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Just a thought. Did your F I L serve in WW2? If so you could try and get his Service Records. As he was paying maintenance you never know there may be some info on there.There is a 75 yr closure except for next of kin , there is also a charge of I think about £25.

Google for 'WW2 Service records, England'

Jennifer

thank you I will give that a try. I feel we are almost done though, only so many brick walls you can hit.
You have been most kind Jennifer. Bless you
Mike

Don't give up Mike. I have just found our adopted daughter's half-sister after a three year search. The first link came through Genes, I looked up the phone book in the area where the father died, and Bingo, the daughter is still living in the house. (They are 34 and 38 and the 38 year old had no idea!) Maybe it was easier because we were searching in Australia, but hang in there.
Regards,
Margaret

Thank you Margaret. We haven't left yet it is just so disappointing for my wife.
Is there one sight better than the other for the service records. We are happy to pay....Once would be nice though.
Cheers

Mike this is a long shot and if you were in UK I would suggest you rang the Registar at Blackpool but they have an e-mail address I have attached. I have done this many times when I have been unsure about a particular certificate, given them what I know and they have then confirmed or not as the case may be that I have the right person.

You could say you were in Australia and looking for your wife’s half brother, all you know is that his name was Bry/ian Hall and his mother was Lizzie Hall (could be Elizabeth). Give them the ref’s as below. You have nothing to lose by e-mailing them.

This birth below I know is registered in Blackpool but I have learned over 10 yrs never to take anything for granted.

These 2 references apply to the same person. What it means is that though this man was actually born in 1939 his birth was not registered for some reason until 1953


Birth
Name: Bryan Hall
Mother's Maiden Surname: Hall
Date of Registration: Apr May Jun 1939
Registration district: Blackpool
Registration county: Cumberland, Northumberland/Westmorland
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: M'53

Name: Bryan Hall
Mother's Maiden Surname: Hall
Date of Registration: Jan Feb Mar 1953
Registration district: Blackpool
Registration county: Lancashire
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: 538


The Register Office, South King Street, Blackpool, FY1 4AX.
Tel: 01253 477177. Fax: 01253 477176.
E-mail: [email protected]

The other thing of course is that we are assuming that Lizzie Hall was unmarried when in fact she could have been a married woman eg this marriage:
Name: Albert Hall
Spouse Surname: Henderson
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1935
Registration district: Chester-Le-Street
Registration county (inferred): Durham
Volume Number: 10a
Page Number: 1224
Spouse: Elizabeth Henderson

Jennifer

PS try here for info about service records:

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

You are all most kind. Thank you. I will email this evening and try the veterans service records.
Mike

No Albert Dodds was his Father. She may have indeed married but not to his Father. Unless of course my Father in Law had two wives?!? Stranger things have happened, I am learning so much about a super quiet Man!!

Okay fingers crossed I have email Blackpool!!!!! The Veterans web address wanted next of kin. Wife, Husband. So not sure what to do about that one.

Mike surely your wife is his next of kin if his wife is deceased. I found this :-

WW2 Military Service Records in Great Britain
~ The Army Records Office ~

Army Service Records covering World War II and up to present date are closed for 75 years except to the service personnel themselves and their official next-of-kin (in the event of the death of the service personnel concerned). Where death occurred within service proof of death is not needed otherwise documentary evidence such as a death certificate must be attached to your request for information

Requests should be sent in writing, by post only, to;
Army Personnel Centre, Historic Disclosures, Mail Point 400, Kentigern House, 65 Brown Street, Glasgow, G28 EX.

When enquiring about an individual as much information as possible should be provided viz; full name, service number, date of birth, most recent unit or unit from which the individual was discharged and rank at discharge. The Records Office will then send the enquirer a 'Declaration of Kinship' form which must be completed and returned before the search continues

Thanks we will give it a try. We have his date of birth, full name but not his service number.

Hi
I tried the registrars in Blackpool but they didn't answer my email. Any other suggestions? I didn't anticipate this to be so hard. Governments are the same the world over clearly!!
Cheers Mike

Mike how frustrating. This did happen to me with King's Lynn. I gave them 2 weeks to reply and then e-mailed them again with a copy of my original request, just asking for clarification as to whether they could help me or not as I would have to try different avenues but hoped to be able to purchase the cert I wanted from them.

They did reply then and said it was taking a long time to search their files , they eventually came up trumps after about 3 weeks and I got the right cert.

Jennifer

Ok thanks Jennifer, I will resend the email and see how I go. Trouble is I don't think they are accountable to anyone really do you?
Mike

Hello
all again I have written and asked why I have not had a reply to my request for help at Blackpool registrars........No help! no surprise there! Any other suggestions? We are just about done, not sure what else we can do without being there. We did say we would pay. I have to admit I never gave the good old credit card number, I thought that would be when we got a reply. I am not begging to them!!!
We haven't lived in the UK for 30+ years not sure of protocol there?
Cheers, hope the weathers holding up

Mike I will try and get through to Blackpool Registrar by phone and explain the circumstances. Let you know if I have any feed back

Jennifer

PS weather is quite good if it was November but as it is August then pretty awful!

Thank you Jennifer it is most kind of you. See nothing changes weather wise...Even after 30+ years
Mike

Mike I have just telephoned Blackpool and they were very helpful but unfortunately the Bryan Hall reg there is not yours I am afraid. All they would say was that his mother's name was not Lizzie or Elizabeth and that the birth had been re-registered in 1953 when the father put his name on the certificate-he would have had to attend the reg office to do this so doubt he was your FIL.

Sorry, Jennifer

Thank you so much Jennifer it means a lot to us that you have gone to all this trouble. Doubt my FIL would have done that. Don't be sorry at least we know now....Glad I never parted with the credit card details!......I think we are done!
Grateful regards
Mike