbart]

Could I ask if "Atkins" is a typo as this man was "Atkin"?

The very early Polk Directories for all of Detroit differentiated between Atkin and Atkins.  However, the entries I gave are from R. L. Polk & Co's East Detroit City Directories, and in not one of those directories did they list any Atkin, only Atkins.

The address of Crescentwood given in his service record that you obtained is a cross-street to Beechwood, and along with the wife of Patricia makes it look possible. The area seems to be known as Eastpointe and is in Wayne County.

The following dates might help in ruling in or out in your newspaper search: from a neighboring county, Macombe, there is this: https://macombvitals.macombcountymi.gov/death.php

They show these deaths:

ATKIN    HAROLD    MACOMB    August, 31 1960 (ruled out: born in 1908)
ATKINS    PATRICIA    MACOMB    April, 26 2018 (but she was born 1951, so not her)
ATKINS    NELLIE    WAYNE    October, 22 2004
ATKINS    GEORGE    WAYNE    June, 22 2000

I could only find an obit for Nellie https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/nellie-atkins-obituary?pid=182893992   If George and Nellie were related, they went by Atkins so perhaps just a coincidence. 

The Detroit telephone books from the time period you need seem to be still under copyright.  I am wondering if there are Detroit libraries with a genealogical section that might carry them, in which case it might be worth putting a post in the USA forum asking for a lookup?

[bbart]

Another strange coincidence?

Harold's exwife, Jacqueline, married Elston Wilson on 23 Dec 1950, as noted earlier by Cosmac.  Four days later, she is crossing the border with Elston:

Jacqueline Pearl Davies Atkin Wilson, last address 140 Erie St., Leamington, Ontario
Ever been to the USA: occasional visits
Planning on residing permanently
Headed to husband's address of 15300 Lappin Ave., Detroit.

Now, if you look up that address, that is (according to Google) an 11 minute bike ride from 15104 Crescentwood (address given in military records for Patricia Atkin).  It seems very odd to me that a couple from Ontario gets divorced in Michigan, and end up that close, especially when she is indicating she still lived in Ontario?

I highly doubt there would be anything of help in her obituary, (but one never knows!) so I will just include that she remarried to a McGraw, and died 14/11/2001 Ocala Marion Florida.

[*Sandra*]

Obituary for George E Atkins mentioned above (don't think it helps though  )

Detroit Free Press  (Detroit, Michigan) 25 Jun 2000, Sun  -   Page 20

https://tinyurl.com/yx9hprt6

Sandra

[bbart]

Thanks for that, Sandra. 
I was thinking along the lines that, as the 1921 said Harold was a nephew of Clarence's, that perhaps that were more siblings that were divided out to other family members.  However, on checking the 1921 image, it actually says Harold was adopted, mistranscribed as nephew.
So George might just be a red herring.

It still baffles me that Harold never shows on border crossings.  Over 1955/56 there is a Harold Atkin travelling back and forth to Mexico; I'm starting to think he may just have well moved there and opened up a little bar on the beach (wasn't that every man's dream back then?!)
As for the mystery Patricia, could she have just been a friend who's address he used to have his cheque sent to, and for whatever reason it was easier to say she was a wife?

[daretodiscover]

Many thanks for this, Sandra and bbart.

I am really hoping he ended up in Mexico running a bar. He was one of some 170 Allied POWs who ended up in Buchenwald concentration camp for three months in the summer and fall of 1944. After that nightmare, any happiness would be more than welcomed.

I'll make some enquiries with the Detroit library. I now know what his fellow ex-Buchenwalders went through looking for him for 50 years.

Thanks again.

DTD

[bbart]

Father Clarence Earl died in Dec 1954.  Report of his death in Leamington Post indicated his son Harold was living in Detroit Michigan.

Cosmac, did that obituary happen to mention a daughter, Allie V. Shepard?  She and her husband lived in Detroit, then Lapeer, Michigan, and I am hoping that her obituary might mention Harold.  I cannot locate her (or her husband Howard Lyman Shepard) after 1930, other than the 1942 draft card, which gives the same address as the 1930 census, but refers to "Mrs. Howard Shepard", so it doesn't help knowing if that is still Allie.

[*Sandra*]

This is a version of the obitaury in the Windsor Star -

The Windsor Star  (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) 23 Dec 1954, Thu  -   Page 3

https://tinyurl.com/yxjbmmzl

Sandra

[bbart]

Thanks, Sandra... so she was still there in 1954.  This whole family is elusive once they get to Michigan!