WARBRIDES-L Archives

Archiver > WARBRIDES > 2006-12 > 1167383529


From: "DAVID williams" <>
Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] The Half-Million
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 09:12:09 -0000
References: <000801c729f7$f54047c0$37930a52@david8ma7n0avn><b65d2a240612271307h7c800964q76e05bfdcc3c8342@mail.gmail.com><000601c729fe$44b31ed0$0a02a8c0@larrybutton><000401c72ab4$710e2220$37930a52@david8ma7n0avn><001f01c72ac4$0aaec150$0a02a8c0@larrybutton>


Hello Larry
That is probably what the Naval base at Warrington was - administrative. If
it was purely administrative, they still needed "bodies" to operate it.
Perhaps my man was one of them?
As to his surname and as to where they lived in Canada, the Durham cousin
cannot recall. She says had my uncle still been alive, he would have known
(very helpful that). I guess that it is possible that amongst his papers is
some information, but I am stymied. My aunt is blind and so she can't look
and her daughter who could have looked through the papers for me died a year
ago and so I have no one to ask. Having said that, someone must be able to
look for me. Next time I speak to my aunt, I might broach the subject. I
have tried the Canadian War Museum, Canadian Ministry of Defence, Canadian
National Library (even borrowed a film from them) and the Royal Canadian
Legion. The latter suggested all the sources I have already mentioned and
also the Salvation Army. So, I think I will persevere with checking off the
marriages that I have and if no joy, then it's the Sally Army.
Thanks again for your interest.
David W
----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Button" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] The Half-Million


> David:
>
> 1. Perhaps warrants some further checking but from my Dad's log book
> Warrington appears to be more of an administrative centre. He was never
> actually stationed there...rather was at Morpeth, Isle of Man, Montrose
and
> various air bases in the North & Scotland.
>
> 2. Any sense whatsoever as to where in Canada the cousin resides? A good
> source of info over here is the Royal Canadian Legion
>
> 3. Interesting that there's a cousin in Co. Durham. While my mother was
born
> in Berwick she grew up at Raby Castle (near Staindrop / Barnard Castle
etc)
> where her father was head gamekeeper to Lord Barnard. Spent a fair bit of
> time visiting family & friends in the area back in 1970.
>
> 4. Interesting to see you're in Essex. When ever I was in England would
> visit with an uncle & his family in Sible Hedingham (near Braintree). He
> worked at an American airbase near by.
>
> If there's any digging about I can do over here let me know...Larry
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "DAVID williams" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 2:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] The Half-Million
>
>
> > Hello Larry
> > That is very interesting. There was, much to my surprise, a Canadian
> > naval
> > base in Warrington - I presume something to do with intelligence rather
> > than
> > with actual ships. As I said, I am looking for a cousin of my mother.
> > There is another cousin still alive, in County Durham, and she would
like
> > to
> > make contact with the (now) Canadian cousin. She believes the husband
to
> > have been Army, but the book (1/2 Million) says that there were soldiers
> > only in the southern counties. So, an air base at Warrington (or
anywhere
> > else in Lancashire) looks more likely. Thee were no marriages in
> > Warrington, but she was working in a hospital in Manchester and I guess
> > that
> > they could have married nearer to Manchester, even if he were stationed
in
> > Warrington.
> > Another theory that I have is that as she was working in the fever
> > hospital
> > in Manchester, he may have been Army and he may have been a patient
there.
> > I'll get there eventually, but I would like to do it before the (Co.
> > Durham)
> > cousin dies. I think that I still have a few years before that unhappy
> > event and so I will keep "pegging away".
> > Thanks. Any little snippets of information are welcome, as they could
> > lead
> > to my goal.
> > David W in Essex
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Larry Button" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 9:30 PM
> > Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] The Half-Million
> >
> >
> >> Joyce & David:
> >>
> >> While the Air Base at Warrington may have been a U.S. installation I
have
> >> some documentation indicating that Warrington was associated with the
> >> RCAF
> > /
> >> RAF as well.
> >>
> >> I have my late father's [WO2 Thomas BUTTON] "Pilot's Flying Log Book."
He
> >> served in the RCAF. On the second to last page "Record of Service"
there
> > is
> >> the following chronology:
> >>
> >> > RCAF R Depot Warrington - 25/5/45 - 6/6/45
> >> > RCAF R Depot Torquay - 6/6/45 - 6/7/45
> >> > then...Ile de France, Lachine P.Q. and #3 Release Centre Rockcliffe
> >>
> >> In addition I also have the "Permission to Marry" for my parents [my
> > mother
> >> LACW Margaret Mitchell ELLIOTT was in the RAF] which is signed at RCAF
> >> "R"
> >> Depot, Houghton Green, Warrington, Lancs.
> >>
> >> Larry Button (Dundas, Canada)
> >>
> >> P.S. It was my pleasure to accompany my mum and several other war
brides
> > to
> >> the Provincial Legislature when 2006 was declared "Year of the War
Bride"
> >> here in Ontario. However one of the politicians speaking at the event
put
> >> his foot in it when he spoke of the war brides accompanying their
> >> Canadian
> >> husbands to Canada. My parents were married in Stranraer, Scotland in
> >> June
> >> 1945. By July my dad was on a ship back to Canada. Alone. My mum didn't
> > come
> >> to Canada until April 1946. As I understand it this was the rule rather
> > than
> >> the exception.
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Joyce Vonstrahl" <>
> >> To: <>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 4:07 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [WARBRIDES] The Half-Million
> >>
> >>
> >> > Hello David,
> >> > The Air Base at Warrington was a United States installation, Good
Luck.
> >> > Joyce
> >> >
> >> > On 12/27/06, DAVID williams <> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Hello all
> >> >> I have just finished reading the book "The Half-Million". It was a
> > very
> >> >> good read and extremely interesting. In my naivety I hoped to find
> >> >> something specific about individual Canadian Servicemen in the UK
> > during
> >> >> WWII, but I didn't. Having extracted from the GRO Indexes all the
> >> >> marriages
> >> >> in Lancashire and Cheshire with the name of my mother's cousin from
> > 1939
> >> >> to
> >> >> 1947, I have been trying to find who she married. It's like looking
> > for
> >> >> a
> >> >> "needle in a haystack". There were 84 marriages in all. I have
> > managed
> >> >> to
> >> >> get that down to 20 possibles.
> >> >> In the book there was mention of a RCN base at Warrington and I
> >> >> thought
> >> >> well at least I can follow up on the Warrington marriages. When I
> > looked
> >> >> at
> >> >> my list, there are none. there were apparently no Army personnel
> >> >> "north
> >> >> of Watford". so, I guess he must have been RAF or RCAF. Oh well,
> >> >> it's
> >> >> "back to square one".
> >> >> Despite the disappointment, the book was well worth reading and for
> > those
> >> >> who haven't read it, you should try to get hold of it.
Particularly,
> >> >> those
> >> >> of us this "side of the water" (in the UK).
> >> >> All the best and a happy and prosperous New Year to you all.
> >> >> David W in Essex
> >> >>
> >> >> -------------------------------
> >> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> >> >> with the word 'unsubscribe' without
the
> >> >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Joyce
> >> >
> >> > -------------------------------
> >> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> >> > with the word 'unsubscribe' without
the
> >> > quotes in the subject and the body of the message
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -------------------------------
> >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
> > quotes in the subject and the body of the message
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> >> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.29/607 - Release Date:
> > 28/12/2006 12:31
> >>
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------
> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
> > quotes in the subject and the body of the message
> >
>
>
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.29/607 - Release Date:
28/12/2006 12:31
>

This thread: