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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: Holmemoss on Thursday 06 September 12 15:40 BST (UK)

Title: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 06 September 12 15:40 BST (UK)
I am usually to be found on the WRY board but am here helping a neighbour.

My neighbour was adopted after his mother's husband came back from the war to find her with a child which wasn't his. My neighbour found his mother and, just before she died, she gave him a piece of paper with his father's name.

I have not given this name as there is a slim possibility he is still alive. He was a fireman.

The mother was living at Alperton (near Wembley) at the time of my neighbour's birth.

Any help and advice in tracing a fire station near to Alperton would be most helpful.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Thursday 06 September 12 15:45 BST (UK)
Is it a very common name? Have you tried to find his birth or death?

Send me a PM if you like and I'll see if I can help.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 06 September 12 15:53 BST (UK)
Have you tried looking on Genes Reunited for a match?...You can search for living people on there.
Carol
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: GrahamSimons on Thursday 06 September 12 15:59 BST (UK)
This link might help....

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/Research.asp
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Thursday 06 September 12 16:02 BST (UK)
Thanks for the PM Holmemoss.

Whilst the dad's name is not THAT common,nothing is jumping out at me in the right area,not births deaths or marriages.

Maybe a 1948 marriage in Westminster,whish is on Freebmd? But I'm not totally convinced  :(

Do you have an address or just a name?

Has your neighbour ever applied for his own adoption papers.
If his mum mentioned the fathers name to the adoption agency there may be more about him.

My cousin found out all about her natural dad on her papers,he was Irish though and had gone back there with such a common surname you wouldn't believe  8)

Carol
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Thursday 06 September 12 16:03 BST (UK)
This link might help....

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/Research.asp

Oooo that does look useful  ;D
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Treetotal on Thursday 06 September 12 16:10 BST (UK)
Ditto...One to remember ;D
Carol
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 06 September 12 16:15 BST (UK)
My neighbour was born in 1945 and his birth was registered with his mother's husband's surname but with no father given.

The name of his father is all we have together with the fact he was a fireman. Whether this was full time or an auxiliary in the war, we have no idea. My neighbour thinks it would not have been the London Fire Brigade as Alperton (Wembley) is too far from the city.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: avm228 on Thursday 06 September 12 16:24 BST (UK)
My neighbour thinks it would not have been the London Fire Brigade as Alperton (Wembley) is too far from the city.

It seems to be within their area now: http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/LatestIncidentsContainer_12Oct2011Np3.asp


...but your neighbour is right that it was not in 1944-5 (see the "History" section here):


http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-486889-wembley-fire-station-greater-london-auth
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Thursday 06 September 12 16:26 BST (UK)
I suppose it depends where chappie lived and how far he travelled to see his ladyfriend! London Underground is all around and he could even have come up from South London of course.

Mum was born in 1919,so I imagine the chap would be anything from 1915 to 1928?
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 06 September 12 16:30 BST (UK)
Very true. My neighbour seems to think he was local but this may be just a supposition.

I have emailed the museum from the link provided by GrahamSimons.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Nick29 on Friday 07 September 12 09:33 BST (UK)
It might be worth looking at the London Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.  They go up to 1965.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Friday 07 September 12 09:43 BST (UK)
I did that but they don't go out as far as Wembley?

Was thinking of the phone books,but he may not have been the householder,and not many of us were on the phone in 1945.

Carol
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Friday 07 September 12 15:08 BST (UK)
I am afraid my Ancestry subscription is the basic one. I also don't know his age or his location.

I have received a reply from the Museum at London Fire Brigade; this was email address given on the web site. The only have records up to the 1920s but I have been put in contact with the Brigade's Records Services.

I shall not post the email address here because of spammers but please PM me is anyone is interested.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Nick29 on Friday 07 September 12 23:01 BST (UK)
I did that but they don't go out as far as Wembley?

Was thinking of the phone books,but he may not have been the householder,and not many of us were on the phone in 1945.

Carol

The Electoral Roll records on Ancestry cover Wembley from 1945 to 1965.

Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 13 September 12 08:38 BST (UK)
The Records Service couldn't help either; saying the Wembley area was not within London.

They have given me the address of the Civic Centre Library in Harrow.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: carol8353 on Thursday 13 September 12 08:45 BST (UK)
The Records Service couldn't help either; saying the Wembley area was not within London.

They have given me the address of the Civic Centre Library in Harrow.

PM me if you need anything specific at Harrow Library- I have an old school friend who still lives in the area and often goes there for me! Although I can't think that they have much to do with Wembley  ???
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: MargP on Thursday 13 September 12 09:05 BST (UK)
A long shot here, could he have been a Fireman in the Armed Forces ?????????

Margp
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 13 September 12 09:26 BST (UK)
According to my neighbour, there was a fire station at Alperton and his mother went to dances there. She met her fireman at the dances but the presumption is, of course, that he lived locally.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: MargP on Thursday 13 September 12 09:42 BST (UK)
Hi

I would widen the search, very often handed down information gets corrupt, Fireman could be Airman he may even have been a GI as no records can be found in the UK

Margp
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Thursday 13 September 12 09:47 BST (UK)
My neighbour found his mother and met her several times. The fact his father was a fireman came directly from her.
Title: Re: Adopted son - help with WWII Fireman please
Post by: Holmemoss on Wednesday 17 October 12 09:46 BST (UK)
I have contacted the Records Services at the London Fire Brigade and the London Metropolitan Archives; neither of whom were able to help.

It looks like a dead end, I am afraid.