Some advice please

[CornishPixie]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can help me, I'm trying to trace my fathers Uncle who emigrated to South Africa at the beginning of WW2 to avoid being called up (naughty I know) according to my father he married into a good family over there and remained there. The problems are:
1)I don't know his first name, the surname is Harris
2) I don't know his birth date but it's likely to be around 1906(ish) and his birthplace could be either Bristol or Wales
3)I cannot ask my father has he has passed away and I have no other contactable relatives on that side of the family.
Is there any chance in finding him? Or should I just give up now?

[Peter Goodey]

You could have a look at the passenger lists on findmypast but if all you know is his surname...

[CornishPixie]

Thanks for the reply.

I've looked on findmypast and I've narrowed it down to 4 people, I'm assuming that if he didn't want to be called up he would have left at the beginning of the war? And is more likely to leave from Southampton.
But I have a problem when I go to pay on findmypast it keeps bringing me to this new security measure that doesn't seem to think I exist, are the lists on Ancestry any good?

Thanks again

[Geoffers]

I wonder if anyone can help me, I'm trying to trace my fathers Uncle who emigrated to South Africa at the beginning of WW2....
1)I don't know his first name, the surname is Harris
Is there any chance in finding him? Or should I just give up now?

Did the father of your uncle and dad leave a will in which he mentions them both?

[Peter Goodey]

it keeps bringing me to this new security measure that doesn't seem to think I exist

That because pixies don't exist.


are the lists on Ancestry any good?


No. They have nothing comparable.

[CornishPixie]

Did the father of your uncle and dad leave a will in which he mentions them both?

Not that I am aware of.. I don't know hardly anything about my Great Uncle, Grandfather or Great Grandfather nor their names, apart from my Grandfathers that is. Why do families make this so hard? Lol


That because pixies don't exist.

ahahaha

I guess i'll have to try again tomorrow

Thanks

[Geoffers]

Not that I am aware of.. I don't know hardly anything about my Great Uncle, Grandfather or Great Grandfather nor their names, apart from my Grandfathers that is.

The Probate Calendar is easy to use and available at many record offices - it is worth trying. You will obviously need a copy of your grandfather's birth certificate

When your grandfather married, who were the witnesses? - Was there anyone who might have been your great uncle?

[CornishPixie]

I will call into the local History Centre when it opens and ask about looking at the Probate Calendar. Not really; my grandparents were married in Southampton during the war, so I guess he would have been in SA by then. Thank you for all your help.

[CornishPixie]

Some good news, after some hearing something about a distance relative and thanks to 192.com i've found the said person, telephoned and apparently the person who moved happens to be this person brother so i'm going to speak to him next week. Awesome! Thanks to all.