Sooooooo Arthur Collett (My Dad) must have been in Calcutter in the RASC in January 1944 to have a son born in October 1944 in Lady Duffryn Victoria hospital Calcutter.. The son (Trevor) was baptised in St Thomas's Church Calcutter in Nov 1944. Is there a history of any churches which were in this area around this time which may have been burnt down?
I think that a soldier couldn't just get married when on active service. Even in a peacetime overseas garrison there were limited married quarters, usually reserved for officers and some senior N.C.O.s. A Private soldier would need his Commanding Officer's permission to get married as the regiment would have to provide the married quarters. It did happen pre war on long foreign postings when a battalion was overseas for 7-12 years. Some members of the 2nd Btn, K.O.Y.L.I. stationed in Burma, had married local women before the Japanese invasion.
Nooooooooooooo. I can't apply for Dad's service history as my Mother is still alive and is therefore his next of Kin.
Why cant she apply for them or at least use her name - they would be free. Outside of that you can still apply for his service records just fill in the correct forms. To be honest they are not going to check if he was married and if so is his wife still alive, tick the box on your application form that relates to you (thats daughter?) TD Request records of deceased service personnel Next of kin form Read the list below and when you come to the first living relative of the deceased subject place an ‘X’ in the box and write their full name next to it. This process will enable you to identify the person who the MOD will regard as the immediate Next of Kin. Fill in the section for daughter OR Fill in the forms for general Enquirer: Not the immediate next of kin forms: Application part 1 form: General enquirer's form (v6.1) (PDF, 99KB, 2 pages) or General enquirer's form (v6.1) (MS Word Document, 134KB) Application part 2 forms: Royal Navy/Royal Marines part 2 (PDF, 98.8KB, 1 page) or Royal Navy/Royal Marines part 2 (MS Word Document, 50.5KB) British Army part 2 (PDF, 19.5KB, 1 page) or British Army part 2 (MS Word Document, 43KB) Royal Air Force part 2 (PDF, 24.1KB, 1 page) or Royal Air Force part 2 (MS Word Document, 46KB)
Agreed this shows that your dad was probably in Calcutta around January 1944, unless Joan was working elsewhere in India & she only came home to Calcutta for the birth. Both the birth and the baptism could have taken place without him if he was stationed in another part of India, or even Burma, as I'm not sure he would have got leave to attend the birth. There is a chance that the marriage also took place at this church. I note that a Catholic Church of this name is still in existence in Calcutta, & also from the ancestry trees that both of Joan's parents had been born in Calcutta, so this may have been the parish church of the Pottenger/Potenger family. Maybe they have an email address & will search the register for you. As a long established British India family they may not have needed to, or thought they needed to register it at the consulate anyway, so it may only be in the church records & his army records. I have tried the FIBIS site without a result. I don't think that if the marriage was not registered with the consulate or the army that would make it invalid, or invalid in terms of any possible bigamy charges. If the first marriage had never taken place then yes it would make the second marriage legal. Ancestry trees note a previous marriage to Joan, but with no details. Sometimes in the past catholics would not agree to a divorce for religious reasons. If there was no divorce in the UK bigamy charges would depend on wether the authorities were alerted to this or what proof was required at a remarriage by the registrar. I have never had to look for divorces, but ancestry & the Public Record Office at Kew, does not have them for after WW2, so you could try findmypast. The government website on searching for old divorce papers is here, but its seems really expensive. Get a copy of a decree absolute or final order As you are a member of ancestry have you thought about contacting the owners of the trees that feature Joan. Often the ones that are marked private are more helpful. From the date Joan & Trevor returned to the UK it could be that Arthur had already returned on a troopship, she waited till the child was old enough to travel, had to wait for a ship to be free from military duties & the seas to be safe from U-boats etc, or maybe it was prompted by the impending Indian Independence, which was actually announced by the UK Prime Minister on the day she arrived in the UK.
Sorry - I get tired of saying this - wait until you have his records, it will stop you going off on wild goose chases. Its entirely possible your father and his unit were based in Calcutta in Jan 1944, its also quite possible Trevor was conceived in another part of the world TD
Good Morning, I am trying to source info for a family. Arthur Collet/Collet is the man I seek. He appears to have been resident in India, maybe family? Sorry no Service Number or Dob so far! In the photo the family sent me of Arthur's Wedding in India he is wearing uniform for Far East. I have worked out a RASC side hat. Rank not known. He is wearing a sort of button hole badge of approx 2"x2". I have searched through the RASC site which covers Rasc/RCT. Raoc etc. and found nothing! Who/Where would I find the RIASC records/Info on the net. Not TNA at this moment. It's closed! Thanks Alan
Hi Alan Might be best to upload the photo for members to see and confirm your diagnosis - is there no information about him as to where he was born, UK/India, nobody knows where and when he died? TD Forgot - so it could be Colet/Collett/Collet/Colett
Lets stick to Collet OR Collett. Here is the best photo. I have asked for bigger Resolution .Wedding took place in India. The Bride was certainly living there. Not had answer on Groom.
Could he have been in India in 1924? TD No one knows the brides name?, no idea where they were married except India?, That photo looks late 1930's early 1940's so guessing then he would have been born 1913 - 1920ish
I am trying!!! Here is more info. Heather Joan POTENGER. Born 1924. Living Bengal. Baptism Calcutta St James. (Still no official Marriage info except 1943!.) Information on Trevor, Son born Calcutta. info from family.- I guess he married in 1943 in Calcutta as Trevor was born in 1944.Heather Joan Potinger was his bride snd lived with her family in Calcutter in an enormous place.im not home . Lady Duffryn Victoria Nursing home is where Trevor was born on 6.10.1944. Back again soon! Alan
Thank you for the link to the previous search info Arthur Collett. I suspected the missing Marriage Cert was going to be a problem soon. I don't have subscription access to Ancestory sites etc. My daughter has found bits which have been mentioned on the Subscription sites. I can't offer anything you haven't found. You are correct in pushng the Glagow Records site. I was hoping for Service Number along the route. Thanks Alan
If you need anything from Ancestry just ask - other members on here have FMP access and I am sure would be happy to help out. I think though that even a service number wont help with his service records as you definitely need a death certificate. As he didnt die under CWGC parameters we couldnt us their certificate as there isnt one TD