I spent today at our local family history seminar where 4 speakers enlightened us to how to trace your family's history. I have my dad's photo album from his time in the airforce during WW2. Sadly he never showed us this and he died 29 years ago. He also only wrote on about 10 of the photos! Most were taken in Papua New Guinea and there are a lot of planes he was a mechanic at the base. Now I have a contact who will go through them with me and see what we can work out. This is a photo of my dad, one of his cameras and of course, the photo album :)
Fantastic collection Denise. My father was the same, never spoke of the war. We found out about his role in the Airforce in New Guinea when he was dying, something he had held very tight within and I feel he came home a very damaged soul.
@sangwann Thanks -he was a good looking guy and a wonderful person too :) @hermann That's sad about your dad Sally. Dad talked a bit about it and never appeared upset, but he was always a quiet person. We will have to check their records to see if the were stationed together. I have dad's details but my daughter in Melb has the file at the moment. @terryliv Thanks for the warning! My sister and I are curious and have lots of "pieces" but we won't get too bogged down in it - got have time to drink champagne, remember :)
My father did talk about the war -- but he never left the country, staying home as an interpreter in pow camps. I've not yet met anyone who went somewhere during a war who was willing to talk about it.
What a great shot and I love the camera. My Mum had one similar which was given to her by a friend after the war. Enjoy your search into family history. I have been tracing my family history for years. It is amazing what you unearth once you start.
I can really relate to this. I'm sorry you lost your father when he was so young. I found a very similar book from my father about 5 years ago. I scanned it into a Shutterfly book, and I interviewed both of my parents over and over again to get each detail right. I made several copies for all the offspring. One thing I discovered was that my father had lost his best friend in a tragic way during pilot training. My father's ear drum burst (he was deaf thereafter) and he was in pain, so his friend took his flight for him when the engine failed. That man's wife was pregnant, and my mother wondered whatever had happened to her and her baby. I googled them (fortunately they had an unusual name), and I found the daughter! It resulted in some nice e-mail correspondence, and I was able to forward to her some photographs of her father that she had never seen, and she then forwarded them to her many relatives.
What a wonderful project Denise, one which many of us in our age group can relate to. My brother and I are seriously into family history. I'm sure many of us regret not asking more questions when our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles etc were alive.
Great collection of memories and you should find out all you can. I have spent many years doing both my Father and Mother's family history, but can't find out anything about what my Father did in WW1
First, your Dad was a very handsome man!! What a wonderful tribute, in this photo, to your dad. It seems we find out all sorts of things about our parents after they have passed on. Photos we never seen, jobs we never knew they had, places they had been. It's all so wonderful to me and then to find someone that can help you trace some of it is even more precious! I wish you so much adventure and fun on this journey of yours!! Love the way you put this photo together! FAV!
How interesting it must be to gradually piece your Dad's story together. I wish you luck with it. I like the way you have put this together with the three elements and your choice of processing.
This completely resonates with me Denise, and I wish you new friends and much information as your quest unfolds! I'll share that, only last night as I contacted the young man I met in this World Vision group, I wanted to add a connection he might recognize. I was born in New Orleans & he, a young doctor, is from there. Since my grandfather was an OB/Gyn there in the early 1900s, I wondered if I might find anything on the Internet... I found a full page about him and his invention he left to medicine. I told Brice this, and his wife, an OB/Gyn says they still use that instrument bearing his name! All that information because of a chance meeting on a beach in Mexico! You'll uncover your gems, too, when you start looking!
May 21st, 2015
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@hermann That's sad about your dad Sally. Dad talked a bit about it and never appeared upset, but he was always a quiet person. We will have to check their records to see if the were stationed together. I have dad's details but my daughter in Melb has the file at the moment.
@terryliv Thanks for the warning! My sister and I are curious and have lots of "pieces" but we won't get too bogged down in it - got have time to drink champagne, remember :)