On this page I will post requests for information from readers and ask that, if you can shed any light them, you get in touch with me on e-mail or on the snail mail address listed on the Contacts page.

• Theresa Finnan writes: The South African Red Cross Society has just recently tackled the job of archiving its history. I have been employed to assist with the sorting and recording of records. Today I received correspondence from a woman who is interested in any information regarding the arrival of the “Duchess of Bedford” in Durban, and she gives the dates around 15th – 20th February 1942. Apparently the Red Cross had welcomed and assisted the passengers in Durban. She was then 8 years old and their family had been evacuated from Singapore just before it fell to the Japanese. I am looking through our records but wondered whether you have any information regarding the arrival of this vessel in Durban. Would really appreciate any information you can send.

• Henk de Winde writes: Hello dear reader, First of all I am Henk de Winde, Mærsk collector for over 50 years. In that case I would like to ask you a question: In 1937 FRATERNITE was sold to your company and renamed UNIWALCO together with 5 ships renamed UNI I till V. I am now looking for data and details of these five catchers. Can you help me further?

• Tessa King is looking for information on Clairmont Estate and wrote:

I have just taken a look at your lovely website and see that one may send in
queries to you. I live in Johannesburg and wonder whether you know anything
about Clairmont Estate. This was a huge estate and I would assume was
probably in the area of what is now known as Clairmont and was owned by the
Wood family. My great, great, great grandfather Gibson Napier Holmes Crozier
lived there for a short while and ran a business named Crozier and South in
the Durban area. After Benoni Horace Wood died the estate was subdivided and
sold off and the various suburbs in and around Clairmont were established. I
have no idea where to start looking to find out more and just wondered
whether you knew anything about this very early time in Durban.?We are
talking about the late 1800's early 1900's.

• Ingrid van der Bergh is looking for information on the Air Guard who apparently wore Air Force uniforms and drilled after work at Greyville Racecourse during WWII. We'd also appreciate hearing from you if you remember Muriel Wynne Henkel (nee Bradfield).
  

• Rosemary Dixon-Smith wonders if anyone knows anything about the teams featured in some footballing pictures which she has. The pictures are labelled Star Football Club, Durban, 1930 and 1931 and Thistle Football Club 1932, 1934 and 1935. She has the names of all the players who include her father William Bell Gadsden.

• There's this from Jayne Turner: I wonder if you have any information on a relative of ours, Ms Rosie Draai (nee Murray) who, I believe, owned a brothel in the Point area approximately fifty or sixty years ago? Quite a colourful character I’ve been told and I would love to find out more about her. Perhaps you could assist?

• Jessica Jones wonders if anyone knows anything about a concentration [POW??] camp on the Bluff during WWII. She has a feeling it was next to the Radar site and might have housed the Italian prisoners off of the Timavo.

• I have heard the following stories and would be delighted if anyone could tell me whether they actually happened or not:
• A dog called Railway Jack used to come up from Port Elizabeth [East London??] all by himself on the train to visit the naval base in Durbanand then would then return home. 15 AUGUST 2005: IT SEEMS THERE WAS A DOG CALLED RAILWAY JACK BUT IT SEEMS HE LIVED IN LEWES IN THE UK. READER JERRY KEW SENT ME A LINK TO HIS STORY HERE.
• Representatives of the Shell Company in Durban during WWII were very surprised to get a letter from a man in Mocambique saying that he had recovered oil in drums which had flaoted ashore after the the sinking of the tanker Africa Star. He then asked if he could sell the oil on behalf of Shell and staff were even more surprised to receive the money for the oil and an order for more of the same. There were red faces in the Shell office when it later emerged that the enterprising Mocambican had been selling the oil to passing German U-Boats.