Search for family of WW2 RAF Gunner - plane shot down over Belgium

[Blue70]

Gravestones are not usually allowed on public graves but it may be possible to get a flat plaque placed on the site of his grave. This type of plaque was placed on a public grave at Kirkdale Cemetery in 2015 for William Connolly VC.


Blue

[MaryA]

If you haven't already I would strongly suggest that you contact the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln https://internationalbcc.co.uk/ who would I'm sure, give you every help that they were able to. If they don't have anything to add, perhaps you could add to their records as they try to collate information about each of the airmen on their database - and they do try to have every airman commemorated on their walls.

[paulnot]

Hi Blue

thanks for the info. It appears he does have his own plot - but unmarked. We will need to contact the cemetery....for advice. I hope they will at least put something there..sad if they dont.

regards

P


Hi Mary. Thanks for the tip. One of our researchers is actually a member of the BCC in Lincoln....yep another line we have exhausted!

Running out of ideas..

P

[MaryA]

I have spoken directly with Roger Hull, Archivist at the Liverpool Record Office who has confirmed that unfortunately the patients records held go only up to the 1940's. The date of 1974 given in the link refers to a commemorative brochure and is very misleading.

Can we assume you have already checked for siblings, however as I'm suspecting that the mother's maiden name is Davies there might be upwards of four siblings in that area and with very common names. This would make me feel that an article such as you posted in the Liverpool Echo should be placed in a South Wales newspaper. A great shame that he didn't appear to leave a Will.

[paulnot]

Hi Mary,

First of all thank-you very much for checking - it was kind of you to do so.

We have actually run an article in the Cambrian News which did not yield any results. (William was born in Barmouth in 1921 - this is the local paper). We did lots of research on his early life and mapped out the family tree. (One sibling - Ann). Through this we did actually find a child of hers - nephew to William who we have been in contact with. Unfortunately, there had been no contact with William for many many years and so he could not throw any light on if he married or had children.

Open to any ideas!

thanks

Paul

[paulnot]

Hi
Totally crazy thing to ask... but is there anyone who knows of a way to identify where this house is in liverpool ?

This is a picture of our man taken, we think, in the 50s. We know it is in Liverpool somewhere....

I know I am asking the inpossible!

Regards
Paul

[daggers]

Sorry I can’t help with the location, but the photo shows a warrant officer’s rank badge, making the term ‘airman’ on the death certificate seem paltry.
What an interesting story.
D

[paulnot]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. As you correctly pointed out the death cert says "Airman" but we know that he died without any family and in sheltered accommodation (Indeed, the administrators put an advert in the local paper asking if any one knew of his NOK. Our assumption is that he must of mentioned that he was in the RAF (he served 22 years and was discharged in 1962 as "medically unfit). Because of this we think they simply put down "Airman" because they didnt know his rank.

Incidently, any idea what the two vertical bars are for under his badge of rank ?

regards

Paul

[daggers]

In WW1 they meant twice wounded, but I don’t know about the Second War. Likely to be the same.
D

[MaryA]

Daft question maybe, but have you tried Facebook? A post could reach a wider group of people although perhaps not as focussed on research as we are here. Our group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/lswlfhs/?ref=bookmarks but there are a number of other groups (just search with the word "Liverpool") to see others, many people are interested in old photographs and you never know somebody may have lived nearby to that house in the photograph. The IBCC has a Group https://www.facebook.com/InternationalB ... andCentre/ and I am sure they will be unhappy if they have missed commemorating one of their own as they usually announce birthdays, deaths, anniversaries etc. and people do respond if they know the airman involved.

[alex69]

Try posting to one of the many WW2 forums...such as http://ww2talk.com/index.php

I found this one by googling WW2 RAF Warrant Officer 1st class insignia.

Alex

[MaryA]

Peter Trehearn has posted on the Facebook Group.

Thankyou for the FHS add. I have joined to notify the persons on Liverpool and South West Lancashire Forum who have been searching for the family of RAF sergeant William Richard Griffiths ( Paulnot, MaryA,Bertione,Blue70 and daggers) that his descendants have been found. The researchers may know this already but I thought I would let them know for certain if possible through your site as I can't access the Forum itself. The amazing story is new to me as a relative of the descendants. Regards and thankyou

[Bertieone]

Excellent news

[daggers]

Good news. Well done.
D