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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: jestina_d on Saturday 01 July 17 08:10 BST (UK)
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Hi,
My grandfather's 1st cousin, Arthur James Walter DENING, son of Charles Edward Davy DENING and Annie SMITH, was born 28 January 1905 at Naracoorte SA. He went to Western Australia, and while living there he listed in the army at Claremont WA during WWII. His sister Daisy told me that he visited his family in SA after WWII, and as he was leaving he said he would write, but never did.
I have hunted but cannot find anything beyond that — it seems that he just vanished off the face of the earth. I now fear that he might have changed his name or been lost in the bush. In the hope that is not the case, I wonder it anyone can help me with this, please?
Cheers,
Jestina
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Hi,
You can apply to obtain his military records, quiet expensive. I was just thinking that sometimes there is correspondence between the person concerned and the military with pensions etc in their files long after they have been discharged. A lot of money for something that isnt guaranteed tho.
DENING ARTHUR JAMES WALTER : Service Number - WX31261 : Date of birth - 28 Jan 1905 : Place of birth - NARRACOORTE SA : Place of enlistment - CLAREMONT WA : Next of Kin - DENING JOHN
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Thank you for that. He did visit SA after his discharge from the army, so I suspect that the chances are slim of there being any corres there.
I knew his two sisters well, and John (Jack), the next of kin on the army record, lived not far away, too, and I also met their youngest brother a few times. None of them ever heard from him after his visit just after WWII.
I imagine him prospecting in the gold fields of WA and getting injured or lost and the body never found (no evidence for this, of course).
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What occupation did he follow prior to his enlistment?
Under his full name (which you have given), he appears not to have registered to vote at all in WA.
So, though eligible to vote by 1926 onwards, I have not seen a registration in for any election in that full name in WA.
When did he go to WA?
Sue
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Wonder if anyone reported him as a missing person? ???
I looked in Trove and couldnt find anything in the papers but then that doesnt mean to say he wasnt reported missing.
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I can't see him on metropolitan W.A. Cemeteries http://www2.mcb.wa.gov.au/
Perhaps it is worth trying this site which has lots of burials in "outback" Western Australia - but you need to search by cemetery. They also offer Photos of the graves.
http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/waus.htm
Ros
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Hi,
Being a WW2 veteran he may have a DVA File but these are not available for general public access..
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs54.aspx
Gerry
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Thank you everyone for your help and advice.
Sue: I don't know what his occupation was -- I guess it would have been something like shearing or truckdriving. Nor do I know when he first moved to Western Australia. I had the impression from his sister Daisy that it was before WWII. Thank you for checking electoral rolls.
giblet: from what I understood from Daisy I think the family were hurt and disappointed rather than worried for his safety. Thank you for checking Trove -- I too have thried there without the faintest hint of success.
Ros: thankyou for the ozburials link -- I'll start on them tomorrow.
Gerry: I had no idea that DVA files were ever open. Arthur was a WWII vet, so no chance of his file being open yet, but it is certainly useful information -- thank you very much.
Again -- thank you for all your help
Cheers,
Jestina
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In case you haven't seen this ...
https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/539257
and
http://joda.freeservers.com/board2.html
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Thank you Priscilla. I had seen the RSL virtual war memorial, but not the joda site. I tried emailing the person who posted that query to see if she gained any information in response to that post, but the email account is no longer active. Thank you for your hunting and suggestions.
Cheers,
Jestina
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Hi,
Charles relating to copying from the Australian National Archives.
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs51.aspx
Gerry
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Thanks Gerry. I understand that if I have a WWII army file opened I can have it made accessible on-line for a fee. I think I paid about $19 per file a year or so ago, but when I rang NAA today to check the fee they said at the beginning of the year it went up to $75 per file! And apparently they don't offer hard copies any more, just digitisation (for $75) to be accessed online. Apparently the increased fee is to cover costs.
Cheers,
Jestina
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Hi Jestina,
$75 is a bit steep when you might not get any post WW2 information, $19 would be worth a punt.
When he was discharged from the AIF he was with the 2/12 Transport Platoon which I believe served at part of the 7th Division at Morotai towards the end of the war, it would be interesting to try and find out when they shipped out of Morotai where to back in Australia that's where he may have been discharged from the AIF.
Gerry
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Thanks Gerry.
The AWM site confirms what you have said but adds little.
https://oldsite.awm.gov.au/unit/U56055/
"On 1 July 1945, [the 2/12th] landed at Balikpapan in Borneo. Well supported by artillery and tanks it captured its objectives with relatively light casualties, and its active role was over by 5 July. Following the end of the war on 15 August, 2/12th personnel were progressively returned to Australia for discharge. The battalion disbanded at Balikpapan on 1 January 1946."
