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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Historygeek88 on Wednesday 05 April 17 14:07 BST (UK)
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Hi all,
Was wondering if anyone could help with a unsolved family mystery. My grandad was a POW in Poland during WW2 and it has always been a rumour that he had a daughter (presumably when he went to work outside the Stalag). We have absolutely no information about her apart from a first name. Can anyone suggest where to start with research? We have war records so know which Stalag he was interned in but that is about it.
Any help welcome!!
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Did he make any provisions for her when he died as a will may have her name in it,
did he pay any money via his army pension directly to the mother of the child rather a hard one to get started on
Do you know exactly where he was interned
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Thank you for your response. I will look into those suggestions, they had not crossed my mind. Fortunately we do know he was in Stalag XXB and worked on farms around Marienburg- that is about it though! It is definitely a tough mystery to solve!
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Here is an article from the Daily Mail from the opposite perspective.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-476097/Sleeping-enemy-The-British-women-fell-German-PoWs.html
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Interesting story barryd,
Not an easy beginning but a very happy ending.
Annie
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Hi !
Firstly excuse me my broken English, but I hope you will understand it. I see, you wrote your posts more than one year ago and I want to ask, did you solve the family mystery ? The reason I ask you is that in my family we have also a similar mystery. As I read your posts I couldn't believe that someone can write what I'm now searching. I read it and rub my eyes with astonishment. My heart beats hard...
After the reading I try to calm down and think maybe it were more stories like that and the way to solve our mystery is yet far away. Ok, I will write you now a little about our mystery.
My grandmother (the mom of my mother) was a young polish woman when the WW2 was started. After the Germans occupied the whole land she has been sent to work to a farm near Malbork (Marienburg). While she worked there met a British prisoner from the stalag and fell in love.
The fruit of this relationship is my mother. My grandma didn’t want to speak much about it, also to my mother. The case came to light as my mom was 18 and get her ID-card, because she has a surname like my grandma as she was an unmarried woman. She learned then that her father she knew isn’t her biological father. She was shocked. My grandma told her the story of the love to a British prisoner. The grandma told her also that after the war he was searching for her and the child through the red cross, but she couldn’t response for fear of repression by the communists. After that she met an another man and got married. My mother was full of pretensions that she never tried to find him. My grandma died two years ago and the knowledge about the story had very few people in the family. Even the siblings of my mother don’t know that she is only their half sister. My mother is now 74, she was born on 2 nd March 1944 and I know she would like to know how looked her biological father and maybe to meet her half siblings in GB.
Are these stories not similar? Before I read your posts I wanted to write to the British Red Cross, but I would like it not to be needed anymore. Do you know the first name of the child or of the polish woman ? Maybe do you have even a picture of her ?
I hope you will write it soon even though it's been over a year.
Greetings from Poland
Roman
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Hi !
Firstly excuse me my broken English, but I hope you will understand it. I see, you wrote your posts more than one year ago and I want to ask, did you solve the family mystery ? The reason I ask you is that in my family we have also a similar mystery. As I read your posts I couldn't believe that someone can write what I'm now searching. I read it and rub my eyes with astonishment. My heart beats hard...
After the reading I try to calm down and think maybe it were more stories like that and the way to solve our mystery is yet far away. Ok, I will write you now a little about our mystery.
My grandmother (the mom of my mother) was a young polish woman when the WW2 was started. After the Germans occupied the whole land she has been sent to work to a farm near Malbork (Marienburg). While she worked there met a British prisoner from the stalag and fell in love.
The fruit of this relationship is my mother. My grandma didn’t want to speak much about it, also to my mother. The case came to light as my mom was 18 and get her ID-card, because she has a surname like my grandma as she was an unmarried woman. She learned then that her father she knew isn’t her biological father. She was shocked. My grandma told her the story of the love to a British prisoner. The grandma told her also that after the war he was searching for her and the child through the red cross, but she couldn’t response for fear of repression by the communists. After that she met an another man and got married. My mother was full of pretensions that she never tried to find him. My grandma died two years ago and the knowledge about the story had very few people in the family. Even the siblings of my mother don’t know that she is only their half sister. My mother is now 74, she was born on 2 nd March 1944 and I know she would like to know how looked her biological father and maybe to meet her half siblings in GB.
