WW1 ID Tags & Tributes

One of the  missions of Olive Tree Genealogy Blog is to reunite found items such as  Dog ID Tags, Medals, etc of soldiers with their descendants. To date my readers have worked on the following cases and been successful in reuniting soldiers’ dog id tags with family members.

We still have more cases coming in and we have old cases that have not yet been solved. If you have a moment would you read through one of the open cases and help find family?

Below are some of the tributes to the soldiers whose dog tags, medals or photographs we own.

WW1 Nursing Sister Gertrude Billyard Gertrude Billyard was born in Windsor Ontario on March 1, 1881. When Gertrude enlisted at the age of 34 on February 24, 1915 her mother Annie was living in Young Saskatchewan. This address was later changed to Winnipeg Manitoba as Gertrude’s pay was sent to her mother. Surprisingly, Gertrude enlisted in London England not in Canada.

Tribute to WW1 Soldier William Bulger Pte. W. R. Bulger’s name is stamped on the side of this Canadian WW1 Medal which my husband and I have in our WW1 collection. Pte. Bulger’s Regimental Number is difficult to read but it ends in 2369. He is noted as being assigned to 2-CMR which stands for 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles. A search for his Attestation papers online reveals that his full name was William Robert Bulger and his Reg. Number was 3032369. He was born Sept. 28, 1888 in Georgetown Ontario but was living in Toronto when he enlisted.

WW1 Soldier W. J. P. Bullock One of the framed photos of CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers on our wall is labelled “Pte. W. J. P. Bullock” of Toronto Ontario. This young man enlisted on September 2, 1915, one year  after WW1 began in August 1914.

WW1 Nursing Sister Jean Cameron-Smith Jean Cameron-Smith was born in Perth Ontario on September 22, 1871. A search of the online Birth Registrations for Ontario provides a late registration dated 1933.  Her father’s name is given as Robert Ralph Cameron-Smith. Her mother is  Helen Mason.

Tribute to WW1 Soldier Walter Culbertson This WW1 Medal is stamped with the name of the soldier on the side. It reads 3056604 (Regimental Number) and GNR (Gunner) R. Culbertson C.F.A. We believe that CFA stands for Canadian Forces Artillery.

Tribute to WW1 Soldier Arthur Fitzgerald This is another Tribute for a Canadian soldier. His name and service number are given on the front of his WW1 ID Tag – A. Fitzgerald, Service Number 55422.

WW1 Nursing Sister Edith Mary Harston Edith Mary Harston was born in Warwickshire England June 5, 1886. On her CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) Attestation Paper she provides her mother’s name as Mrs. Emily E. Harston of Stafford England.

Tribute to Ira Harry Huehn WW1 Soldier in PPCLI ra Harry Huehn was born 10 June 1895 in Toronto. He enlisted in the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) on August 15, 1915 when he was just 20 years old.

WW1 Soldier Douglas McNabb Private Douglas McNabb’s framed WW1 photograph hangs on our wall. We don’t know Douglas and we are not related. But he is one of several CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers who we honour.

WW1 CEF Soldier Charles H. Welsh We own the Pay Book of Gunner Charles H. Welsh #335325 who attested on February 4, 1918. His pay book gives his next of kin as his father David H. Welsh, and his mother Mary Ann Welsh, both of Palmerston Ontario.

Happy Ending for Rescued Dog Tag Case!

I received this email earlier this month about a very happy ending for the search for family of James J. Bell and of Idaho, and his rescued dog tag.

Dear Lorine,

Thank you so much for helping me connect with Mick, the gentleman who found my father's dog tag. He sent the tag, along with a compass, wings and maps of the Seething Airfield to me in care of my son who resides in Manchester, England. 

As it turned out, my daughter and I were planning a visit to my son this July, so we were all able to open Mick's package together.

I don’t know who was the most excited to see what Mick had sent me, my children or grandchildren. My 10-year old granddaughter Mariam had studied WWII quite extensively at her school and acted in a play about the Blitz. When she was studying, she had taken a copy picture of my father and his crew to show her classmates. My grandson, Adam was full of questions that you can imagine any 9-year old boy would want to know.

Everyone wanted to hold the dog tag. How amazing to be touching something that my father wore during those dangerous missions. It is hard to believe that out of all the dog tags that must be lost out there Mick would find my dad's.
Along with the dog tag, Mick sent a compass he found at the airfield and a set of pilot wings. When we examined the compass, my granddaughter exclaimed, “It’s stuck. That must be the direction it was pointing when it was lost.” When the children realized that it was lost almost 75 years ago, they were blown away. It is impossible to know who lost the compass and the wings. We can only hope that they survived the war and went on to happy lives. All the items will be kept together and passed on to my son and grandchildren.

