Looking for my grandfather

Yes, another thread seeking help/advice...

This one may be slightly different, in that my mother was a so-called 'GI baby' - her father being a US serviceman and her mother being English. Her father, my grandfather, is the subject of my research...

Unfortunately, I don't know very much about him.[FONT=&quot]

This is what I do know (Drawn from family knowledge, three passport sized photos taken in Granville/Mont Saint Michel, Normandy, a letter from my grandfather to my grandmother's father and a letter from my grandmother to my mother - written shortly after her 18th birthday in 1963 but unread until after her death two years ago). Because some of this information is taken from a letter written 18 years after the events it describes there is, of course, a distinct possibility of error. Any way:[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
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• His name (or at least the name he used) was Edward Carleton (Eddie) and he was a US serviceman (USAAF I believe) stationed in NW England (Burtonwood/BAD 1 I suspect) and then Normandy during WW2.
• He was apparently 11 years older than my grandmother, which would put his birth year around the 1909 mark
• He was definitely in Normandy on 30 November 1944 and for some time before that
• He took leave (somehow) to the UK on the 8th May 1945 to visit his new born child (my mother)
• He was married and separated in the US prior to his enlistment and overseas posting - but was informed by 'the old general' that there was some complication with his divorce and it had not been finalised (he seemingly intended to marry my grandmother but had to 'write to New York to straighten out his circumstances' first - from the tone and content of his surviving letter I tend to think he was sincere)
• He may have been hospitalised in Normandy some time after 8th May 1945 and eventually 'invalided' home - apparently to Anna Maria, Florida, where his parents lived (though of course, he may not have been born there)
• I have three small photographs of him in uniform, all taken in Normandy and possibly on the same day (maybe on a 'day off' - they look almost like sightseeing shots).
• From those photos I can see that he was a Staff Sergeant (see attached for a couple of samples)

I have already done quite a lot of digging, but hit dead ends at every turn - I simply don't know enough to do the NARA form 180 thing for instance (I'd only be able to fill out his name and rank).

I guess I'm hoping someone might be able to shed some light as to what 'division/unit' of the military he might have been in - based on his locations at particular times. Even if the answer is he could have been in any one of a dozen or more, I'd at least have something to go on...

Finally, I have thought long and hard about posting this on a public forum - for one thing he might well have surviving family in the US and I certainly don't want to upset anyone. I just want to find out more about him and what happened to him.

Hoping someone can shed some light.... :xfingers:

Thanks

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Nope, none whatsoever I'm afraid. I can see three Edward Carletons in the enlistment records but none of them seem to fit the information I have -

Please Wait...

One enlisted in the USAAF, but seems too young (born 1920), another is around the right age, but seems to have been assigned to the military police in Hawaii, the other is promising in that he is listed as 'separated' in the marital status field, but again, he seems too young

Is there any point filling out a NARA standard 180 form with his name and rank, and then including the rest of the info above in a covering letter?

The one clue I have not been able to decifer so far is the address in Florida. It is hand written in a letter - I can make out Anna Maria, Florida, but there is a something before that which I can't quite make out - maybe Currate or Cursate...

Also, I know that two Edward Carletons were divorced in Florida - one in 47 and one in 48. But both those records are short on detail and effectively just more dead ends...

Not sure what to do next

 

The address is not taken from his letter - that is only dated (30th Nov 44). It is taken from a letter my grandmother wrote to my mother (EC's daughter) 18 years later.

It just says 'Currate' (or something like that), Anna Maria, Florida.

Thanks for the advice - I've subscribed to the thread, so will be alerted if I get any more replies.

 

Given that Anna Maria, Florida, today has a population of less than 2,000 I would contact the local public library, ask for the reference section, and tell whomever answers what you've mentioned here:

Manatee County Government -- serving the citizens of Manatee County Florida

You'd be surprised at what turns up. Reference librarians are wonderful people who will sit at a microfilm reader and dig up information from newspapers of the day.

They also have local knowledge and your "Currate" might just be deciphered for you.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for that. I going to do this next...

 

Good idea... see attached



Mod edit: What does the sentence above and below say?

 

Mr Matt We love info request the more the better, anyway we can help you. That's one of the main reasons this site was created. It's great that your doing this, Like JW Stated I see you've done some good Digging on his past. I'm sure he would be proud to know.

Now I took his name and used the US Archive search, which is a great site for US Veterans. His name is not on File? If you have his service #########

Go to this link.