Are these stories not similar? Before I read your posts I wanted to write to the British Red Cross, but I would like it not to be needed anymore. Do you know the first name of the child or of the polish woman ? Maybe do you have even a picture of her ?
I hope you will write it soon even though it's been over a year.
Greetings from Poland
Roman
Hi Roman!
Thank you for your response! Unfortunately we have very limited information. Can I ask the name of your mother? Do you have a name for British POW?
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Hi again ! Thank you for the quickly answer.
Of course, I can give the name of my mother. Her first name is Gertruda germ. Getrude, the name of my grandma was Zofia (Sophie) Kaczmarek. I have also very limited information. My mom isn't sure the name of the POW, she said it sounded like Davis Roberts or Robert Davies or something like that. But she is not sure. I'm hoping it helps us...
Greetings
Roman
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I am following this with interest and have my fingers crossed that you both get the outcome that you are looking for.
Good Luck!
Carol
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I am following this with interest and have my fingers crossed that you both get the outcome that you are looking for.
Good Luck!
Carol
Me too Carol, I'm on the edge of my seat here!!
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Me too ..... it would be astonishing if this was the same couple! :o I am really hoping it is, (though in reality this probably happened a lot .... but the place is right and the stories fit ...)
I am on tenterhooks! ;D
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I have my fingers and toes crossed!
Jackie
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would be amazing if it was a match
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Hi again ! Thank you for the quickly answer.
Of course, I can give the name of my mother. Her first name is Gertruda germ. Getrude, the name of my grandma was Zofia (Sophie) Kaczmarek. I have also very limited information. My mom isn't sure the name of the POW, she said it sounded like Davis Roberts or Robert Davies or something like that. But she is not sure. I'm hoping it helps us...
Greetings
Roman
Unfortunately my grandfather’s name was William. That would have been amazing if they had matched up! Unfortunately, as someone else said, this probably happened quite a bit during the war and it would be very hard to trace.
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Hi again ! Thank you for the quickly answer.
Of course, I can give the name of my mother. Her first name is Gertruda germ. Getrude, the name of my grandma was Zofia (Sophie) Kaczmarek. I have also very limited information. My mom isn't sure the name of the POW, she said it sounded like Davis Roberts or Robert Davies or something like that. But she is not sure. I'm hoping it helps us...
Greetings
Roman
Unfortunately my grandfather’s name was William. That would have been amazing if they had matched up! Unfortunately, as someone else said, this probably happened quite a bit during the war and it would be very hard to trace.
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Hi ! What a pity !!! Hmm, life would be too beautiful if we solve so quickly our family mysteries. I registered myself scarcely yesterday to this side. The first name of this child doesn't match either ?
Gertruda is in Poland very rare name.
I want to say thank you to all who follow our correspondence. Maybe you have any idea what can I do to find my grandfather ? As I wrote already he was searching trough the British Red Cross after the war my grandma and my mother. Can anyone to help me with this ? I see, it was not only story of life by my mother. The name of my grandfather was probably David Roberts or Robert Davies. My mother said that he presumably was a soldier of the airforce. I called yesterday the Hall of the town Malbork and asked if they have there some any register of the POWs. They say that they have some lists but don't know if complete. One is sure, my grandfather was in the stalag in the middle of the year 1943, when my mother was conceived. For all tips and suggestions I will be grateful.
Greetings
Roman
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That is disappointing but I still think it might be worth further investigation. (Roman did say he was not sure of the name of the POW, and it may be possible that men did not reveal their real names?).
I am wondering if both Roman and Historygeek took a DNA test might it reveal something?
