A Norwegian Daughter Search For Her Father

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by ato, Jan 29, 2006.

  1. Al London

    Al London Member

    Tamney Cresent, Maghera is in Northern Ireland (http://140.113.166.158:8080/26097.html). I have not searched the Northern Ireland birth records at all as I cannot do this (I can only search England & Wales).
     
  2. Al London

    Al London Member

    Hi,

    I can't find any Westerley Park Road in Southall currently.

    You could try emailing the local library's local history centre (http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/leisure/libraries/local_history_centre/index.html I'd guess). Explain your situation and ask if they can tell you anything about 19 Westerley Park Road in Southall in 1947 (and say the preceeding 10 years). A local directory may have been published listing the name of the head of the household at that address. Such directories were often published, though most weren't published throughout the war years. Finding out who lived at that address around the time your Taffy gave it as his may give you further clues as to who he was that you can follow up.
     
  3. ato

    ato Junior Member

    I will try this.
     
  4. mattw

    mattw Junior Member

    There are no "Westerley Park Road's" "Westerly Park Road's" in Southall. It would be unusual that a road name has been changed in the intervening years. There is a "Wesley Road" in Hayes next to Southall and a "Park Road" in Hayes (this one was built in the last 20 years I think.) and one "Park Road" in Hanwell. We are talking districts of West London so maybe check the address again. In terms of geography of the areas it's a bit like the following.

    HAYES -> SOUTHALL -> HANWELL -> EALING.
    All of the above areas with the exception of Hayes comes under the administrative control of Ealing.
    My two penneth worth.
     
  5. ato

    ato Junior Member

    Thank you for the email.
    The last directory which we have which covers Southall is for 1935 and
    Frank T. Lee is listed as the householder at 19 Osterley Park Road
    (quite an affluent part of Southall). Perhaps Taffy James was a lodger -
    if so, he would not be recorded as the directories only list
    householders. The address may have been a temporary one, and as there
    were no directories or electoral registers made during World War Two,
    documentary evidence of his having lived there may be hard to find.
    Unfortunately we do not have any electoral registers for Southall until
    1965 (when Southall became part of the London Borough of Ealing). They
    may be held at the London Metropolitan Archives, whose web site you may
    wish to check. The electoral registers should list anyone aged 21 or
    over.
    The name Taffy James suggests he was originally from Wales, and there
    was a sizeable number of Welsh men and women in Southall in the 1930s,
    who had moved there to look for work. The 1930s depression hit Wales
    hard, especially in the coalfields, and unemployment there was high.
    I am sorry that I am unable to be of further help.
    Yours sincerely
    Dr Oates
    Archivist
     
  6. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    Just a thought, but as you have his service number from the war office letter, could you maybe try the Royal British Legion for help? They have so much expertise in every field of the armed forces they may give you a heads up. Other than that it's track down the ships in Bergen at the time your wife was conceived, and then contact the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth to go through the records of ships companies.
    I hope you have more luck than we have tracking down my uncle.
    Kitty
    :D
     
  7. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    I am aware this is an old thread. but I cant see from a search that it was resolved.

    Also as I am fairly new to posting, is it correct forum guidelines to reopen a 13 year old thread. Looked at doing a PM but ato does not seem to be a current member.

    From other searches online I note that" HQ Bty/634 Reg" in Norway could be

    634th (Middlesex) Infantry Regiment Royal Artillery

    This unit had been converted from 36th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment Royal Artillery (TA). At the outbreak of war in 1939 & then a RE TA unit, they had companies in Edgware & Southall, Middlesex. After conversion to infantry in Jan 1945, they acted as occupation troops in Norway from June 1945.

    36th (Middlesex) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

    I could not locate the service number 11404963 in the Royal Artillery attestations up to 1942 on findmypast, but there are 8 digit numbers starting with 114 there. It is possible I realise that as the unit was Royal Engineers in 1939, this may be an RE number.
     
  8. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    original poster last seen Jan 2006
    drop them a private message they might still be around
     
  9. slick

    slick Junior Member

    See post #15, apparently the chap was thought to have been in the Navy not the army
     
  10. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Hi Slick & CL1

    Will try to PM them.

    I had seen the post about him being a navy man, but thought it was interesting to show which unit they had found in the "identification in Norway" part of post no 20 had a definate Southall connection.

    Southall I suppose as a place of birth could have crept into their memories of another man, if liberating forces in 1945 were remembered by locals as being that part of Middlesex.

    Will see what the pm brings.
     

Share This Page