Control Commission Records

We have a mystery in our family. My wife's aunt Phyllis Margaret Gair died in June 1946 aged 32 years, and is buried in the CWGC Hanover war cemetery. The entry in the records gives her date of death and age, and that she worked for the Control commission (BE). On the military death certificate for her, there is no cause of death given. No one in the family now with us, has any idea of the circumstances of her death.

The question is, are there any personnel records for the control commission in existence, if so has any one any idea who holds them? The National archive in their section on the control commission say " individual personal files of the control office are not held by TNA"

We visited the cemetery a couple of years ago, and as always with war cemeteries a moving experience.

Thanks Richard.

HI

Have you tried searching in local newspapers?

regards

Robert

RICHARD


This may be a daft suggestion but do you think the Hannover Archives could help?
Stadtarchiv Hannover think it's an online form. The death might be in their
local newspapers. Jill

Is that your tree on Ancestry?

Thanks for your replies, we did wonder about newspapers, perhaps not german papers but perhaps local North London papers, the family lived off the Holloway road at Archway. I have had a quick look online but cannot find anything digitised for 1946, I assume a trip to the newspaper collection of the British library would be required?

The suggestion about the Hanover archives might be a possibility but we have heard that German archives can be a bit funny if you can't speak German (too many Americans tracing their family trees!)I have a friend who can speak german so a message to them may well be a possibility,Though how much they would have from 1946 could be limited.

Our family tree is indeed WISEMAN on Ancestry and the Gair family is on there, as much as we have.
Thanks again for your thoughts and interest, and if we make progress we will update you
Richard and Jean.

My library card gives me online access to the British Library newspapers on line.
I tried a search for Phyllis on both their databases covering the period and couldn't find her.
I did however find that she was in the 29 British Military Hospital, Hannover. which I believe was a QARANCs hospital.

I just googled Phyllis Margaret Gair (I had previously but added Germany) and there is some info online
inc her mention in Islington - google her name and see first entry Islington Book of Remembrance
There's a memorial to those that were killed in islington if you are interested.Jill

Islington Local History Centre
Finsbury Library
245 St John Street
London EC1V 4BN

Tel: 020 7527 7988
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.islington.gov.uk/heritage

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rjwiseman

Thanks for your replies, we did wonder about newspapers, perhaps not german papers but perhaps local North London papers, the family lived off the Holloway road at Archway. I have had a quick look online but cannot find anything digitised for 1946, I assume a trip to the newspaper collection of the British library would be required?

The suggestion about the Hanover archives might be a possibility but we have heard that German archives can be a bit funny if you can't speak German (too many Americans tracing their family trees!)I have a friend who can speak german so a message to them may well be a possibility,Though how much they would have from 1946 could be limited.

Our family tree is indeed WISEMAN on Ancestry and the Gair family is on there, as much as we have.
Thanks again for your thoughts and interest, and if we make progress we will update you
Richard and Jean.

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Most newspapers are now held off-site at the British Library's storage facility in Wetherby (Yorkshire) so have to be ordered-in to view at the British Library..
I would check out the Islington Local History Centre Jill has given a link for, as those are the sort of places to hold local newspapers.

Pam

Good evening all,
I have been pursuing the local newspaper route and the Islington archive have a good collection of North London papers on microfilm covering the period, so till the Covid situation improves I guess that one will have to wait.
I have also emailed Hanover State archive (using google translate) asking if they might have newspapers or other records that might shed some light on the matter.
Finally I have emailed TNA asking if they have any idea who might hold the personnel records for the control commission if they exist. So now we sit back and wait, further updates as and when.
All the best
Richard.