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Hi again! I do not suppose that the POW hid his real name to my grandma. He was looking after her after the war. But possible is that my grandma did not remember exactly his name. DNA testing would be a last resort. Important is if my grandfather remembered the first name of my mother. I read that the stalag was evacuated in February 1945. If my grandfather was there until the evacuation it is very possible he had the possibility to see my mother as little child and to know her name. Historygeek wrote the first name of the child is known. If my mother's name agrees with what knows Historygeek the probability would be very much... If the name does not match, the probability is very small.
But I hope one day I will be succesfully with my searching. I wish my mother is still alive then.
Greetings
Roman
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It's a long shot Roman but if you both shared photos of Father and Daughter there maybe some likeness, or none at all. The memory can play tricks on us and the way we remember names is not always that accurate.
Carol
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Malbork Poland Stalag xx-B
D Roberts
Trooper
Recconnaissance corps
POW 14609
Army number, 408072
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D Roberts
Private
Blackwatch
army number 2757781
POW number17997
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Malbork Poland Stalag xx-B
D Roberts
Trooper
Recconnaissance corps
POW 14609
Army number, 408072
---------------------------
D Roberts
Private
Blackwatch
army number 2757781
POW number17997
Can you find Historygeek's grandfather's details too Radcliff? (so far we only know his first name, William, though don't we?)
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Just been reading this thread with considerable interest. Would be useful, as Ruskie says, if we had the name of Historygeek's grandfather.
As has been commented, it's likely that this situation was not uncommon, but the reuniting post-war in a ravaged Europe generally wasn't easy for a variety of reasons.
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Bearing in mind the fairly common practice of people using their second names rather than their first (in Wales at least), these might also be worthy of consideration:
Malbork Poland Stalag xx-B:
C D Roberts, RASC, Army no 108679, PoW no 14524
R D Roberts, Royal Warwickshires, Army no 5952130, PoW no 9073
D Owen-Roberts, Welsh Guards, Army no 2734727, PoW no 7640
J D J Roberts, The Buffs, Army no 6289682, PoW no 6685
Regards
GS
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Historygeek your Grandfather was William William who
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Hi ! I am very grateful that more people wants to help me by the solve of the mystery. Thank you all so much. Carol, I agree with you the memory may be unreliable. The idea with the pictures is good, but also not 100% sure. I would be ready to do this, but two sides must be ready for this. If Historygeek would agree, we could compare similarity. Ruskie and Radcliff, I see you have an access to a good database. I tried to find one like this but without result. There are only 2 D Roberts, it’s not much, but for me better. It is a pity that there are no first names. Is it possible if I have the army number to find out more details somewhere ? There is also the other option with Robert Davies. Can you check also this in the database please ? I sent today a writing to the hall of Malbork. Maybe they have something yet.
Greensleeves, thank you for the note. Something like this can know only people from GB. I would never have thought about it.
When I have all possible names I could write yet to the Red Cross, if someone with the name after the war was searching in Poland woman with daughter. What do you think ?
Greetings
Roman
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Hi ! I am very grateful that more people wants to help me by the solve of the mystery. Thank you all so much. Carol, I agree with you the memory may be unreliable. The idea with the pictures is good, but also not 100% sure. I would be ready to do this, but two sides must be ready for this. If Historygeek would agree, we could compare similarity. Ruskie and Radcliff, I see you have an access to a good database. I tried to find one like this but without result. There are only 2 D Roberts, it’s not much, but for me better. It is a pity that there are no first names. Is it possible if I have the army number to find out more details somewhere ? There is also the other option with Robert Davies. Can you check also this in the database please ? I sent today a writing to the hall of Malbork. Maybe they have something yet.
Greensleeves, thank you for the note. Something like this can know only people from GB. I would never have thought about it.
When I have all possible names I could write yet to the Red Cross, if someone with the name after the war was searching in Poland woman with daughter. What do you think ?
Greetings
Roman
It is Radcliff and Greensleves who have provided the additional information. Not me. :)
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Members of Findmypast might be able to get more information/photographs
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/second-world-war-prisoner-of-war-records-now-online/