EricS
23-12-2008, 7:52 AM
My father's brother was born in 1899, joined the army in 1916 after lying about his age. He survived, came home and studied to become a vet. After qualifying he left home in Dublin and moved to England where he eventually became the chief veterinary officer in the Midlands. The only other information I had about him was his date of death in 1956. Using that I found his death GRO index reference and ordered the certeficate. The day I received it I noted the witness was his son who gave his address as RNAS Yeovilton. I Googled his name and came up with an ex RAF pilot who was secretary of an online aircraft society so I plucked up my courage and sent him an email enquiring if he was my cousin. As it turned out he wasn't but when he replied he told me that he knew of my cousin who was an RNAS pilot as he was often mistaken for him. He got in touch with the MOD and gave me his address and phone number! I rang that evening and spoke to a lady, his wife and she confirmed that yes, her husband's father had been a vet from Ireland. What an emotional moment that was! Even more so when he rang back! I flew over to meet him a few weeks later and we had great fun. He is 76, one of life's great characters with a colourful and exciting life. He knew he was from Ireland but apart from one sister he knew nothing about the rest of his family. I arranged a family reunion in Fordingbridge, Hampshire this summer where I introduced him to more cousins, some Irish, some British and it was a great success. We keep in regular contact and I received a Christmas card from him this morning in which he said what a brilliant year it had been for him ever since he received a phone call from a previously unknown cousin who had instantaneously enlarged his family!