This is my first post, having been introduced to this wonderful gathering of minds by the amazing moiramount. Thank you to her, and to Deirdre784, Ladyhawk, softly softly and Heddwch for their highly valued input.
Although a thread exists on my enquiry, I felt it more appropriate to begin a new thread with the information available to me, and to recognise the help of those who have helped me thus far. Although I have dabbled in genealogy a few rimes since the eighties, this venture is a completely new one for me. I am a complete novice when it comes to online research, but am a fast learner.
A DNA test last year shows that my presumed paternal family are not related to me, and that my father is one Arthur Phillips, b 1923 in Pontypridd, and served in the RAF close to my place of birth during the years around my arrival on the planet. I am in touch via Ancestry with the daughter of my first cousin by DNA. Her father, Beric Phillips, was the brother of Arthur.
I am trying initially to obtain Arthur’s military service record, but for that we need to produce a death certificate.
As a result of your initial collective digging, we have unearthed two exciting newspaper articles, one particularly so from an air show close to my place of birth at the time of my conception, the second showing a photograph of Arthur lecturing auxiliary fireman on rescue techniques.
Arthur is said to have died on the Isle of Wight, having retired from piloting the hovercraft ferries. After a telephone chat with the IOW Registry Office today it seems that is not the case, so he could have died anywhere, or, and this is the most exciting possibility, he may still be alive somewhere.
I am prepared to put a lot of work in on this, but I am also aware of my limitations in both time and ability, and would be eternally grateful for your friendly pointers along the way.
