Friend of Fad William Paterson is collecting information for a book set in Zululand and Durban during WWII. He wrote:
I am gathering material for the third novel in the Kirkwood trilogy and would welcome receiving very short notes from people on their experiences at the time (that is, if they don’t mind my [possibly] cannibalising them with due acknowledgements). Focus strictly on Durban and environs and Zululand. Personal stuff, not heroic tales.
There is already quite a lot of material on the site but William would be grateful if you could help with more info he can use to add colour to his book. Please leave a comment below or drop me a line at the address on the contact page.
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Ron Jackson
We are wanting to know if anyone has any info about (1) Martin Thomas Ryan born 1916 in the Cape Province and went to Glenwood High School. He was in the School band and was the lead bugler and always played on all special occasions and playing The Last Post.He married Elsa Gesiena Rieper (not sure of spelling) signed up in the army and went to war, no details of of where but only know he died during the second world war and no news where he died or where he was buried.
(2) Cecil Martin Ryan also born 1918 in the Cape Province and also went to Glenwood High School. He married Peggy Wright Herald and also enlisted in the army and went off and fought in the second world war. Also missing in action and do not where he fought or died or where he is buried.
I am hoping there might still be someone who might know these two men either at school or where they went to war.
Ron
Robyn
According to GenDataBase.com & FamilySearch,org:
Elsa & Martin had married in 1936:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-69R9-GLX?i=536&cc=2063749
ELSA GESINA RIEPER married HORATIO STANLEY BOTTOMLEY on 1949-07-30.
On their marriage record she is listed as being a widow.
See https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QLQ-BQP?i=2065&cc=2063749
She had to provide an affadavit swearing as to her being a widow – it seems that it was not well documented where/when her 1st husband had died (and there are no deceased estate records for him in the Natal Archives).
Elsa died 2008-07-04, near Mafikeng (since her deceased estate is held with the Mafikeng Masters Office).
Horatio Bottomley died 2007-07-17 in Klerksdorp.
I have looked thru the Commonwealth War Graves listings and there is no grave or memorial for him, alas.
All that I have found is a family tree on Ancestry.com that says he died in about 1944 during WWII.
Unfortunately all of his siblings are deceased; hard to know if the current living family members would have more info re: his death.
Have you tried the SA Defence Force Archives in Pretoria?
If any institution has records re: where he & Cecil Ryan fought, it would be the SADF.
P.S. Peggy Wright Keevy Herald married Cecil Edward Ryan on 12 December 1946 (her 1st husband James Herald had died in 1945).
See: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6S8B-4C?i=531&cc=2063749
So Cecil Edward Ryan definitely survived WWII.
Peggy subsequently married REGINALD PARNELL FAULKNER on 1969-08-15.
So either Cecil died before Aug. 1969, or they divorced.
Peggy died on 1997-06-08 in East London.
I have not found a death or estate record for either Cecil or Reginald.
FYI: According to the Ancestry family tree I found for the Ryan’s, these 2 Ryan men were brothers.