Find Living Relatives

Ask away, Robin. We always like a challenge.

all of you are amazing with the help, i will try not ask for more just yet lol,
thanks again
robin

Yes, looking at it again, I agree.

Re Craonne:

The former town was totally destroyed by artillery in World War I and was an arboretum. The town that exists today was rebuilt from the 1920s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craonne

The village was destroyed in May 1917 - but no doubt fighting continued in the area.

https://tinyurl.com/8uvt6sfk

I think the place may be Craonne.

This is the link to the Red Cross records mentioned by nameslessone:

https://tinyurl.com/2vsds8rf

And this is Percy's record - though not very informative:

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/5565575/3/2/

That leads on to this page:

https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/List/5565575/698/39754/

It gives his regiment, and his DOB as 11/05/1899. Place of birth: North Walsham.
Other details are hard to make out. There's the date of 27/03/1918 - date of capture?? And a place name - place of capture? or place of prison camp?? Looks like Orsonne - but faint and hard to see.

If the date is the date of capture, it fits with the second Battle of the Somme ( March 25 - April 2, 1918 )

Your grandfather's marriage (assuming you mean your Goldsmith grandfather) :

Marriages Dec 1921 (>99%)
Goldsmith Percy L Kirby King's L. 4b 963
Kirby Violet M Goldsmith King's L 4b 963

[That sounds very familiar - did you have another thread about them?}


His birth:
GOLDSMITH, PERCY LAWRENCE mmn WELLS
GRO Reference: 1899 J Quarter in SMALLBURGH Volume 04B Page 64



His baptism:

Percy Laurence Goldsmith
in the England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Percy Laurence Goldsmith
Gender: Male
Baptism Date: 9 Jul 1899
Baptism Place: North Walsham, Norfolk, England
Father: Frank Herbert Goldsmith
Mother: Julia


Percy Lawrence Goldsmith
in the UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Name: Percy Lawrence Goldsmith
Military Year: 1914-1920
Rank: Private
Company: WO 329
Regiment or Corps: Northumberland Fusiliers
Regiment Number: 75497
Medal Awarded: British War Medal and Victory Medal


His full service record seems to be among the 70% or so which have not survived.

Re WW1 POWs -

"An estimated 192,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen were taken captive during the First World War. There is no comprehensive list covering all of these PoWs, and the surviving documents cover only a fraction of those who were captured."
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/british-prisoners-of-war-1790-1919/

You’ll need to google for this but the Red Cross have produced POW records. The one I found was very interesting. Told us where and when he was captured and where he was sent, it had the original German record.

just a question re above about my uncle and details of his postings, how can i find out about my grandad who i know was pow in 1917 do i have to join the next level up to see military records etc

thanks
again

Good news! I'm glad we could help.

Thanks for letting us know.

thanks to all involved, i have made contact with my cousin and its brill another piece of my puzzle sorted and thanks for the info on my uncle ern, loads i didnt know

thanks
robin :-)

Sounds like the man I mentioned, given his occupation.

Good luck!

my uncle died in 1988, wasnt married to ann as far as anyone knows, ern from saddlebow address is 100% spot on, my dad died in 96 and contact just dried up, as life moved on, last my mum new he was working at a motorcycle dealers years ago, david was his birth name, mum believes they lived at stamford when he was born then moving to Haconby where ern is also buried

thanks all again
robin

In 1994 an Ann M Goldsmith (born late 1940s) married in Bourne, and is still living there with her husband, per ERs.

The marriage is listed under Goldsmith and also under her maiden surname.
I don't see any previous marriage to a Goldsmith in England/Wales.

In 1975 the possibly illegitimate birth of a child named David was registered under Ann's maiden surname in Lincoln registration district.

Might be a coincidence.

I can't see him definitely in ERs.
There are numerous David Goldsmith entries, some with same middle initial as the child born in 1975 - but none living in Lincs at present, which could have been a helpful clue.


EDIT:
In 2007-14 there was a David Goldsmith with the right middle initial living in Lincs.
But I don't know where that man is now.
ADDED::
I think that was the right man, as there's a Companies House entry for a now dissolved company at the same address, with a director David Goldsmith, born in the same quarter of 1975 as the Lincoln-born child.

I'll PM the 2014 address, in case he's still there.

No birth in Lincs to match the ‘info’ given by OP

Was David the natural child of the people whose names you have given?

This (below) doesn't help with finding David, but posting for interest re Ernest Lawrence Goldsmith, in case he was "Ern".

Born and brough up in Norfolk:

Births Jun 1924 (>99%)
Goldsmith Ernest L Kirby King's L 4b 457


Ernest Goldsmith
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Ernest Goldsmith
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Birth Date: 23 Apr 1924 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 84 Saddlebow Road
Residence Place: King's Lynn, Norfolk, England
Occupation: Mineral Water Factory Worker
Line Number: 19
Schedule Number: 33
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: TQEQ
Borough: King's Lynn
Registration district: Kings Lynn. 236??
Household Members Age
Violet Goldsmith 38
Ernest Goldsmith 15
Ronald Goldsmith 13
Gordon Goldsmith 8
Wilfred Shelton 41


In 1947 travelled from Port Said to Southampton as one of a huge number of young men, all with occupation "Palestine Police" -
his destination address was 84 Saddlebow Road, as in 1939:

Ernest Lawrence Goldsmith
in the UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
Name: Ernest Lawrence Goldsmith
Arrival Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1924
Port of Departure: Sydney, Australia
Arrival Date: 31 Jul 1947
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ports of Voyage: Sydney; Melbourne; Fremantle; Aden; Port Said and Gibraltar
Ship Name: Asturias
Shipping Line: Royal Mail Lines Ltd
Official Number: 148151


But as Rose says, he doesn't seem to have married - at least not in England/Wales.

Get accurate birth info by looking at freebmd

When did you last have contact?

Do you mean Haconby?

Is this Ern?

Ernest Lawrence Goldsmith born 23rd April 1924 died 31st Oct. 1988
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/188865014/ernest-lawrence-goldsmith

Not seeing a marriage for him.

Rose

You really haven’t given enough information.

What sources have you used in your search for David?

Does David have a middle name?

Was David born in Lincolnshire.

Presuming his parents were Ernest and Ann. We’re they also from Lincolnshire. Did Ernest have a middle name. What was Anns’ maiden name.

hello, im trying to find my cousin David Goldsmith, son of ern and ann from Bourne area, last i knew was hackenby
born about 1975
any help would be greatly received
thanks
Robin Goldsmith