Information found on the back of a photograph. Please help.

[robson1]

Thanks petmas.
I had a look and a search myself of some things on there. There are a lot more Behr's than I thought there would be! There does seem to be some in the London area so I'll assume these are from the same family, whether they are my own or not cannot be known at present but my gut is saying not - I think it's more likely he went back to Germany. I was going to request a copy of the marriage certificate from the Kensington registry but the online records are incomplete and to order the other way I need the first name of the wife too, which I don't have, so I'll stick to the DNA for now, which was completed and sent today. Fingers crossed now!

[petmas]

His wife was Brigitte Muller.

[cockney rebel]

Hi there
Can't help a lot I'm afraid although I have a very similar story within my own family.

All I can add is that as far as I understand, British Army numbers were allocated on a next recruit, next number sort of system.
ie the higher the number, the later the recruitment.
It is still an 8 digit number that is used,

Your chap Driver Mason has a number beginning 239xxxxx and I know my brother's number was 240xxxxx. He enlisted in about 1964.
I would think this supports the info that BFPO 31 came into existence in the 1950s as ShaunJ said.

I wish you luck
Rebel

[cockney rebel]

PS Is the photograph of your mother only of your mother ?
Is it not possible that your grandmother had a subsequent relationship (in whatever form) with Mr Mason?
Hope you get lucky with the DNA!
Rebel

[petmas]

Well spotted Cockney Rebel Just found a website that ties number blocks to years. October 1960 23845072 to April1964 2396919. The photo is 23903012 so he signed up about 1963.

[robson1]

Hi. Yes the photograph is only of my mother at roughly 8-12 years old, something like that. It seems from the information given so far that maybe my grandmother was put in contact with someone, or knew someone (Driver Mason) that was based in Germany and saw this as a possible way to get a photograph to Hans once he had moved back there? That's just a loose working theory admittedley but it would make some sense with the timing of the BFPO 31 being 1957 onwards and the picture of my mother being of an age that would fit as well. But as I said earlier, any and all scenarios even if they can be firmly ruled out only take me one step closer. Your help is always appreciated.

[robson1]

I thought I would update. I have now had the DNA results returned to me but they don't reveal anything specific as yet. There is an 'ethnicity' match for Germanic europe of about 24% but that was it, no actual people in Germany for me to share anything with. I've got people mainly in the UK and some in America, and a few down under, only one of which is suggested as being a 1st-2nd cousin. So on the whole disappointing so far but I'm working on my family tree, filling in what I know and hoping that something turns up in the future if someone else adds something. But achingly the part we really want some info on is staring at me as a complete dead-end, still.

[lisalisa]

Hi,
you've probably already considered this, but it might be worth a try if you haven't,

1. are there any local history groups connected with the camp or the area which may have info?  A local history group might have info regarding which farms had POWs or accounts written by people who had connections with POWs, either because they stayed on or whatever.

2. wider family - does your mother have any relatives who may know a bit more info, as family secrets are often 'known' and passed on through the generations. 

3. People who knew your grandmother, in rural areas people often 'know' things, or their mother always used to say ....

4. Do you know of any POWs who stayed, they might have spouses who are still living who may know something about other POWs.

I don't know the geography or area to know how rural it is, but some info might be retained by either history groups or more recently accounts given by older members of the community, which may yield some info or more background.

hope you get some luck with ancestry matches,
best,
Lisa

[robson1]

Hi Lisa, thanks for your reply and suggestions.

Number 1 might be worth a go. I did ask those that run the camp if there are any records a year or two ago but they didn't even bother to acknowledge my question. I could try something a bit more local. It was a rural location hence why they had such POWs there.

The others unfortunately wouldn't work as there is no other wider family that would know anything, nobody else that we know of that knew my grandmother (it didn't help that she moved around a bit), and I don't know of any other POWs (even just having a list of names for those that were held would be great, but no.) I'll try the local history angle and see if anything turns up. Thanks again.