Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hello

Can any one tell me is there any records for prisoner of war that i have a look at.
My uncle william reece taken prisoner by the italians i think north africa.
regards bernie.

Hi Bernie,
I assume we looking at North Africa in WW2?

Do you know what regiment William Reece was serving with before his capture. Any photos of him in uniform might help identify his unit? Did he survive the war and have you considered getting his military records?

Dickiesam

Hi dickiesam.

No i have no info about him

How would i get his military records.
bernie.

Hi Bernie
Anc# have records for POW's.
I can't see William however most of the records are for Europe.
Was he born in Liverpool and have you any idea of a birth year please?
There are a number of records for Wm Reece in WW1, perhaps his father or a rellie?
Cheers
Tina

Army Records for people serving post about 1922 are still with the army. They have a strict order of living next of kin who may request the papers. It costs £30 and can take up to 6 months for them to arrive. I'm sure somewhere on here there is the address.

POW records are at the |National Archives apart from those European bits on Ancestry. You would either have to go yourself to the National Archives or employ a researcher to do it for you. Have a look on the www.nationalarchives.gov.uk site. Find research guides and I think there will be mention of POWs there.

Hilary
Ed Officer

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_rec ... cords.html

That is the link which will give the info.
D

You need to get more background on William first, like when and where he was born etc. If he married who was his next of kin, etc.

For Army Service records go here:
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_rec ... cords.html

Then follow the link "To receive copies of Service records relating to a deceased Service person, click here".

Dickiesam

Hi Tina.

Thank you for your reply the only info i have is that william was born in 1907 in liverpool and he was married to elsie matthews in 1934 liverpool.

His mothers name is catherine reece/gribbin.And his fathers name is william reece 1885 he was in the army WW1 .
He was in the loyal north lancashire regiment number 24300.
Thanks again tina.

regards bernie.

Hi Bernie,
Now we have two William Reeces, both (?) in the Army, is the one who was a POW William bn 1907?

William James Reece bn 1907 had at least 2 confirmed siblings; Catherine bn Liverpool 1905 and Joseph Edward bn 1909.

His mother Catherine Gribbin married William Reece in 1905:
Marriages Jun 1905> Gribbin, Catherine and Reece, William - Liverpool - 8b - 233.

There are these Reece nee Gribbin births up to 1920. Not sure if they are your Reece/Gribbin:
Births Mar 1912> Reece, Elizabeth - Liverpool - 8b - 59.
Births Sep 1914> Reece, May - W.Derby - 8b - 867.
Births Jun 1917> Reece, Frances - Liverpool - 8b - 37.
Births Dec 1919> Reece, John - Liverpool - 8b - 24.

Dickiesam

Hello

Yes the william in 1907 is my uncle the other is my grandfather 1885.
And 1905 catherine/1907 william/elizabeth/1919.john reece.

Bernie

Here's the Gribbin family in 1901:-

1901 Census

RG number: RG13 Piece: 3460 Folio: 117 Page: 1

Address: 5, Cross Street No 2, Bootle Cum Linacre, Lancashire

GRIBBIN, James Head Married M 45 1856 Coal Heaver Liverpool Lancashire
GRIBBIN, Catherine Wife Married F 35 1866 Liverpool Lancashire
GRIBBIN, Catherine Daughter Single F 15 1886 Bootle Lancashire
GRIBBIN, Joseph E Son M 13 1888 Bootle Lancashire
GRIBBIN, Mary F Daughter F 10 1891 Bootle Lancashire
GRIBBIN, Elizabeth Daughter F 5 1896 Bootle Lancashire


Blue

Hi blue70.
Thanks for your reply i have that info blue i was hoping to get info on my uncle
he was a prisoner of war thanks again blue70.

Regards bernie

Hi Bernie,
Re your uncle William James Reece bn 1907.. You haven't mentioned children of his marriage to Elsie Matthews. I found 2 girls and a boy born between 1935 and 1939 in Liverpool to a Reece/Matthews marriage. Because these children could well be still living I am unable to post their names here. I have sent you a PM with the details. If you can track these children down it is likely they will know more of their father's war history.

The only other way you are going to be able to progress your search for his WW2 experience is to get his Army records by using the link Daggers and I gave to you. To do that you need to be able to prove you are a pretty close relative, if not a surviving descendant.

Dickiesam

Hi to everyone.

I would like to say a big thank you to dickiersm/daggers/hilary/tina for all your help.

Iam not very good at family research can't you tell.
But thanks again gang brilliant.

regards bernie

bernie wrote:I am not very good at family research can't you tell.
But thanks again gang brilliant.
regards bernie

Bernie, most, if not all of us, were "not very good" when we started out and then got bitten by the bug! Stay with it and you won't be wearing those L plates for long!

DS

Lovely reply D.S

Tina

Just wondering the Red Cross do they have an archive or would they have sent all their archived war letters to Kew, i received from my sister when my father passed away a letter the Red Cross had sent to my grandmother over the loss of my dads brother shot down over Germany, he was a bomb aimer on Stirlings but the Red Cross sent a letter informing my gran that there had been one survivor who had been taken prisoner, they informed her of the rest of the crews names,they also said the German telegram informing them had not been able to say where buried, on the commonwealth war graves there is a plaque at Runneymead for him.
John

There is a museum and archive for the Red Cross so maybe it's worth contacting them to ask the question.
http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who ... d-archives

Hi john--mary.

Thanks for your replys i will email redcross regarding my uncle being a prisoner of war.

Hope they can help.

regars bernie.

Tina wrote:Lovely reply D.S

Tina

Thanks Tina.
I sometimes feel I am still on my Provisional Licence when finding it difficult to reverse out of one of those cul-de-sacs with a brick wall at the end and trying to find a way around it!

DS