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Royal Engineers, Waterways And Railways Division, Ww1

If you look at that address in the1939 electoral roll, then it shows as Frank Whittingham, so I suspect a misstranscribing by the council
 
The mystery deepens, Mike. As I believe you've mentioned elsewhere, there is a gap in the British Library Newspapers after 1919 [?] -> 1939. Earlier in the century it appears that Sparkhill, Greet & Hall Green Club were one and met elsewhere. The next mention of the Hall Green Club is in 1939 and in 1945 they're advertising for an experienced Stewart & Stewardess. But we may be chasing ghosts and the Club could have been staffed by WHITTINGHAMs.

Maurice
 
Maurice and Mike

You're both absolutely correct I've found 1243 Stratford Road on the 1939 register by adding Club Steward to the search engine and Frank WHITTINGHAM it is. At least that's him ruled out now.
 

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Brilliant, Bewdley, but this is looking as if he just went up in a puff of smoke! I've been through three sources of South African newspapers now and drawn a complete blank. I have yet to do the Australian & New Zealand Archives - I'll try and get around to that tomorrow. No one can see we don't at least try! :)

Maurice
 
Well that took much shorter than expected! Not a single mention of a Frank WHITTING on the New Zealand Archives (Archway).
Five mentions on the National Archives of Australia - all for the same man, the one born in Eccleshaw Bierlow in 1887. In 1914 he joined the Australian Army and remained in that service until 1920. That seems to let him out as being the one in Birmingham.

Unless he somehow managed to get back to South Africa after 1933. Imperial Airways transported 50,000 passengers during the 1930s, some of which went to South Africa and for which no records are yet online. But we really are clutching straws now. Any other ideas?

Maurice
 
Indeed we do try Maurice, I think it's amazing what's been revealed already - can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
 
I've just checked out Family Search too and can't find anything there - well done for eliminating the one born Eccleshaw Bierlow in 1887.
 
Just checked Trove, the Australian newspaper archive, but despite claiming there were 2919 "Frank Whitting" entries, as soon as you ask the search engine to exclude "White" it amends that total to nil !

Just double-checked the CWGC, but only has a 22 year old who died in 1942.

My gut feeling is that he did return to South Africa, otherwise he's currently unsearchable online.

Maurice
 
I think these are most unlikely, but on the 1935 Electoral Rolls for New South Wales are two Frank WHITTING entries:-
1. woodworker with wife Olga Irene at 7 Farnham Avenue, Watson, NSW, Australia
2 clerk with wife Matilda at Lennieville, Ernest Street, Lakemba, a suburb of Sydney.
Google Maps can't find the first at all, and can't find a house called Lennieville, but looking at Street View, they all seem to be post-war housing. No other years or other information.

EDIT: Both of these have Australian parents & can be found on the WW1 Embarkation Rolls - Please ignore.

EDIT 2: The Imperial War Museum is looking for him too!

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/4723771

Maurice
 
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Alright then Bewdley, what do you make of this? There's no other London Gazette notice and apart from the 1915 Rifle Brigade one, nothing else involving this man.

Maurice
 

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Another non-starter. 1939 Register shows widow Gladys BUTLER living with Frank W. BUTLER, a materials control clerk, but his date of birth is not until 25 September 1916.

Maurice
 
Just reading the info in #8 and #9. The sailing on the Warwick Castle to Durban on 1st Sept 1933 is after the trip on the Caernarvon Castle. So he returned to England in July to Sheffield and then left again in September. I can't see a return trip at the moment.
 
You're right, Janice, how did I miss that? But I checked the South African deaths again today on both Familysearch and the official South African site and not a sausage. I also checked the UK Probate to 1990, which sometimes contains overseas death if they have assets in the UK and again not a thing.

Maurice
 
Just done a time line for Frank Whitting, if only to sort out the info we have discovered in my own head. I'll put it on here just in case there is something glaringly obvious to someone that I've missed.

Something I noticed whilst checking it over was in 1911 there is a visitor to the family whose place of birth is Cape Town, S Africa which could be significant, but I can't find a link.

1883 - born Somerset

1911 - census he is living in Bristol with his mother Sarah, sister Marjorie Emma and a visitor Gwendoline Mann aged 24 who is single and gives her birthplace as Cape Town, South Africa. She is a British Subject by parentage

1911 - 26th July 1911 travelled aboard the Royal Edward from Bristol England arriving in Quebec on the 1st August 1911 aged 28, (indicates on form he is married, but this could be an error), occupation Surveyor.

? how did he get from Montreal to S Africa.

1914 - Travelled from Algoa Bay, S Africa to London 4th November 1914 aged 31.

1915 - Travelled to Algoa, S Africa from London on 16th Jan 1915, Country of intended residence S Africa, Occupation Manager aged 31.

? need to find return travel to England.

1915 - Back in England by 6 July 1915 and enlisted in the 13th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.

1915 -Joined army during 1915 regimental numbers Rifle Bde S/13326. RFN. Royal Engineers 168591. A/2/CPL WR 200291.

1915 - Admitted to hospital - 2nd Birmingham War Hospital (Northfield) 17 Aug 1915 Birmingham – Nephritis.

? when did he return to S Africa.

1933 - Travelled from Capetown, S Africa to Southampton, England on 3 July 1933 aboard Carnarvon Castle destination 32 Hangingwater Road, Ranmoor, Sheffield. Occupation Commercial Traveller aged 50. He gives his Country of Permanent Residence as Union of S Africa.

? I wonder what, if anything, brought him home for these 2 months.

1933 - Left 114 Taunton Road, Bridgewater, England travelling to S Africa 1st Sept 1933 on the Warwick Castle. Occupation commercial traveller aged 51. Country of Intended Residence - South Africa.

? settled and probably died in S Africa.



He's got to be somewhere !!!!
 
Is he the person listed as Frank Whiting on the Walmer Castle arriving in England on 23 June 1915? Country of permanent residence given as S Africa. Occupation is Manager but that could mean anything. DoB is 1883.
 
Once we allow the name to be WHITING rather than WHITTING, we should open up a whole new, and much larger, ball game. However, I've just checked for Frank WHITING deaths in South Africa between 1933 and 1990 and still found nothing. Checking UK Deaths gives one in 1948 (Sutton Coldfield), one in 1949 (Lutterworth), one in 1952 (Suffolk) and one in 1968 (Stroud) with probate for all, but not offering any clues other that calculated age of either 1882 or 1883.

Maurice
 
There is a Frank Whitting who died in Australia in March 1962 - that would mean he moved countries but who knows? His Mother seems to have died in Yorkshire and there are some Whittings listed there - I wonder if there is a connection?
 
Janice, this is most likely to be the Frank Whiting who was born in Sheffield and enlisted in the Australian Army from 1914 to 1920. I believe he stayed on there after the war.

There is obviously some sort of South Africa connection, probably Cape Town, so as I am already a member of the South African Mailing List, I'll add a query to that.Done, now sit back and wait!

Maurice
 
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