At least now I know where he was n the latter part of the war. Thanks again.
Cheers,
Jestina
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Hi my name is Tracy Harris nee DENING - Hoping someone is still monitoring this thread regarding Arthur James Walter DENING. I am his great niece (my gfather is Arthurs brother John (Jack)) and have been searching for him since the 80's !
I have learnt over the decades that never give up on finding a disappearing ancestor - surprises do happen. Having said that - Arthur is elusive. I have followed the DENING name in Cenduna and the Northern Territory linked with the Aboriginal communities there -no luck. I am hesitant to do a genealogy DNA test yet although I think this may be the last option to try and find a connection with Arthur. I did think at one time he may have been the Somerton Man in SA as his disappearance was around the time the Somerton man was discovered.
My Dad said that Arthur showed him some gold nuggets when he visited the family in 1946 and told him he was heading back to his claim in WA. I am trying to navigate the WA mining leases to see if that will give me something.
I have checked out the WA newspapers as I assume that he went to WA sometime in the 20's as he had an Aunty Anna Newton and cousins there. I have also searched with a plethora of possible name variations I can think of including Arthur using Smith as a surname.
Thank you for your time
Tracy
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Tracy.
There is a Arthur James Walter Dening in my husbands native welfare history
He was here in WA in the 30s and was thought to be the father of my father in law Norman William Little born in Cue Western Australia.
Arthur James Dening left WA and went to South Australia the family never met him he only appears on documents from the Native Welfare
Gillian
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Here is a link to his WW2 record but I don't think it helps. I have searched without any luck so far.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6377651
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Hi Christine
Thank you for the link. When I was originally writing here that file was not open. When I looked at it this evening i could not believe it! The negative of his i/d photo is so badly damaged that there is not even a hint of an image. How elusive can one man get?
Thank you also for drawing my attention back to this post -- I see that I have received a message nearly a year ago and have not replied.
AND
Hi Tracy
I must begin by apologising for not have seen or replied to your message earlier.
I'm related through the Smiths, but Ella was my great aunt by marriage as well as being a blood relation on the other side on my mother's family (weird, but nothing inappropriate).
My Dening section of the family tree is a bit sparce, but I'm sure I can help you out with the rest of the Smiths. I would love to be able to see if we can exchange information and help each other out. Are you on any online family tree sites through which we could communicate less publicly?
Cheers
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Hi Gillian,
Thank you for your reply and I am very interested and a little excited to explore the Arthur James Walter Dening from your husbands history. Arthur was in WA where he enlisted in WWII in 1942 at Claremont. When he was demobbed in 1946 he went back to Kingston in SA looking for family. This is where my dad met him and had stories of gold. When he left Kingston to back to WA to his gold mine there is no record of him ever contacting family again.
I would like to look into the documents that relate to your husbands possible grandfather and hope your husband and other family members would be ok with my searching.
Again thank you for your response.
Tracy
Tracy.
There is a Arthur James Walter Dening in my husbands native welfare history
He was here in WA in the 30s and was thought to be the father of my father in law Norman William Little born in Cue Western Australia.
Arthur James Dening left WA and went to South Australia the family never met him he only appears on documents from the Native Welfare
Gillian
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Hi Christine,
Thank you for your response. I do have his WWII records and he has been very hard to track. After 1946 he just vanished!!
many thanks
Tracy
Here is a link to his WW2 record but I don't think it helps. I have searched without any luck so far.
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6377651
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Hi Jestina,
It would be great to exchange information with you and hopefully fill in the gaps and add to our trees. I am on Ancestry if that is of any help.
Looking forward to connecting and sharing our histories.
Tracy
Hi Christine
Thank you for the link. When I was originally writing here that file was not open. When I looked at it this evening i could not believe it! The negative of his i/d photo is so badly damaged that there is not even a hint of an image. How elusive can one man get?
Thank you also for drawing my attention back to this post -- I see that I have received a message nearly a year ago and have not replied.
AND
Hi Tracy
I must begin by apologising for not have seen or replied to your message earlier.
I'm related through the Smiths, but Ella was my great aunt by marriage as well as being a blood relation on the other side on my mother's family (weird, but nothing inappropriate).
My Dening section of the family tree is a bit sparce, but I'm sure I can help you out with the rest of the Smiths. I would love to be able to see if we can exchange information and help each other out. Are you on any online family tree sites through which we could communicate less publicly?
Cheers