Can I find my Great Grandfather?

[Mumtothreeandadog]

My Grandmother was illegitimate. All she knew was her father was an Australian serviceman during WW2.

I have no name

Will I ever find him for DM?

Unless you have a bit more to go on, that’s a tall order! Did he pay any child maintenance, do you know?

Sadly I think your chances are remote, assuming name is not on the birth certificate. Even if they lived together, there is no more census information available until 2052.

Are there elderly family members around who might know?

Ancestry DNA may help with this but it would take some unravelling. Ask your Mum to do a test.

I have just (after a long slog) found who I think my great grandfather is. My grandad was illegitimate and his mother would never name his father. Through ancestry dna and various links I think I finally know who he is. It takes a) a lot of luck that the right people have taken the dna test and b) a lot of detective work! Worth it though. Good luck!

My DHs great grandfather had a very busy life, with a string of women 'married' (but no divorces) and children across the world. A couple of these were traceable as the mothers had gone to the army to make a claim against his pay. He was in the Australian army too...

You might. I’m still searching for my great grandfather. I would recommend asking every family member for any information they may have. Does your grandmother have any unusual middle names? I would get your grandmother’s birth certificate- you may be able to obtain records from the place of birth. Where did your grandmother go to school? You may be able to obtain records from the local records archive. You’ll need your grandmother’s death certificate if she has died and probably something signed by your grandmother if she’s alive (ut you’d have to ask the records place about that).

DNA is worth doing. Your grandmother if possible, failing that, your mum. I’d test with Ancestry and 23and me and then upload everywhere else. You have a realistic chance of figuring things out with dna.

I haven’t yet been successful, but that’s because the mystery great grandfather is part of an endogamous community.

Best of luck.

Yes you can! You'll need to get an Ancestry DNA test for your Mum and/or yourself for starters. When you get the results take very little notice of the Geographic data - it's the least accurate part. The rest of it is a goldmine. I found my own Grandfather with zero information on the paperwork; no father's name in his birth certificate. However, it will take time and it's quite a learning curve. There's loads of help out there though. If you're very, very lucky there might be someone from that side of your family who, despite being completely unknown to you, shares a decent sized chunk of DNA who has already tested. I waited for 3 years for someone to test and make me able to make a breakthrough but that led me to discovering the 3 brothers who could've been my Dad's Dad. Last year I got 2 other decent sized matches and I was able to pinpoint which brother it was! Paperwork only tells part of the story, people misremember or don't tell the whole truth but DNA doesn't lie. Give it a go and good luck!

My Grandmother has passed away, my DM is still alive. Grandmother was born in another town away from family home due to the shame at the time. I wouldn't have thought any form of child maintenance was paid.

I will ask my DM about doing a DNA test

Yes I agree with this. It will take a lot of detective work though in going through her matches and building a tree to slot them all in.

Then work out who was in the right place at the right time to be the father.

Where was your great-grandmother's home when she fell pregnant? If it was during the war, then check to see if there were any military bases or army camps in the area. Find out whether there were any Australian servicemen stationed there. That could narrow it down a bit. You might be able to pin it down to one regiment or similar.