My son and I spent quite a long time going over the maps. They must have been top secret when they were created in 1944. It is incredible to think that they were done with such precision in the time before computers. Drawing maps by hand is probably becoming a lost art.

I’ll be visiting my brother soon and will be surprising him with what Mick found. I’m going to start by having him read the post on Olive Tree.

I’m hoping that sometime in the future my husband and I along with all the family can meet Mick and go with him to the Seething field. We all want to see where he found the dog tag and get a feel for the place that was such a significant part of my father’s life.

Please thank everyone involved in this search. My father and I were very close. There are some people we lose in life that we wish we could have even five minutes more with. He is one of those people for me. Finding the dog tag was almost like getting those five minutes back.
All the best,
Catherine (Kit) Bell


P.S. This is a photo of my father that was taken when he completed his flight training. He gave it to his sister Betty.

FOUND WW2 Dog Tag James J. Bell of Idaho

Mick B. wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy with this request to help return a WW2 dog tag to its owner or descendants:

Found at Seething Airfield England a dog tag marked James J Bell

Number 0-742831  T4243.

It would be great to return it to the family - is this something you could help with.

As my readers can see from the image on the left, the dog tag contains more clues. The name Emma E. Bell is there, as is a location of Harrison, Idaho

Hopefully some of my wonderful readers will jump in to help Mick find James, Emma, or descendants.

Lorine's Research

I found information showing James was a pilot and a 2nd Lieutenant during WW2. Source http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/109318

There is also a pdf file which indicates 2nd Lieutenant James J. Bell was the pilot of REPLACEMENT CREW #21 - Aircraft #41-28595 in the 713th BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON ordered to England.

This photo is of James and his crew in front of their airplane. According to the names on the verso (back) of the photo, James is the third man from the left in the front row.

Photo: The James Bell crew, from the 2^nd Air Division Digital Archive http://www.2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive, catalogue reference MC 371/349, USF PH 7/1. Published on Olive Tree Genealogy blog with permission of 2nd Air Division Memorial Library

If you choose the third photo at this photo link you will see another great image of James. He is the third man from the left in the front row.

James' obituary was found online:

OBITUARIES DR. JAMES J. BELL

Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) - Saturday, November 8, 2003

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m., Monday, Nov. 10, 2003, in Sunnyside Little Chapel of the Chimes for Dr. James J. Bell, who died Nov. 5 at age 82.

Dr. Bell was born Jan. 16, 1921, in Spokane. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and graduated from the University of Oregon Dental School. He was a dentist who lived in the Portland area most of his life and practiced in Lake Oswego. In 1948, he married Euretta "Peggy" Field.

Survivors include his wife; daughter, Kit; son, Jeff; and four grandchildren.

Remembrances to Friends of Tryon Creek State Park.

Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) - Saturday, November 8, 2003

Oregonian, The () , obit for OBITUARIES DR. JAMES J. BELL, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/10064B9D95E0558F-10064B9D95E0558F : accessed 28 March 2018)

Case #25: Send Theodore G. Harding's Dog Tags Home

Nancy B. wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy:

HELP ME FIND THIS SAILOR! I found this vintage dog tag 2 years ago (shoved into a heating duct) while renovating our 70-year old house. Out of respect, I just wedged it back in. However the more I think about it, the more I wonder if he is still alive, if he had any children, and how this might be a sentimental treasure. I DID find that a "Ted Harding" lived in this house in the past and that he would now be in his 80's.

The dog tag reads

Harding, Theodore G. 
259 05 79 AB
USN  P

WW2 Dog Tag Lost & Found, Returned to Widow

A few days ago a journalist contacted me about a story he was writing for the Indianapolis Star. It's an interesting story about a lost and found WW2 dog tag which eventually was reunited with the soldier's widow. 

The story went online yesterday at World War II dog tag, lost in France, makes its way to GI's widow decades later 

I'm pleased to say I was quoted and there is a link back to my Lost & Found Dog Tags section of this blog. I'm hoping more folks will contact me for help in finding family members of a found ID tag. It's an amazing feeling to know that a dog tag went home to family.

