Why was I born in Wales?

[billramp]

My mother was from Folkestone....father from London ... and ancestors from Devon,Cornwall and Somerset...

and I was born in Neath!

Am I Welsh?..(Wi Cymraeg?).....

I was born at the West Glamorgan County Hospital, Penrhiwtyn during the war in 1941...
Dad was with the Royal Engineers (Company Quarter Master Sergeant, (Omnibus Driver) living at 19 Abbey Rd Port  Talbot.....1943 living at 37 Palmerston Rd Barry....then in 1944 to Birmingham where dad was in hospital after being disabled and then to 4 addresses in Coventry by the time I was five.

I know mum almost died giving birth to me and the birth was registered by C.S.Polson   'Occupier'...West Glamorgan County Hospital

I was baptised at St Paul's Church Aberavon....unfortunately the certificate was lost during a break-in...so I do not know who my godparents were or the date.

Mum and Dad never talked much about war time and they have both since died.

Would dad have been posted to that area and were there barracks there?   and were these addresses private houses?

Although I have spent most of my life in England, I still feel there is a part of me that is Welsh, and I always say I am Welsh,

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Bill

[GR2]

If you have any surviving uncles or aunts, ask them. If they are no longer alive, they may have said something to one of your cousins. It is possible that your mother was evacuated to a safer area. There was a grouping in the list of people to be evacuated which included expectant mothers.

Graham.

[mshrmh]

Bill - you could apply for your Dad's service records which might help, especially if you're short of the relatives that Graham has suggested, or they can't help. I understand that they take a long time (9-10 months) to come through and would cost you £30, but could fill in some details for you.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/09es/

[RJ_Paton]

I still feel there is a part of me that is Welsh, and I always say I am Welsh,

Depending upon which time period you take as your reference it was once the case that the place of birth could be used to determine your nationality although there were various exceptions to that as it wasn't a hard and fast rule. The modern interpretation is that your parents bloodlines now determine your nationality although again exceptions occur (e.g. people becoming naturalised citizens of a country or their children)

Personally, I have always believed that you are from where your heart tells you regardless of other factors.

[hiraeth]

Hi Bill

Have you tried googling "Port Talbot World War 2"?     There appear to be several sites with background information. 

When and where did your parents marry?   
 
BTW Google Street View using 19 Abbey Road will take you to the houses opposite where No. 19 would have been.   The buildings on the even sided numbers look pre war but the other side are newer so 19 may have been a house or a different type of building.  Someone who lives in Port Talbot may be able to help with local knowledge?

Heather

[billramp]

Hi
Thanks to you all for your input.....

Graham.....unfortunately Dad had two sisters and one brother , none of whom had children, so I am the last in the line, and have not been able yet to establish links to other 'Rampling' groups elsewhere. I never knew grandparents as they died before or during the war.
Mum got separated from her family, who were mostly step brothers and sisters, because of the war, she was not even allowed to go to Folkestone to her father's funeral.....there are a couple of cousins but they do not know any of the answers.

I will have to take up 'mshrmh' suggestion  and apply for dad's service record.

Heather.. my parents married in Folkestone, just before the start of war...I think dad worked for Pickfords removals.....I will have a look at Abbey Road on Google... as you say I need someone with local knowledge....not a lot on the Army in Port Talbot....but there was a munitions factory there..... it might even have been he was sent to hospital there on being disabled?

Thanks Falkyrn....my heart tells me I belong to Wales.... I would certainly like to live there...and when my wife is fit enough, I want to visit my birth place...( I am full time carer),

I would still appreciate more local knowledge  if anyone has some.

Thanks again

Bill

[hiraeth]

as you say I need someone with local knowledge....not a lot on the Army in Port Talbot....but there was a munitions factory there..... it might even have been he was sent to hospital there on being disabled?

I would still appreciate more local knowledge  if anyone has some.

Bill

It might be a good idea to ask a Mod to move this thread to Glamorgan and also try contacting the Port Talbot Historical Society at   http://beehive.thisissouthwales.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=5906 

H

[billramp]

Thanks again Heather.... have had a quick look at that link and will contact them......not sure how I ask a moderator to move the thread to Glamorgan?

Bill

[carol8353]

I was baptised at St Paul's Church Aberavon....unfortunately the certificate was lost during a break-in...so I do not know who my godparents were or the date.

Bill

Contact the church http://www.parishofaberavon.org/index.html and ask for a copy of your baptism record. I realised recently that despite having done family history for about 20 years I had never actually seen my own baptism.So I applied for mine and got it last year.It was very interesting as most of the other people on the same page were people I had been at infant school with.

You won't need to know the exact date,most of us back then were baptised at around 2-3 months old.

Carol

Added- I have just clicked on report to moderator and asked for this to be moved to the Glamorgan board for you