CPO Robert Rains (RN).

[sarah e]

Wow. After 6 yrs hard labour I have found the name of the person that started my family tree research. My Mum and her twin were illegitimate and their fathers name was never placed on their birth certs. Their mother never told them his name and as far as we knew nobody knew who he was. After 6 yrs researching the rest of the family tree I happened upon a posting regarding the maternity home where my mum was born and who had the records. This morning, in the post I recieved my mums file and there on the admission sheet was my grand fathers name     C P Officer Robert Rains. So now obviously I am going to attempt to find out who he was. Can any one help me out regards locating files for sailors based in Gosport, Hampshire in 1945 (I know there was a lot of them!!!!!!). Heres hoping,
                         many regards, a very, very, very smiley sarah

[Salty]

Hi Sarah,

Welcome.

You still have a lot of work to do I am afraid. You need to try and trace where this man came from, ie, where and when he was born.

Then probably an even more difficult part, did he marry? If so he may have children by the marriage. If he did, it could make things a bit tricky as those children would be his next of kin.
To obtain Service records from WW11 you have to prove that a/ the person has died and b/ that you are the rightful next of kin.

So, as I say, things could still be tricky, but not impossible.

I have had a look on the CWGC site and there are no R Rains who were KIA in the RN up to 1946.

All I can say is good luck to you.

Salty

[Salty]

Another thought, being a CPO he would have been of an age where he may well already have been married with a family, so that is something else that needs thinking about, to check backwards to see if he was.

Salty