Lost & Found Case #19: U.S. Army Dog Tag Found in England

Buddy 7111. Message Center. APO 874. US Army

 Claire sends photos of this American Dog Tag. Her grandfather found it in or near Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, England. 

With only one name (Buddy) it seems like a rather unusual soldier's dog tag to me. I'm wondering if the U.S. Army used dogs and issued tags for them. 

BUDDY
7111
MESSAGE CENTER
A.P.O. 874  U.S. ARMY  

Hopefully one of Olive Tree Genealogy's fabulous readers will know something about this I.D. tag! UPDATE: I just found reference to A.P.O. 874:

 APO 874 was located at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, England during February, 1944 to May, 1944. This Army Post Office serviced the units assembled in the Lichfield area of England for the invasion of France, which started on June 6, 1941 [http://en.allexperts.com/q/Military-History-669/WW-II-Replacement-Co.htm#b]

We have five unsolved cases of soldiers' dog tags for anyone wanting to put on their sleuthing hat! 

The open cases are:

#18 T. W. Kelly

#16 George Coleman

#15 Lester Lorfing 

#11 John Thomas Dryborough

#6 George H. Stevens

Case #18: T. Kelly WW1 American Soldier's Dog Tag Rescued

Joey wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy asking for help with a WW1 dog tag he found in Wheaton Missouri.

Joey stated that

On one  side the inscription reads ORL then what could be an F or an E then a T. KELLY under that there is a 116. 

On the reverse its just numbers 14472*0 the star is unreadable

So we know that the soldier's name was T. Kelly, his rank was ORL (I have not yet found what that represents) and his unit was the 116. The number on the reverse is his longer personal military number.

My husband and I think that could be a stamp or insignia between ORL and T. Kelly  and not a letter. We also think it is an American soldier's dog tag.

But just to cover all bases, I had a look in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) online database because it is searchable by the soldier's number but there is no T. Kelly with a number starting with 14472. I then searched U.K. WW1 records on Ancestry.com because they are also searchable by soldier number but that was a miss.

Unfortunately the American WW1 soldier draft records on Ancestry.com are not searchable by the soldier's number. I did find a Jonathan Ernest Kelly living in Wheaton Missouri at the time of his enlistment but could not spot a T. Kelly.

So we need my wonderful readers to pitch in and help find the soldier who lost this dog tag. You've solved 13 cases of the 17 posted previous to T. Kelly so I have no doubts you can work your genealogy sleuthing magic again!

Please either post your findings here as a comment or send them to me privately at olivetreegenealogy AT gmail DOT com  Remember to not put any information about living individuals in your comments, any contact addresses or phone numbers for descendants of T. Kelly should be sent in private email.


 

Missing WWII Airman Identified, Will Be Buried with Family in New York

1940 Census Dominick Licari with family

 Sgt. Dominick Licari was one of 9 children born to Italian immigrants Sam and Mary Licari. In 1942 at the age of 29 he was drafted. In March 1944 the plane he was in crashed into a mountainside in  Papua-New Guinea .

Sgt. Licari and others on the plane were declared missing and presumed dead. While the wreckage of the plane was later found, no remains were spotted until 2012 when bone fragments were unearthed at the crash site.

DNA samples provided by his brother August "Mort" Licari matched that of Sgt. Dominick Licari, who was 31 when he went missing. His remains and dog tag are being returned to family. After military declared him deceased in 1946,  his family erected a grave marker with his name on it at the family plot in Frankfort New York. It is there he will be buried alongside his parents and other siblings.

Sources:  
USA Today:Remains of WWII Airman from NY ID'd in S. Pacific
National Post:  Airman ID’d nearly 70 years after crashing into mountain during Second World War
Ancestry.com: 1940 Census Frankfurt, Herkimer Co. New York

Another Happy Ending! Grandson of WW1 Soldier found so Found Dog Tags Can Go Home

Update to Case #17 Harold Western CEF WW1 Dog Tags Found in France. Thanks to the generous efforts of my readers and in particular Bruce G., this case has been solved and a great deal of information found about Harold. Bruce was able to find a nephew of Harold Western's who in turn gave us the name and contact information of Harold's grandson who lives right here in Ontario.

Coincidentally I had found reference to Harold (and one of my Peer relatives!) in the Guelph Mercury, along with a photo which you can see on the left. Harold was one of the enthusiasts in the 1910 Thanksgiving Day Road Races. He was an early member of the Thanksgiving Day Road Racers Assocation.

Luck was with me as I also found the obituary of Harold's son Bill.