NARA - AAD - List of Series - Wars/ International Relations: World War II.

Any problems post his service ######## I'll Gladly check for you.

You would be Upsetting nobody if he had surviving Family this public Forum is dedicated in the memory of those who so proudly served, so their Story's and sacrifices are NEVER forgotten. I think if they found out they would feel pride that you took the inishative in bring his story to life. And I'm sure almost all on WWII Forum will agree.

 

Thanks Spaniard. In actual fact, I can't claim to have done a great deal of successful digging - all of the info above is drawn from two letters I have (the rest were destroyed, worse luck).

The link you posted does bring up three Edward Carletons - but none really match very well in terms of what I already know (Or think I know...).

Sadly, I don't have his service number, so that is a definite dead end for now. In fact there is an awful lot I don't know - in fact most of the info I would need to identify him seems out of reach. Frustrating really because there can't have been many Staff Sergeant Edward Carleton's at Burtonwood (BAD 1) in 1944 - even if it was a vast facility.

Another question that is playing on my mind is why he would have had to write to New York re his divorce (whch was supposed to be finalised before he enlisted/shipped out, but wasn't for some reason)? Was there some relevant central military body there? Or does that mean he married in New York?

 

First Mr Matt I'm in Canada therefore why he wrote to New York is something you'll have to fined out or others on this site might be able to help you out.

I would suggest not to feel frustrated, sometimes these matters take time, Try finding other Family members that had contact with him.

There's also Ancestry.com

The problem lies in "Think you know."


Like you stated you found 3 names on that link, take the time fill out the forms one never knows what can be found unless you try. Two letters and the two pictures plus the Info you already have is more than others have, therefore your already to a great start. because there can't have been many Staff Sergeant Edward Carleton's at Burtonwood (BAD 1) in 1944 - even if it was a vast facility. Exactly!

Never give up hope and theres never dead ends, only if you Stop trying.

Pictures from Burtonwood Air Depot, circa 1943-1945 go to this link many pictures you can also contact them Post you Grandpas Pictures and see if someone recognises him.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jadmire/bwood/bwood.htm

I wish you the best Mr Matt.

 

No fear, I'm not giving up.

I have a few people out there I am waiting on responses from (some prompted by suggestions on here - so thanks) and I guess the next step for me now is to submit a standard form 180 plus covering letter detailing the facts as I have them. Who knows, I might just get lucky.

Thanks again for the well wishes - I'll be checking back here regularly to see if anyone else has any info/ideas/thoughts etc - and will be sure to come back and tell the whole story if I ever find my answers. From what I know already, it's quite the heartbreaker.

 

Unfortunately, ancestry.com disagrees with you - 18,000 census results for Carleton in Florida alone (some dupes, but still...)

On that score it's not so much finding a needle in a haystack, but a needle in a huge pile of needles...

I think a NARA standard form 180 and crossing my fingers that whoever picks it up likes a challenge is now my best bet in the short term.

 

Not sure if you've been down this road but here's a few death records...

From the SSDI ::
Name: Edward J. Carleton SSN: 459-64-8658 Last Residence: 33701 Saint Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida, United States of America Born: 5 Sep 1908 Died: 27 Aug 1990 State (Year) SSN issued: Texas (1956)


From the Florida Death Index:
Name: Edward Carleton Death Date: 20 Nov 1971 County of Death: Manatee State of Death: Florida Age at Death: 62 Race: White Birth Date: 16 Feb 1909
Personally, I would check these in Florida as that's where his family seemed to live, at least later in life. I have personal experience with the RAOGK volunteers for Pinellas county -- perhaps write to them and you might get an obit that could someone in on out. Here's the link for that: raogk.org

I'd also suggest maybe posting a query over at ancestry.com on the message boards. Locating some family or a death date would help immensely. i requested my grandfather's records with just his social security number and nothing else and they were able to help me out...

 

Hi - yes I have come across those records before. I also know there are a two (or maybe one!) Edward Carletons who got divorced in 47 and 48 (in Manatee) - interesting given his 'mid-divorce' circumstances circa 1944/45.

I like the sound of raogk and will give it a whirl - thanks for the thoughts.

 

Someone I contacted via RootsWeb just emailed me this:

I have no idea whether this is a valid point or not. Does anyone know either )way whether the gaiters mean anything? (Pictures are attached to the original post in the thread)

Thanks all

 

There is a recent obituary in a local paper. The name is the same, but age different, he could be a relative (b 1934). There is also a same surname business nearby.....