Looking for a photo of the following airman......... Sgt Hector Vivian Francis ARCHER 1287321. Survived the ditching of Liberator MkIIIA LV341 (120 Squadron) on 13 August 1942 but was killed when with 224 Squadron when Liberator BZ713 was shot down on 30 May 1943 by German heavy fighters. Son of Francis and Florence Archer of Twickenham. Middlesex and was 32 at the time of his death. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1082893/ARCHER,%20HECTOR%20VIVIAN%20FRANCIS Been looking for a photo of Archer for quite a few years now, the only one missing from the crew of LV341.
I've hunted ancestry myself many times. As he was born in 1911 the birth index doesn't list a mothers maiden name but he is on the 1911 census aged 3 months. Ill try compile a tree
I'm confident that i found the family in electoral registers, father may have passed awy around 1936, there abouts, then there was a brother (assumption) named Norman Dudley Archer, lived with his parents from 1933 through to the time of his death in 1988. Mother died around 1963, and the son Norman, was still living at the family h9ome of 58 Morley Rd, Twickenham. Doesn't look like he got married, there is no spouse listed in the electoral registers up to 1965.
One possible way around this is to use the parents information - fathers full name, mothers forename and calculation of the marriage date, then find their marriage details, which should hold her maiden name. TD
Archer is the only crew member that I do not have info on or a photo of re the loss of Liberator IIIA LV341. Ive been looking for quite some time now, so has Dennis. Crash Articles - Foreign Aircraft in Ireland 1939 - 1945
I have addresed the parents issue.. his brother being born in 1913 that birth index gives Cottrell as mothers name.
Since found that his parents married in India in 1909. His dad may have been in the Army but its a bit confusing within available records.
Peter Don't know why I didn't mention it before - have you applied for his service record, sometimes there is a photo attached to them - you might be lucky - there was one of my dad attached to his. TD
and another thought still seems to be a number of Archers in Twickenham is it worth dropping the local newspaper a line Richmond and Twickenham Times: Local news, sport, leisure, jobs, homes & cars in Richmond
Good idea Clive, I'll contact the paper early next week with a request for help. We'll see what the result is Regards Peter
Peter perhaps a call to the British legion each copy of their magazine that comes out has a section of "looking for someone" from WW2 or other conflicts The Royal British Legion's Head Office and postal address is: 199 Borough High Street London SE1 1AA 0808 802 8080
Another good idea Clive, I've already sent a request for help to the Twickenham local paper, lets hope they print it.
At Clive's suggestion I contacted the Richmond and Twickenham Times newspaper at the beginning of May, and as far as I am aware they did not print my request for help, in fact they did not even reply to my email. Still looking
Simply google his name... they published your letter. Newspapers don't always reply. Hector Vivian Frances Archer, pilot of B-24 No. 120 Squadron RAF Coastal Command
Thanks for that, I didn't realise. I had looked on their website but failed to find it. Not a lot of luck by the looks of it
Peter what about the British legion The lost trails one is published in their regular magazine Lost trails | The Royal British Legion RBL - Tracing friends and relatives