Obit: WESTERN, William Harold Of Port Dover on Friday, August 12, 2005 at Norfolk General Hospital in his 74th year. Beloved husband of [names of wife and child removed for privacy reasons]. Lovingly remembered by Bill's cousins, [wife's] family and friends. Predeceased by his daughter Wendy and his parents Harold and Dorothea. Bill was a Founding Member of Ontario Rodeo Association, Founding Member of the Western Horse Association of Ontario, Charter Member of the Ontario Quarter Horse Association, Alumni of OAC Class of '53, University of Guelph, and a Member of both Grace United Church and the church choir. Visitation for Mr. Western will be at THOMPSON WATERS FUNERAL HOME, [rest of obit edited]. Published in the Ottawa Citizen on 8/15/2005

Following are some of the genealogical details Bruce uncovered in his research on the family: 

Harold married Dorothea Coreen Caroth (?) between 1926 and 1935.
Between 1935 and 1949 they lived at 158 Neeve Street in Guelph
Harold worked as a Weaver until he retired between 1962 and 1963
Harold and Dorthea lived at 164 King Street West in Guelph between 1953
and 1974.

They had two children; William, who died about 2007 and Jacqueline Elizabeth who
died 29 Mar 1935 at Guelph.

Harold was gassed during the war but recovered.  He worked as a Chemist in
a Carpet Mill in Guelph but usually reported his occupation as weaver,
likely as he came from a long line of weavers. He was very involved in
youth Soccer and was the chief of the Ontario Soccer Association and still
refereed into his senior years.

Bruce also sent the earlier research he did on Harold's ancestors so we can fill in many details. I've passed all the information on to Michel who is the man who found Harold Western's Dog ID tags in France.

Another happy ending!

Soldier's Case #5: 3 years later we have a happy ending!

STULL.

T. H.
340585
TYPE -B-
T. 12/44
USMC

Another happy ending thanks to the hard work of my readers! Two years ago we made contact with Thomas H. Stull's nephew but sometimes events move slowly. Contact was lost, then regained, and so on. But last week Craig was finally able to return the dog tags to the family.

Case #5. T. H. Stull  Marine Corps WW2 CASE SOLVED Dec. 2012 It took 2 years but we did it! Contact has been made with Thomas Stull's nephew James. See Another Happy Ending!

I think this very kind note received a few days ago says it all.

Lorine - just a short follow-up note to tell you that the dog-tags for Tom Stull were delivered successfully.   This has been a long and interesting 3 year effort leading to numerous dead-ends.  We'd all but given up but, thankfully, discovered your web site and you were able to track down family members who are thrilled to have the memento.  Thank you for all you do.  It is often the "little things that count."  Fond regards - Craig

Case No. 16: George Coleman Dog Tags Need to Go Home

A. J. asked for help returning a found WW2 Dog Tag. Here is his email to Olive Tree Genealogy:

Hi Lorine from a very wet Isle of Anglesey in North Wales UK
My father who was a cinema manager in Amlwch Anglesey found two dog tags which I have in my possession and would be grateful if you could repatriate.
Details on the tags are
GEORGE COLEMAN
34245523 T42-43 0
and a small p in the bottom right hand side of the tag

Hopefully my readers will be able to help A.J.  and send George Coleman's Dog Tags home

Please note that Case #15 was sent to me as a comment on blog posts. That doesn't work well. I need to have a name and email so I can forward private details that are found by my generous readers.  It is also best to send me a photo or scan of the dog tag. So please be sure to send your emails to me directly at olivetreegenealogyATgmail.com

Please see our other Soldiers cases if you want to help send a dog tag home to the family

Case No. 15: Lester Lorfing of Texas, WW2 Dog Tag

Olive Tree Genealogy received another request for help finding descendants of a WW2 soldier.  One of the  missions of Olive Tree Genealogy is to reunite found items such as  Dog ID Tags, Medals, etc of soldiers with their descendants. To date my readers have worked on many cases and been successful in reuniting several soldiers' dog id tags with family members.


Here is the email for Case No. 15, Lester A. Lorfing

My husband found a US dog tag in our garden. We live on Lake Garda Italy. I gave the dog tag to my brother, who lives in the UK. The name is Lester A Lorfing and the serial no. is 38250774 T43 A P
I believe he died in 1999 in Texas, Wharton County.

My wonderful readers have a terrific track record in solving these lost and found Dog ID Tags and I'm hoping we can all jump in to this case and send Lester's Dog Tag home.

