lost uncle

[delyn hunt]

Family stories say that my father's older brother went to U.S.A shortly before ww1.Although my Grandfather made several attempts to find him he did not succeed. However, so the story goes, Uncle William joined the U.S. army and fought in the war and survived. He sent a telegram to his parents either before being posted to France or before returning to the States which arrived too late for them to get to Southampton before his ship sailed.The family never did find out what had happened to William. There is no record on the Ellis Island web site of his arriving in the States. Can anyone suggest how I can find his army records, always assuming that it was the states and not Canada or Australia he went to.
Sorry my message is so long,
Delyn

[Geoffers]

Family stories say that my father's older brother went to U.S.A shortly before ww1.
There is the American Social Security Death Index, which can help to trace emigrants to the USA who died in the 20th century. I believe it comes free with FTM, so if anyone reading this who has the programme can search for you, it may help - or at least eliminate something else.


always assuming that it was the states and not Canada or Australia he went to.
Did his parents leave a will in which they mention this wandering offspring? If you are not sure which country he went to, then you really do have a struggle on your hands.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[delyn hunt]

Thanks Geoffers
I have had some info re social security but the only person with the right d.o.b was born in the states. As for the Grandparents wills it isn't something I would have thought of. I shall try to find their wills and take a look. They died around 1950 when I was still very young and so have no personal recollections of them discussing their son. All info I have comes from my eldest sister who is now in her late 70's.
There is no reason for me to find out about him but I feel the need to put the mystery to bed once and for all.
Delyn

[Geoffers]

Thanks Geoffers
I have had some info re social security but the only person with the right d.o.b was born in the states.But is this a case that the only person with the right dob was recorded as being born in the USA by relatives, rather than actually being born there????

Just a passing thought.

Geoffers

[Peggy]

Hi Delyn,

If you give me the name and date of birth, I can have a try on the 1920 & 1930 US census. If it isn't too common a name, and if he said he was born in England, there might be a chance of finding him. Also, what you found on the SSDI (available free on Rootsweb.com and on familysearch.org, btw) would be useful just in case. In what state was the number issued, and where was the last benefit received?

Peggy

[delyn hunt]

Hello Peggy
The info I have on William is as follows:
Born William John Webb 29 Aug 1893
Place of birth: CWMCELYN, Monmouthshire
Registration District: Bedwedty Aberystruth Monmouthshire
Parents Henry Webb and Sarah Ann Eames
The Social Security info of a william webb born on the above date.
U.S. SSI no. 448-03-0693 Death 1966 Apache, Caddo, Oklahoma Zip code 73006
I would appreciate any help you can offer.
Delyn

[Peggy]

Hi Delyn,

Not having much luck. I think you can forget the man on the SSDI. I found a WWI draft registration card for William Thomas Webb, b. 29 Aug 1893, from Caddo, OK. (Btw, the SSDI doesn't tell where someone was born, just where he/she first signed up for a social security card.) I can't find any registration card to match your man. And most of our WWI military service records were destroyed in a fire in the 1970s. (Driving me to drink, as I'm trying to find out about an uncle who was a pilot.) If Australia is a possibility, they have some detailed WWI records on the web.

Best census match is 1920 census, 7-8 Jan 1920, Manhattan:
Wm Webb, 26, Eng, Immig 1912, Naturalized 1917, Machine ___

Others on the census are not quite the right age, and immigrated after WWI.

Peggy

[delyn hunt]

Thanks Peggy
You can appreciate the difficulties I'm having. I am beginning to think I may never solve the mystery of William John Webb,but maybe it might make a good story one day.
Best wishes
delyn

[Jenny Butler]

Hi,
Just to complicate things I found this on the NSW BDM Index

7467/1933 Webb-Wagg, Willliam John parents William Webb and Sarah. Died 1933, North Sydney, NSW. But can not find a marriage to help calrify anything....
cheers
Jenny

[Jenny Butler]

Hi,

Thought I'd go through war records but makes it harder as they so not give a country of origin...

http://www.awm.gov.au/research/infosheets/served_ww1.asp

then go to
First world war nominal rolls and search Webb there are a few William John's!
cheers Jenny

[delyn hunt]

Thanks for that Jenny.
Williams parents were Henry and Sarah Ann. I will take a look at the web site you mentioned.
Thanks again for your help,
Delyn

[Lenore]

[QUOTE=
Thought I'd go through war records but makes it harder as they so not give a country of origin...
[/QUOTE]However, the service records catalogue at the National Australian Archives do give a birth place. I'd look it up for you, but the server is playing up tonight.

http://www.naa.gov.au/

Go to Record Search, login as a guest, and put the name in the search engine. You can get all the William John Webbs by just clicking on search, or you can narrow it down to WW1 service records by putting B2455 in the box for record numbers - I can't get to the page to check exactly what it says. But you might be wiser to check all the William John Webbs, as you could find an emigration record.

If you see an interesting service record, you can order a free digital copy if there isn't one there already. The catalogue entry will give you place of birth, place of enlistment, and name of nok, which may be his father seeing he was still alive.

Now, isn't that helpful, considering you were looking for him in the US - but no stone unturned shall be the motto. |biggrin|

Best wishes,

Lenore