Help please is this the same person?

[sandiep]

there is a photo of the willesden william on the merchant navy 1918 in Findmy past  much younger
not sure if its same one on the Australian site perhaps someone else could look as well
I am off to Ovaltine and bed 

so far cant see any William Cleaver b 1900 in Willesden on GRO or Freebmd so could be same man!!

[sparrett]

Some observations about the confused/uncertain identities.

William born at Barnett
He married in Perth in 1928.

The Australian WW2 records for this man
Previous service RNR as a signalman to 25/8/1919.
Hair-fair. Complexion-fair. Eyes -blue. Height -5ft 7in.
Tatoos both forearms.
The photo shows he wears spectacles.
There is his signature on the records.

The UK Navy Records William
Height-5ft 5 3/4in. Hair -brown. Eyes grey. Complexion -fresh.
My reading of the description of his tattoos (see below)  is that there is one on each forearm.
The reason for being invalided out in 1921-Hypermetropic Astygmatism. An eyesight problem which would require the wearing of spectacles.
Sue

[sparrett]

Hi.
A daughter of the Barnett/Perth William CLEAVER  and wife Daphne Doreen ( referred to above by crisane) named Thelma Doreen Ktretchmar, died a couple of years ago in 2020. Aged 90. She had married in 1952 to Herman W Kretchmar. Reg 2982
   Interred Karrakatta Cemetery. 

Sue

[daisy33]

Thank you Sue. The differences in height, eye colour etc. could mean they are not the same man and I still have the problem of not being able to tie him back to a birth mother.

I have been unable to find a birth for Willesden William in 1900 though he is recorded as an adopted son on 1921 Garston census!

One thing leads to another   I think this may be one ancestor I will only be able to speculate about.

Thank you everyone for your time and help

[sandiep]

know what you mean Daisy, sometimes you just have to leave for a while and go back suddenly something jumps out...........I have gone back to people i had searched for number of years for to find them straight away so never say never  sandie

[daisy33]

Thanks Sandie, I agree.
Will leave him for a while now and go back to him.

Thank you everyone for all your help and I will post an update if I eventually tie him down 

[nestagj]

I have last week found my great great grandfathers birth and baptism.  I’ve been looking for years … I used to take a step back for a while and then try again.   
Nesta