Please post your findings and ideas in the comment section of this blog post but remember if you have private information on living individuals (such as phone numbers or addresses) to send it privately to me at olivetreegenealogyATgmail.com

I did a bit of research already and found the marriage record of Lester and Inez Hoegemeyer in Texas in 1946 which led me to Inez Lorfing's online obituary. There is a great deal of information in this which may help with finding their sons.

We could also trace Lester's siblings and their children in case the sons cannot be found or have no interest in Lester's WW2 Dog tags.

Update Case #13: WW2 Soldier Hidden From German Army in Italy

Case #13 Henry aka Harry Taylor  a WW2 British Soldier hidden from German Army in Italy who later settled in California, has been solved.

Thanks to our team of volunteers and in particular Samuel J. whose search of the U.K. Electoral Rolls provided the correct names of Harry and his wife (Susan, not Gloria). The address on the photo sent by Nick confirmed that we have the right couple.

Next came searches of many different records including Births and Marriages on Free BMD where a search found the marriage of Harry C. Taylor and Susan R. Willmott in December 1938.

Ships Passenger Lists, Border Crossing Records Canada to USA and other records on Ancestry.com turned up more information. Susan Ruth Taylor, wife of Harry, and three children, Gloria Rose, Brenda Susan and Wayne Charles were found crossing from Canada at Detroit Michigan in 1952.

Harry was found on a separate crossing one month later, going from Canada to Salt Lake City Utah. It was noted that he arrived in Canada by plane in 1947.

Naturalization records were also found dated July 1958 for the family who were living in W. Covina California.

One item of great interest was found on the National Archives for UK  A search of their online database provided a reference to Harry's experiences as a POW in Italy during WW2. For a small fee Nick was able to download the file and learn about his grandparents' part in helping Harry hide during one of his many escapes. It was fascinating reading as Harry escaped more than once and was re-captured each time.

There were many other records found but they contain information about living individuals (their dates and locations of birth, Susan's parents and siblings etc) so I won't share that here on Olive Tree Genealogy blog.

Suffice it to say that a phone number and address for one of the children of Harry and Susan Taylor was given to Nick, and contact has been made. Harry is deceased but his wife is still alive.

All in all another happy ending thanks to my wonderful readers to a very challenging case!

Case #13: American Soldier Steven Gibbs Dog ID Tag

Gary left this as a comment on my Olive Tree Genealogy blog. Unfortunately there was no return email. Usually requests are submitted to my email and I can then ask questions and request a photo of the ID Tag so if Gary is reading this, I hope he will contact me at olivetreegenealogy AT gmail.com

Meantime here is Gary's submission, copied and pasted so it is as he wrote it.  Since he hasn't used any capital letters in the submission it may be safe to assume that Steven's middle initial is "L" and not "I"

hello ive found a american dog tag inthe forest of dean , gloucestershire england the name is steven l gibbs the number is 32265500 t42-43 A bottom right cofner is a p . i would like it reunited with the family if possible

If the middle initial is "L" the soldier may be this one found on Ancestry's US World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946

Name:	Steven L Gibbs
Birth Year:	1918
Race:	Negro, citizen (Black)
Nativity State or Country:	Pennsylvania
State of Residence:	Delaware
Enlistment Date:	15 Apr 1942
Enlistment State:	New Jersey
Enlistment City:	Fort Dix
Branch:	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code:	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade:	Private
Grade Code:	Private
Term of Enlistment:	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component:	Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source:	Civil Life
Education:	4 years of high school
Civil Occupation:	Carpenters
Marital Status:	Single, with dependents
Height:	65
Weight:	130

 Please see our other Soldier's Dog Tag Cases as several are still open and we could still use help to solve them

Another American Soldier Dog Tag Sent Home! Case #10 Solved

Good news! Another Soldier's ID Dog Tag has been sent home to family. Here is the note from John about Case #10, Edward Jones:

The Dog Tag has been returned to the family and a response was received by Tim, who returned it and whose step-father found it. Please go to the Camp Howze facebook page to see photos of Edward and other members of his family that served during WWII, along with some other photos and a copy of the letter thanking Tim for returning it.

Congratulations and thanks goes to Olive Tree Genealogy readers who put on their genealogy sleuthing hats and found Edward's family. We have several cases still unsolved so please take a look at the list of Lost and Found Soldiers' Dog Tags to see if you can help send one home.

American Soldier Dog Tag: Home for Christmas!

