Author Topic: Can you help to solve an Indian mystery?  (Read 10023 times)

Offline Matthew.hanson

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Re: Can you help to solve an Indian mystery?
« Reply #81 on: Saturday 23 March 24 10:22 GMT (UK) »
I know there have been no posts for a long time. I only just came across this thread. Robert Smith Coombs is my Great-Great Grandfather! Though his son Charles. I have Mary Archer in my tree, but I don’t know the source. I suspect the Charles having an Indian mother is correct, as I have done an Ancestry DNA test, and do have Indian ancestry (16%, though I think through 2 grandparents), which seems consistent with an Indian ancestor around that generation.

Interested to know he kept diaries which still exist.

Offline Yasmina4

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Re: Can you help to solve an Indian mystery?
« Reply #82 on: Wednesday 15 May 24 00:40 BST (UK) »
I hope the op sees this and we hear more of this history

Offline 2old2remember

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Re: Can you help to solve an Indian mystery?
« Reply #83 on: Sunday 04 May 25 20:10 BST (UK) »
David was my father. I cannot offer any information regarding an allegation of murder, it was not something he ever alluded to.

I understand his father - Louis was a Regimental Sergeant Major, died of pneumonia and his wife subsequently remarried as you know. He did not get on with his step father and spent most of his time including the school holidays at school.  He went from boys service in the military school to man's service: His Certificate of Service shows him serving with the West Yorks regiment from 17/02/1942 - 04/08/44 and the Madras Guards 29/03/45-06/09/1946 before enlisting with the General Service Corps whilst still in India in Nov. 1947.
He was discharged from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps having being first a clerk and then an Ammunition Examiner in Jan. 1960. He left as a staff sergeant, with an Exemplary record.

He had served with the RAOC in the middle and far East, East Africa and here at home in the UK.

He married my mum, who was also serving in the Army in 1954 here in the UK, (in keeping with the then rules, my mother who was of Private rank, had to take discharge as she was marrying a Senior rank - Sgt.)  and they both went to Hong Kong before being posted back to UK sometime around 1958.  I am the middle of three children.

His discharge was the result of down sizing and re-organisation within the Army and he was upset to have to leave.

He did not find his family until many years later, when he learned his mother and sister Barbara had already passed.

He did meet with both Audrey and Elaine and also a step-sister Viv.

I believe that Dad's remembrances of his early years were at odds with Audrey's and possibly Elaine's, I know he said that they thought he had died many years before in Burma.

Sorry not to be able to throw any light on any stories of murder, but I do feel that he would not have  risen through the ranks in the Army if he had committed such an act.