Genealogy Chat

Hello all,

I have a missing family member. Back in Australia I have a cutting from a paper (which paper I don't know and nor do I know what date).

What I do know is that his surname was Maxwell, initial D I can't remember his middle one, I don't know when or where he was born but I don't know he one the DFC in WWll and was injured in Normandy. His mother's name was Elizabeth Maxwell (nee Sommerville and she was born in Scotland) his father's initial was J.

I've searched for DFC winners on Google but can't come up with anything, has anyone got any suggestions please. I know it's not much to go on.

I will check back tomorrow when I have access to the net again.

Thanks all.

This might be him in the London Gazette, but unfortunately it doesn't give his first name

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/37104/supplements/2787

If the above link I gave to you is for the right man, here's another entry for him in the London Gazette. His christian name was Douglas

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36756/supplements/4814

Thanks Annie

How do you ever come up with that? It looks like my man. The article which is back in Australia included a photo of him and mentions him being in a Hospital in England. I'm try to get my sister to send me a copy of it.

Does anyone know if there is online access to newspapers in Australia?

Thanks to Annie I've found a few article with his name mentioned in the London Gazette.

Still this gentleman remain elusive - I've search national archives online and also the British library online as well as the Australian Library.

He appears to have been a reservist in the RAF.

In one of the gazettes there are two numbers one in brackets no doubt is his personnel number - having been in the navy I know what that is but I'm unsure as to what to other number is. I have written it out below as seen if anyone can help.

1081619 Douglas Maxwell (147750). 7th May 1943

This doesn't appear to be when he got his D.F.C though which was in 1944. It seems as though it might be linked to another award maybe a British Empire Medal?

If only someone from that branch of my tree was also researching our family.

Trove.nla.gov.au

gives a variety of resources to search, newspaper articles is one of the options

Thanks Moonbi

I'm having a gander now. If I don't come up with anything I'm at a loss of where to search next.

Gypsyjoe

I'm still no closer to this guy, maybe I'll get some idea's at WDYTYA live in a few weeks.

Hi,
Can you identify which squadron Douglas was in ? With a DFC would think he was aircrew rather than groundcrew. Even knowing which aircraft he flew could narrow the search. Normandy Veterans (Army) may be able to tell you which squadrons provided aircover. My thinking is that if you have the squadron and contact them they may have records.

Did you get a copy of the newspaper article?

What are you trying to find ? His family history or info re his RAF service?

Hi,
It seems Douglas served in 245 Squadron which ultimately was posted down from Scotland to Stradishall, Suffolk. As a start point suggest you use the following:
1 The surname is of Scottish origin, see this website:
www.maxwellsociety.com/History/folkhistory.htm
Try Scotland first but if no result extend to the rest of the UK.
2 War broke out in September 1939 and RAFVR may mean that he joined up before war was declared, early 1939?
3 These men were often in their early twenties
4 Year of birth latest 1922 based on age possibility of 21 when he won DFC in 1943, earliest 1909 as unlikely to be aged over 30 when he was called up but try earlier years if not successful.
5 On Ancestry using this criteria there is a match to a newspaper entry Fife area for a Douglas Maxwell and also for one born in Cumbria( close to the border with Scotland). Try an Ancestry search with known details of his parents and him.
6 If Douglas was Scottish there are people on the boards who do Scottish lookups.
Hope this helps.

Sorry all had internet connection problems for the last couple of days and forgot to come back here.

Douglas was my grans cousin so I'm really trying to find anything and everything on him.

I know he was airfoce from the newspaper clipping we have back in Aus unfortunately trying to get a member of my family motivated enough to send me a copy is not prooving an easy task. I do remember from the artical that it mentions him being shot down over normandy and was hospitalized in England, unfortunately I can't recall the address of his parent's at the time - there is no mention of a spouse. It does however mention his DFC thus how I know of it.

Sorry I've not got much else to go on - any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks for all your had work.

Gypsyjoe

I'm pretty sure he was born in Scotland since this is where his parents married though I could be wrong.

PS

Still waiting on the copy of the article. Which I was magic then I couple pop back there then pop back here. LOL

I'm checking that maxwell site out now but ancestry will have to wait till I go to the archives since I'm not a memeber.