I have such wonderful news for my readers re Case #8, Samuel Loftus and his Dog Tags which were found in England. Samuel Loftus' daughter and family received his dog tags before Christmas. His daughter wrapped the tag and put it under the tree for Samuel's grandson as a surprise.

The family took photos and kindly shared them with Olive Tree Genealogy so that my readers could see this happy ending.

Here is part of the letter from the family. It is wonderful to see the face of Samuel and his family and share in their joy at having Samuel's Dog Tag come home.

The one picture is of our son holding the dog tag in front of Sam Loftus picture on the wall.

Pops as we in the family called him was one outstanding individual.

In the other pictures is of our family:  my wife and Sam Loftus daughter, myself and our son and daughter.

I can't tell you how much Joy this dog tag has brought to us. Sam told me
many stories of his war time experiences when I would ride with him moving
cattle in the canyons of Imnaha in Wallowa County. You can only imagine how
he is missed by all that knew and loved him.

.

Case #12: Arthur Cohen Dog Tag Found in France

Our first case in 2012 to find family of an American soldier! Wayne wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy with this story of finding a soldier's dog tag in France

My daughter was walking on the beach near Nice, France and found a WW II dog tag with the name of Arthur Cohen.  The tag is very beat up and about 1/3 of it is broken off and missing. There is a  partial service number ending 181206 and blood type A.  

From what we can ell, there were two Arthur Cohens from that region who enlisted at about the same time, one was born in 1913 and the other in 1921.  They were both single when they enlisted. I have found from NARA records available online that the Arthur Cohen we are looking for was born in 1913. Service #31181206. 

So far we have found out that Arthur enlisted in Providence, Rhode Island in 1942.  That's all we know. Any idea of where to go from here?  If it would be of any sentimental or historical value to his descendants we would be happy to correspond and send it to them.

 This is Case #12 and I hope my readers will respond with their usual enthusiasm and great sleuthing skills. Let's send another dog tag home to family.

Update on Case #8: Soldier's Dog Tag Returned to Family!

One of the missions of Olive Tree Genealogy is to reunite found Dog ID Tags of soldiers with their descendants. To date my readers have worked on several cases and been successful in reuniting soldiers' dog id tags with family members.

I have an exciting update on Case #8, that of Samuel Loftus' found dog tag from WW2. The dog tag arrived safe and sound at the home of his daughter this past weekend!  What a wonderful Christmas gift for the family. Samuel's grandson idolized his grandpa and is thrilled to have the dog tag in the family's possession.

We still have more cases coming in and we have old cases that have not yet been solved. If you have a moment would you read through one of the open cases and help find family?

Case #11: A Canadian WW1 Soldier's Dog Tags Need to Go Home!

John Thomas Drybrough Dog Tag

Ray wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy blog with a question - could I help him find family of a Canadian WW1 soldier whose dog tags were found in France.

 Here is Ray's email:

I received an e-mail from someone in France that had found a WW1 dog tag for a Canadian soldier, he contacted me because I am a distant cousin of the soldier and he wondered if I knew of any living descendants.

His name was John Thomas Drybrough, born in Edinburgh, died in New Westminster B.C in 1971

He married Florence Partington in Victoria BC  1922, Florence died in Nanaimo 1988

John Thomas Drybrough Dog Tag

John served in the first World War in the Field Ambulance Corp, the ID tag was found in France. I’ve attached photos of both sides of the tag.

John and Florence had a daughter Jean, no further information. She married Ted Hanson and they had a daughter Jean Sandra. That’s all I can find out about them.

John also had a sister Elizabeth that married Joseph Walter Sanford, somehow they ended up living in San Francisco where they raised a family.

 

And that’s about all I know, I would really like to get this tag back to John’s descendants

Case #10: Found Another American Soldier's Dog ID Tags!

WW2 American Soldier Dog ID Tag

Megan wrote to Olive Tree Genealogy with a request to help her find the family of a WW2 American soldier.

His dog tags were found in a field near  Camp Howze in Gainsville Texas, and the person who found them wants to send them home.

This is Olive Tree Genealogy's Case #10.  Hopefully we can add it to the "Dog Tag returned to family!" list.

The scan is a bit blurry but the name is Edward _ Jones. (I am not positive of that middle initial)

_7010360 T44-45

Here's hoping my readers can once again put their sleuthing hats on and help Megan find Edward's family or descendants.

Please see our other Soldiers' Dog Tags cases by clicking on the tab at the top of this blog. Some are solved and the dog tags have been returned to family, but others are waiting to go home