Is most reliable in her work and an extremely kind and capable nurse. The U.K. National Archives has opened up some of its digital content for free while we are all at home. I decided to do a little searching and hit pay dirt with a full military file for my 3rd great aunt, Charlotte … Continue reading Charlotte Lillie Davis, Nurse, H.S. ‘Brittanic’
Category: Military
Finding Harry
Harry Joshua Davis was a seemingly complicated man. I never knew him, but the records he left often describe a man with many complexities. Living family members knew little of him, except rumors and hushed opinions as to where he had ended up. His birth in Lancashire, England in 1879, was innocuous enough. The oldest … Continue reading Finding Harry
Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
In an earlier post I compared Ancestry’s then new “U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939” to draft registrations to answer the question of whether someone who registered for the draft actually went on to serve. I used as an example, the five Zimmerman brothers, who all registered for the draft but didn’t all end up … Continue reading Seaman’s Protection Certificates – An Unusual Source
My Grandfather’s Sword
As a young child I can remember opening my father's closet and seeing a very fancy looking sword hanging in there. I don't think I knew whose it was until I was older and learned it belonged to my mother's father. My grandfather, Harold James Davis, died about 2 years before I was born. The … Continue reading My Grandfather’s Sword
Two True Friends – the Soldier and the Nurse
Charlotte Lillie Davis never married and probably would have been known as the maiden aunt of the family. However, that doesn’t mean she never loved nor led a fulfilling and interesting life. She was my second great grand-aunt; a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, and a fiancée. Very little is known about Charlotte’s … Continue reading Two True Friends – the Soldier and the Nurse
He registered for the Draft but did he serve? Using Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939
Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939, consists of passenger lists detailing all those departing from or arriving at U.S. ports on Army Transport ships. World War 1 Draft registrations show who registered for the draft but that does not mean they served. The Army Transport Services Lists show the men enlisted … Continue reading He registered for the Draft but did he serve? Using Ancestry’s new collection U.S., Army Transport Service, Passenger Lists, 1910-1939
The Life of a Miner: from County Durham, England to Kimberley, South Africa.
I have always been fascinated by the life of my great-grandfather John Bellas. Born into a coal mining family originally from Flintshire, Wales, he spent his entire life working down the mines. John was born in 1859 in St Giles, County Durham, England. He was the third child and first son for David Bellis and … Continue reading The Life of a Miner: from County Durham, England to Kimberley, South Africa.
One of The Second World War’s Best Kept Secrets – Misfortune for the HMS Curacao
The headlines rang out with the news: “Queen Mary Cut Cruiser in Two. Disaster that was Kept Secret.” (Dundee Courier) and “Queen Mary Sank a British Cruiser. Disaster While Evading U-Boat” (Daily Record). It was Friday 18 May 1945. Joseph and Mary Thomas had been wondering for 3 years exactly how and where their youngest … Continue reading One of The Second World War’s Best Kept Secrets – Misfortune for the HMS Curacao
Hide and Seek with Harry
My maternal great-grandfather, Harry Joshua Davis, has generally made himself extremely difficult to find after 1923. In fact, I have not found him or his date of death or where he might have died and I have been looking for a very long time. Yes, it’s annoying and he most definitely qualifies for July’s Genealogy … Continue reading Hide and Seek with Harry
Behind the Scenes of a War
On the night of April 25, 1945 LAC (Leading Aircraftsman) Thomas was involved with the last operational mission for Bomber Command No. 35 Squadron based at R.A.F. Graveley in Huntingdonshire, England. This last mission would provide tons of vitally needed medical supplies to the Allied men on the ground in Germany and occupied France prisoner … Continue reading Behind the Scenes of a War
KindredPast 